促

cù

The skipping quality · cu

Also rendered: The hurried pulse (Literal) · The quickened pulse (Clinical)

Reviewed · 2026-10-28

At a glance

Pinyin
cù
Simplified
促
Literal
促 cù — pressed, shortened, hurried. As a pulse it comes rapid and stops once, then returns: hurried and interrupted at the same time.
Shuowen
**《說文》:促,迫也**,从人,足聲。**「促」五篇共7見**(經文),其為脉名者在「名曰促」「脉促胸滿」兩處;「促其間」「促命期」則為催促、短促之常義。

In brief

The skipping quality: a rapid pulse that stops once and returns. The book defines it against its twin: 脉來緩,時一止復來者,名曰結;脉來數,時一止復來者,名曰促 — the same single stop, knotted when the pulse is slow, skipping when it is rapid. Its cause is yang excess (脉陽盛則促,陰盛則結). Later in the book the same character is the ordinary verb ‘to hurry’ (當促其間) and the adjective ‘to shorten’ (再逆促命期); neither is a pulse, and both are marked.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What it is 脉來數,時一止復來者,名曰促
數而時一止復來,名促
A pulse that comes rapid, stops once, and comes again, is named skipping.
脉來數,時一止復來者,名曰促 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
2
Yang excess 脉陽盛則促
陽盛則促,陰盛則結
Yang in excess makes the pulse skip; yin in excess makes it knotted.
脉陽盛則促,陰盛則結 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
3
Both are sick pulses 此皆病脉
促與結皆病脉,非平脉
Both are sick pulses: neither is a normal sign, whatever the excess behind it.
陽盛則促,陰盛則結,此皆病脉 — 傷寒論·辨脉法第一
4
Hurrying the doses 當促其間
此促謂催促服藥之間隔,非脉名
The interval should be hurried: three doses may be finished in half a day. Here 促 is a verb.
當促其間,可半日中盡三服 — 傷寒論·傷寒例第三
5
Below the heart 脉促胸滿者
下後脉促而胸滿,桂枝去芍藥湯主之
Taiyang disease purged, with a skipping pulse and fullness in the chest: Guizhi tang without peony.
太陽病,下之後,脉促胸滿者 — 傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五
6
Shortening the mandate 再逆促命期
此促謂短促其命,非脉名
One mistreatment still buys days; a second shortens the term of life. Here 促 is an adjective.
一逆尚引日,再逆促命期 — 傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
4 passages
傷寒論·辨脉法第一 Read in context →
脉來緩,時一止復來者,名曰結。脉來數,時一止復來者,名曰促。脉陽盛則促,陰盛則結,此皆病脉。 脉来缓,时一止复来者,名曰结。脉来数,时一止复来者,名曰促。脉阳盛则促,阴盛则结,此皆病脉。
mài lái huǎn shí yī zhǐ fù lái zhě míng yuē jié mài lái shuò shí yī zhǐ fù lái zhě míng yuē cù mài yáng shèng zé cù yīn shèng zé jié cǐ jiē bìng mài
A pulse that comes relaxed and now and then stops before returning is called knotted; a pulse that comes rapid and now and then stops before returning is called hurried. Yang excess gives the hurried, yin excess the knotted; both are diseased pulses.
**「促」五篇共7見**(經文,不含成注),本文引第1篇第13段、第5篇第25段、第3篇第47段、第5篇第07段。
傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五 Read in context →
太陽病,下之後,脉促胸滿者,桂枝去芍藥湯主之。若微惡寒者,去芍藥方中加附子湯主之。 太阳病,下之后,脉促胸满者,桂枝去芍药汤主之。若微恶寒者,去芍药方中加附子汤主之。
tài yáng bìng xià zhī hòu mài cù xiōng mǎn zhě guì zhī qù sháo yào tāng zhǔ zhī ruò wēi wù hán zhě qù sháo yào fāng zhòng jiā fù zǐ tāng zhǔ zhī
In taiyang disease after purging, with a racing pulse and fullness in the chest, Cinnamon Twig Decoction without Peony governs. If there is slight aversion to cold, add aconite to the peony-free formula.
促與結,同一「時一止復來」,以遲數分:數者為促,緩者為結。此二字之别,全在至數。
傷寒論·傷寒例第三 Read in context →
凡發汗,温服湯藥,其方雖言日三服,若病劇不解,當促其間,可半日中盡三服,若與病相阻,即便有所覺。重病者,一日一夜,當晬時觀之,如服一劑,病證猶在,故當復作本湯服之,至有不肯汗出,服三劑乃解,若汗不出者,死病也。 凡发汗,温服汤药,其方虽言日三服,若病剧不解,当促其间,可半日中尽三服,若与病相阻,即便有所觉。重病者,一日一夜,当晬时观之,如服一剂,病证犹在,故当复作本汤服之,至有不肯汗出,服三剂乃解,若汗不出者,死病也。
fán fā hàn wēn fú tāng yào qí fāng suī yán rì sān fú ruò bìng jù bù jiě dāng cù qí jiān kě bàn rì zhōng jìn sān fú ruò yǔ bìng xiāng zǔ jí biàn yǒu suǒ jué zhòng bìng zhě yī rì yī yè dāng zuì shí guān zhī rú fú yī jì bìng zhèng yóu zài gù dāng fù zuò běn tāng fú zhī zhì yǒu bù kěn hàn chū fú sān jì nǎi jiě ruò hàn bù chū zhě sǐ bìng yě
In sweating, the decoction is taken warm. Though the prescription says three doses a day, if the illness is severe and does not resolve, one should shorten the intervals and finish the three doses in half a day; if the medicine is obstructed by the illness, the effect is felt at once. In heavy illness one watches a full day and night. If after one dose the signs remain, the same decoction should be made again; some will not sweat until three doses are taken. If no sweat comes at all, it is a fatal illness.
促與結,同一「時一止復來」,以遲數分:數者為促,緩者為結。此二字之别,全在至數。
傷寒論·辨太陽病脉證并治上第五 Read in context →
若發汗已,身灼熱者,名曰風温。風温爲病,脉陰陽俱浮,自汗出,身重,多眠睡,息必鼾,語言難出。若被下者,小便不利,直視失溲。若被火者,微發黃色,劇則如驚癇,時瘈瘲,若火熏之,一逆尚引日,再逆促命期。 若发汗已,身灼热者,名曰风温。风温为病,脉阴阳俱浮,自汗出,身重,多眠睡,息必鼾,语言难出。若被下者,小便不利,直视失溲。若被火者,微发黄色,剧则如惊痫,时瘈疭,若火熏之,一逆尚引日,再逆促命期。
ruò fā hàn yǐ shēn zhuó rè zhě míng yuē fēng wēn fēng wēn wéi bìng mài yīn yáng jù fú zì hàn chū shēn zhòng duō mián shuì xī bì hān yǔ yán nán chū ruò bèi xià zhě xiǎo biàn bù lì zhí shì shī sōu ruò bèi huǒ zhě wēi fā huáng sè jù zé rú jīng xián shí chì zòng ruò huǒ xūn zhī yī nì shàng yǐn rì zài nì cù mìng qī
If after sweating the body is scorching hot, it is called wind-warmth. In wind-warmth both the yin and yang pulses float, there is spontaneous sweating, heaviness of body, much sleep, snoring breath and difficulty in speaking. If purged, urine is blocked, the eyes stare straight and there is incontinence. If treated with fire, a faint yellowing appears; in severe cases there are convulsions like fright epilepsy and repeated twitching, or fumigation with fire. One mistreatment still leaves time; a second shortens the term of life.
促與結,同一「時一止復來」,以遲數分:數者為促,緩者為結。此二字之别,全在至數。

Compounds built on this term

脉促
mài cù
the pulse skips
太陽病脉證并治上第五
名曰促
míng yuē cù
named skipping
辨脉法第一
陽盛則促
yáng shèng zé cù
yang excess makes it skip
辨脉法第一

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe skipping qualityone stop, on a rapid base
Literalpressedexact as a gloss, opaque as a pulse
Clinicalprematureprecise, and it names a mechanism the text lacks

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-28

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