至陰 简体 至阴

zhì yīn

Utmost yin · zhi yin

Also rendered: the extreme yin (Sounds like a stage of disease rather than a region) · supreme yin (Reads as a title, and 至 here is about reaching a limit)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
zhì yīn
Simplified
至阴
Literal
至 zhì, arriving at, utmost; 陰 yin. The place where yin reaches its extreme. The chapter uses it to explain why water in the belly shows below the eyes: water is yin, the region below the eyes is yin, and the belly is where the utmost yin dwells — so water in the belly must make the region below the eyes swell. The reasoning is by likeness, and the text says so plainly.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:至,鳥飛从高下至地也,从一,一猶地也——極也。**「至」讀 zhì,本篇五見**;「陰」讀 yīn;「之」讀 zhī;「所」讀 suǒ;「居」讀 jū;「腹」讀 fù;「者」讀 zhě;「水」讀 shuǐ;「也」讀 yě;「目」讀 mù;「下」讀 xià;「亦」讀 yì;「故」讀 gù;「在」讀 zài;「必」讀 bì;「使」讀 shǐ;「腫」讀 zhǒng。**「至陰」之義,舊注二說**:一說至陰是脾(脾為至陰),一說腹為陰之極處(「腹者,至陰之所居」)。**本篇既曰「腹者,至陰之所居」,則「至陰」是就部位而言**,非逕指脾藏;然脾主腹,二說亦不相妨,故兩存之。**本篇釋目下之腫,純以「同氣相求」為說**:水陰、目下陰、腹為至陰之所居——三者皆陰,故水在腹而見於目下。與上文「邪之所湊,其氣必虛」同一思路:一是同氣相求,一是虛而後湊,皆以類相從之理。

In brief

Where yin reaches its extreme — in this chapter, the belly. It is the third term in a chain of likenesses: water is yin, the region below the eyes is yin, and the belly is where the utmost yin dwells, so water in the belly must show as swelling below the eyes. The chapter argues by category, and says that it is arguing by category.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The belly as the dwelling of utmost yin 腹者,至陰之所居
腹為至陰所居之處
腹者,至陰之所居 — Suwen 33
2
Water is yin 水者,陰也
水屬陰
水者,陰也 — Suwen 33
3
Below the eyes is yin too 目下,亦陰也
目下亦屬陰
目下,亦陰也 — Suwen 33
4
The conclusion by likeness 故水在腹者,必使目下腫也
水在腹必見目下腫
必使目下腫也 — Suwen 33
5
Paired with the governing sentence 邪之所湊,其氣必虚
與虚而後湊之理同貫
邪之所湊,其氣必虚 — Suwen 33
6
Applied to the water diseases 諸有水氣者,微腫先見於目下也
凡有水氣者皆然
微腫先見於目下也 — Suwen 33

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
6 passages
素問·評熱病論 Suwen 33 · 評熱病論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:水者,陰也;目下,亦陰也;腹者,至陰之所居,故水在腹者,必使目下腫也。 歧伯曰:水者,阴也;目下,亦阴也;腹者,至阴之所居,故水在腹者,必使目下肿也。
Qí bó yuē: shuǐ zhě, yīn yě; mù xià, yì yīn yě; fù zhě, zhì yīn zhī suǒ jū, gù shuǐ zài fù zhě, bì shǐ mù xià zhǒng yě.
Qi Bo says: water is yin, and the region below the eyes is yin too; the belly is where the utmost yin dwells. So when water is in the belly, it must make the region below the eyes swell.
目下腫之釋。「歧」讀 qí;「伯」讀 bó;「曰」讀 yuē;「水」讀 shuǐ;「者」讀 zhě;「陰」讀 yīn;「也」讀 yě;「目」讀 mù;「下」讀 xià;「亦」讀 yì;「腹」讀 fù;「至」讀 zhì;「之」讀 zhī;「所」讀 suǒ;「居」讀 jū;「故」讀 gù;「在」讀 zài;「必」讀 bì;「使」讀 shǐ;「腫」讀 zhǒng。**此節是《素問》「同氣相求」最明之一例**:水陰、目下陰、腹為至陰之所居——三陰相從,故水在腹必見於目下。帝先問「何以言」,是欲其明所以然;歧伯即以三陰相從答之,**與上文「邪之所湊,其氣必虛」之「虛而後湊」,同是以類相從之理,而一就虛實言、一就陰陽言**。
素問·剌瘧 Suwen 36 · 剌瘧 Read in context →
身體小痛,剌至陰,諸陰之井無出血,閒日一剌。 身体小痛,刺至阴,诸阴之井无出血,间日一刺。
Shēn tǐ xiǎo tòng, cì zhì yīn, zhū yīn zhī jǐng wú chū xuè, jiān rì yī cì.
When the body aches only slightly, needle Utmost Yin; at the well points of the yin channels let no blood, and needle once every other day.
「至陰」之目於本站已立(id 1010),所收一條為第三十三篇「腹者,至陰之所居」——**以至陰為極陰之地(腹)**。**本篇「至陰」惟此一見,而實為穴名**:「身體小痛,剌至陰,諸陰之井無出血,閒日一剌」——**足太陽之井穴即名至陰**。「身」讀 shēn;「體」讀 tǐ;「小」讀 xiǎo;「痛」讀 tòng;「剌」讀 cì;「至」讀 zhì;「陰」讀 yīn;「諸」讀 zhū,本篇 2 見;「之」讀 zhī;「井」讀 jǐng,本篇 2 見;「無」讀 wú,本篇惟此一見,**不作「无」(「无」)**;「出」讀 chū;「血」讀 xuè;「閒」讀 jiān,本篇 7 見,讀 jiān,**不作「間」(「間」)**——**本篇「閒」字7見(十指閒、兩眉閒、閒日一剌、閒日而作、閒日作),惟第七段「熱間善驚」作「間」(「間」)1見,二形並存,各從底本**;「日」讀 rì;「一」讀 yī。**二者同名而異實**:**第三十三篇之至陰為部位(腹者,至陰之所居),本篇之至陰為穴名(足太陽之井)**——**且至陰為陽經之穴而名之曰「至陰」,最易致混**,**故本站分立之,不入一條**。**「諸陰之井無出血」六字最宜與第十六段「剌指井」對看**:**井有可剌者、有不可出血者**——**本篇之際限,正在「出血」二字**:**諸陰之井可以剌而不可以出血**。**「閒日一剌」四字又與第三十四段「閒日而作」「閒日作」相貫**:**本篇之間日瘧有二**(不渴者剌足太陽、渴者剌足少陽),**而此則言其刺之間日**。
素問·欬論 Suwen 38 · 欬論 Read in context →
乘秋,則肺先受邪;乘春,則肝先受之;乘夏,則心先受之;乘至陰則脾先受之;乘冬,則腎先受之。 乘秋,则肺先受邪;乘春,则肝先受之;乘夏,则心先受之;乘至阴则脾先受之;乘冬,则肾先受之。
Chéng qiū, zé fèi xiān shòu xié; chéng chūn, zé gān xiān shòu zhī; chéng xià, zé xīn xiān shòu zhī; chéng zhì yīn zé pí xiān shòu zhī; chéng dōng, zé shèn xiān shòu zhī.
Riding autumn, the lung is the first to take the evil; riding spring, the liver; riding summer, the heart; riding utmost yin, the spleen; riding winter, the kidney.
「至陰」之目於本站已立(id 1010),所收二條:第三十三篇「腹者,至陰之所居」(部位之義)、第三十六篇「身體小痛,剌至陰」(足太陽井穴之名)。**本篇「至陰」1見,在「乘至陰則脾先受之」**——**是本站此目之第三義:時令之義**(王冰指為六月長夏,脾所主之時)。**同名三實,本站分立而互注,不為合併**。「至」讀 zhì;「陰」讀 yīn,**本篇3見**(「陰陰」二見、「至陰」一見);「乘」讀 chéng,**本篇5見**——「乘」者,因也、趁也;「乘至陰」者,因長夏之時也;「則」讀 zé;「脾」讀 pí,本篇3見;「先」讀 xiān;「受」讀 shòu;「之」讀 zhī。**本篇一處句讀之異**:**此句「乘至陰」下無逗,而其前後四句(乘秋、乘春、乘夏、乘冬)皆有逗**——**底本如此,本站照錄,不為補逗**。**五句排比,以四時配五藏**:**秋→肺、春→肝、夏→心、至陰→脾、冬→腎**——**四時之外別出「至陰」以配脾,此脾不專一時之故**。**三義之別可以一語括之**:**第三十三篇之至陰言其位(腹),第三十六篇之至陰言其穴(足太陽之井),本篇之至陰言其時(長夏六月)**。
素問·痺論 Suwen 43 · 痺論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:以冬遇此者,爲骨痺;以春遇此者,爲筋痺;以夏遇此者,爲脉痺;以至陰遇此者,爲肌痺;以秋遇此者,爲皮痺。 歧伯曰:以冬遇此者,为骨痹;以春遇此者,为筋痹;以夏遇此者,为脉痹;以至阴遇此者,为肌痹;以秋遇此者,为皮痹。
Qí bó yuē: yǐ dōng yù cǐ zhě, wéi gǔ bì; yǐ chūn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jīn bì; yǐ xià yù cǐ zhě, wéi mài bì; yǐ zhì yīn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jī bì; yǐ qiū yù cǐ zhě, wéi pí bì.
Qi Bo says: meeting it in winter gives bone obstruction; in spring, sinew obstruction; in summer, vessel obstruction; at ultimate yin — the late summer — flesh obstruction; in autumn, skin obstruction.
「以至陰遇此者,爲肌痺」——「至」讀 zhì,**「至陰」讀 zhì yīn,王冰「至陰,謂長夏也」**。**本篇五痺配五時**:**冬骨、春筋、夏脉、至陰肌、秋皮**——**「至陰」即長夏之時**,**與 ch38「乘至陰則脾先受之」同例**;**非 ch33「腹者,至陰之所居」之義,亦非 ch36「剌至陰」之穴**;「肌」讀 jī。
素問·水熱穴論 Suwen 61 · 水熱穴論 Read in context →
歧伯對曰:腎者,至陰也;至陰者,盛水也。肺者,太陰也;少陰者,冬脉也。故其本在腎,其末在肺,皆積水也。 歧伯对曰:肾者,至阴也;至阴者,盛水也。肺者,太阴也;少阴者,冬脉也。故其本在肾,其末在肺,皆积水也。
Qí bó duì yuē: shèn zhě, zhì yīn yě; zhì yīn zhě, shèng shuǐ yě. Fèi zhě, tài yīn yě; shào yīn zhě, dōng mài yě. Gù qí běn zài shèn, qí mò zài fèi, jiē jī shuǐ yě.
Qi Bo answers: the kidney is the utmost yin, and the utmost yin is what holds water. The lung is the greater yin; the lesser yin is the vessel that belongs to winter. So the root of the disease is in the kidney and its tip is in the lung, and both are retaining water.
「腎者,「至」讀 zhì「陰」讀 yīn也;至陰者,盛水也」——**「至陰」本篇3見**;**本篇以至陰名腎,與下文「地氣上者屬於腎,而生水液也,故曰至陰」同條**;**本目以「至陰」為陰之極,本篇施之於腎與水,非足太陽之至陰穴**
素問·金匱真言論 Suwen 4 · 金匱真言論 Read in context →
故背爲陽,陽中之陽,心也;背爲陽,陽中之陰,肺也;腹爲陰,陰中之陰,腎也;腹爲陰,陰中之陽,肝也;腹爲陰,陰中之至陰,脾也。 故背为阳,阳中之阳,心也;背为阳,阳中之阴,肺也;腹为阴,阴中之阴,肾也;腹为阴,阴中之阳,肝也;腹为阴,阴中之至阴,脾也。
gù bèi wéi yáng, yáng zhōng zhī yáng, xīn yě; bèi wéi yáng, yáng zhōng zhī yīn, fèi yě; fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī yīn, shèn yě; fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī yáng, gān yě; fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī zhì yīn, pí yě.
Thus the back is yang: the yang within yang is the heart. The back is yang: the yin within yang is the lung. The abdomen is yin: the yin within yin is the kidney. The abdomen is yin: the yang within yin is the liver. The abdomen is yin: the uttermost yin within yin is the spleen.
「陰中之至陰,脾也」——背為陽而腹為陰,腹之至陰為脾;與本站所收第三十三篇腹為至陰之義相貫;**「至陰」本篇1見**

Compounds built on this term

至陰
zhì yīn
utmost yin
本篇一見,指腹為至陰之所居
至陰之所居
zhì yīn zhī suǒ jū
where the utmost yin dwells
本篇釋腹之語
水者陰也
shuǐ zhě yīn yě
water is yin
本篇釋水之語
目下亦陰也
mù xià yì yīn yě
below the eyes is yin too
本篇釋目下之語

How it has been translated

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

Wiseman & Fengutmost yinThey keep 至 as utmost, which preserves the sense of a limit reached rather than a rank held.
Unschuldthe utmost yinUnschuld keeps the same phrase and lets the commentary decide what is meant by it.
This siteutmost yinWe keep the literal phrase. In this chapter it is the belly, and the argument that uses it — like to like — is the point rather than the term.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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