緩 简体 缓

huǎn

The relaxed quality · huan

Also rendered: The slack pulse (Literal) · The moderate pulse (Clinical)

Reviewed · 2026-10-28

At a glance

Pinyin
huǎn
Simplified
缓
Literal
緩 huǎn — slack, unhurried, a bow let down. As a pulse it comes and goes without urgency, one beat to a breath more than the tight.
Shuowen
**《說文》:緩,繛也**,从素,爰聲,謂寬綽。**「緩」五篇共16見**(經文),其義有三:一為脉體之寬,二為胃氣之和,三為中風之脉。

In brief

The relaxed quality: a pulse unhurried and without tension. It is the most equivocal of the gentle qualities, because the book uses it for three different things. When yin and yang are equal it is named relaxed; when the defensive qi is in harmony it is named relaxed; and when a Taiyang patient sweats and fears wind, a relaxed pulse names wind stroke. The first two are health and the third is disease, so the entry keeps all three and marks which is which.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Equal yin and yang 陰脉與陽脉同等者,名曰緩也
陰陽同等,其脉名緩
When the yin and yang pulses are equal, the pulse is named relaxed.
陰脉與陽脉同等者,名曰緩也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
2
The defense in harmony 衛氣和,名曰緩
衛氣和者,其脉亦名為緩
When the defensive qi is in harmony, the pulse is named relaxed.
衛氣和,名曰緩 — 傷寒論·平脉法第二
3
Relaxed and slow at the instep 趺陽脉遲而緩
遲緩並見,胃氣如常
Slow and relaxed at the instep: stomach qi runs as it should.
趺陽脉遲而緩,胃氣如經也 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
4
Relaxed names wind stroke 脉緩者,名爲中風
發熱汗出惡風而脉緩,名中風
Fever, sweating and fear of wind with a relaxed pulse: this is named wind stroke.
太陽病,發熱,汗出,惡風,脉緩者,名爲中風 — 傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五
5
Faint and relaxed 脉微緩者
微緩者,病欲愈
Faint and relaxed: the illness is about to resolve.
脉微緩者,爲欲愈也 — 傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五
6
Weak and relaxed 寸口脉弱而緩
弱緩並見,陽氣不足而胃氣有餘
Weak and relaxed at the inch: weak means yang qi is insufficient, relaxed means stomach qi has surplus.
寸口脉弱而緩,弱者陽氣不足,緩者胃氣有餘 — 傷寒論·平脉法第二
7
What it is not 脉來緩,時一止復來者,名曰結
緩而時止,是結非緩
A pulse that comes relaxed but stops once and returns is named knotted, not relaxed: the stop is the distinguishing mark.
脉來緩,時一止復來者,名曰結 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
5 passages
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
若數脉見於關上,上下無頭尾,如豆大,厥厥動揺者,是陰陽之氣相搏也,故名曰動。陽脉浮大而濡,陰脉浮大而濡,陰脉與陽脉同等者,名曰緩也。 若数脉见于关上,上下无头尾,如豆大,厥厥动摇者,是阴阳之气相搏也,故名曰动。阳脉浮大而濡,阴脉浮大而濡,阴脉与阳脉同等者,名曰缓也。
ruò shuò mài jiàn yú guān shàng shàng xià wú tóu wěi rú dòu dà jué jué dòng yáo zhě shì yīn yáng zhī qì xiāng bó yě gù míng yuē dòng yáng mài fú dà ér rú yīn mài fú dà ér rú yīn mài yǔ yáng mài tóng děng zhě míng yuē huǎn yě
If a rapid pulse appears at the bar, with no head or tail above or below, the size of a bean, stirring and shaking, it is the qi of yin and yang striking each other, and is therefore called moving. When the yang pulse is floating, large and soft, and the yin pulse is floating, large and soft, the yin and yang pulses being equal, it is called relaxed.
**「緩」五篇共16見**(經文,不含成注),本文引第1篇第16段、第2篇第48段、第1篇第29段、第5篇第02段、第5篇第26段。
傷寒論·平脉法第二 Read in context →
衛氣和,名曰緩。 卫气和,名曰缓。
wèi qì hé míng yuē huǎn
When the wei qi alone is harmonious, it is named slack.
緩有三義:陰陽同等、衛氣和、中風之脉。前二者為平,後者為病,同名而不可混。
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
趺陽脉遲而緩,胃氣如經也。趺陽脉浮而數,浮則傷胃,數則動脾,此非本病,醫特下之所爲也。榮衛内陷,其數先微,脉反但浮,其人必大便鞕,氣噫而除。何以言之?本以數脉動脾,其數先微,故知脾氣不治,大便鞕,氣噫而除。今脉反浮,其數改微,邪氣獨留,心中則飢,邪熱不殺榖,潮熱發渴。數脉當遲緩,脉因前後度數如法,病者則飢,數脉不時,則生惡瘡也。 趺阳脉迟而缓,胃气如经也。趺阳脉浮而数,浮则伤胃,数则动脾,此非本病,医特下之所为也。荣卫内陷,其数先微,脉反但浮,其人必大便鞕,气噫而除。何以言之?本以数脉动脾,其数先微,故知脾气不治,大便鞕,气噫而除。今脉反浮,其数改微,邪气独留,心中则饥,邪热不杀谷,潮热发渴。数脉当迟缓,脉因前后度数如法,病者则饥,数脉不时,则生恶疮也。
fū yáng mài chí ér huǎn wèi qì rú jīng yě fū yáng mài fú ér shuò fú zé shāng wèi shuò zé dòng pí cǐ fēi běn bìng yī tè xià zhī suǒ wéi yě róng wèi nèi xiàn qí shuò xiān wēi mài fǎn dàn fú qí rén bì dà biàn yìng qì yī ér chú hé yǐ yán zhī běn yǐ shuò mài dòng pí qí shuò xiān wēi gù zhī pí qì bù zhì dà biàn yìng qì yī ér chú jīn mài fǎn fú qí shuò gǎi wēi xié qì dú liú xīn zhōng zé jī xié rè bù shā gǔ cháo rè fā kě shuò mài dāng chí huǎn mài yīn qián hòu dù shuò rú fǎ bìng zhě zé jī shuò mài bù shí zé shēng è chuāng yě
When the fuyang pulse is slow and relaxed, the stomach qi is as usual. When it is floating and rapid, floating injures the stomach and rapid stirs the spleen; this is not the original disease but the work of a physician who purged wrongly. Ying and wei sink inward, the rapid quality fades first, the pulse becomes merely floating, and the patient must have a hard stool and belching that relieves him. Why? Originally the rapid pulse stirred the spleen; the rapid fades first, so one knows the spleen qi is unregulated, the stool hard, and belching relieves. Now the pulse is floating instead and the rapid has changed to faint; the evil qi remains alone, there is hunger in the chest, the evil heat fails to digest grain, and there is tidal fever with thirst. The rapid pulse should turn slow and relaxed; if the pulse’s measures before and after follow the rule, the patient will be hungry; if the rapid pulse does not keep time, evil sores will form.
緩有三義:陰陽同等、衛氣和、中風之脉。前二者為平,後者為病,同名而不可混。
傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五 Read in context →
太陽病,發熱,汗出,惡風,脉緩者,名爲中風。 太阳病,发热,汗出,恶风,脉缓者,名为中风。
tài yáng bìng fā rè hàn chū wù fēng mài huǎn zhě míng wéi zhòng fēng
In taiyang disease, with fever, sweating, aversion to wind and a relaxed pulse, the condition is called wind-strike.
緩有三義:陰陽同等、衛氣和、中風之脉。前二者為平,後者為病,同名而不可混。
傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五 Read in context →
太陽病,得之八九日,如瘧狀,發熱惡寒,熱多寒少,其人不嘔,清便欲自可,一日二三度發,脉微緩者,爲欲愈也。脉微而惡寒者,此陰陽俱虚,不可更發汗、更下、更吐也。面色反有熱色者,未欲解也。以其不能得小汗出,身必痒,宜桂枝麻黃各半湯。 太阳病,得之八九日,如疟状,发热恶寒,热多寒少,其人不呕,清便欲自可,一日二三度发,脉微缓者,为欲愈也。脉微而恶寒者,此阴阳俱虚,不可更发汗、更下、更吐也。面色反有热色者,未欲解也。以其不能得小汗出,身必痒,宜桂枝麻黄各半汤。
tài yáng bìng dé zhī bā jiǔ rì rú nüè zhuàng fā rè wù hán rè duō hán shǎo qí rén bù ǒu qīng biàn yù zì kě yī rì èr sān dù fā mài wēi huǎn zhě wéi yù yù yě mài wēi ér wù hán zhě cǐ yīn yáng jù xū bù kě gèng fā hàn gèng xià gèng tǔ yě miàn sè fǎn yǒu rè sè zhě wèi yù jiě yě yǐ qí bù néng dé xiǎo hàn chū shēn bì yǎng yí guì zhī má huáng gè bàn tāng
In taiyang disease of eight or nine days, with a malaria-like pattern, fever and aversion to cold, more heat than cold, no vomiting, stool and urine still passable, and two or three attacks a day, a faint, relaxed pulse means it is about to heal. If the pulse is faint with aversion to cold, yin and yang are both empty, and one must not again sweat, purge or vomit. If the face instead shows a hot colour, it is not about to resolve; because a light sweat cannot come out, the body will itch. Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Half-and-Half Decoction is fitting.
緩有三義:陰陽同等、衛氣和、中風之脉。前二者為平,後者為病,同名而不可混。

Compounds built on this term

脉緩
mài huǎn
the pulse is relaxed
太陽病脉證并治上第五
遲而緩
chí ér huǎn
slow and relaxed
辨脉法第一
微緩
wēi huǎn
faint and relaxed
太陽病脉證并治上第五
弱而緩
ruò ér huǎn
weak and relaxed
平脉法第二

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitethe relaxed qualitythree senses, one word, kept apart
Literallooseexact to the bow, wrong for the pulse
Clinicalregular and unhurriedclear, and it adds what the text omits

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-28

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Reading path

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