常用引文　Commonly Used Citations

木曰曲直。

[mù yuē qū zhí]

Wood is that which can be bent and straightened.

火曰炎上。

[huǒ yuē yán shàng]

Fire is that which flames upward.

土爰稼啬。

[tǔ yuán jià sè]

Earth is the ground of sowing and reaping.

金曰从革。

[jīn yuē cóng gé]

Metal is that which changes itself and others.

水曰润下。

[shuǐ yuē rùn xià]

Water is that which moistens and descends.– a metaphor to explain the downward tendency of pathological changes due to dampness, such as diarrhea and edema of the lower extremities, also known as 水性流下 [shuǐ xìng liú xià]

水性流下。

[shuǐ xìng liú xià]

Water tends to flow downwards.

木喜条达。

[mù xǐ tiáo dá]

Wood (or tree) tends to spread out freely. – a figure of speech to explain the physiological function of the liver in smoothing the flow of qi and blood

土喜温燥。

[tǔ xǐ wēn zào]

Earth prefers warmth and dryness. – a figure of speech to explain the physiological property of the spleen, which functions well in warm and dry conditions and is liable to be impaired by cold and dampness

土生万物。

[tǔ shēng wàn wù]

Earth engenders the myriad things. – a metaphor to explain that the spleen and stomach provide the material foundation for the whole body by digesting food and supplying nutrients

金气肃降。

[jīn qì sù jiàng]

Metal qi is depurative and descending. –a figure of speech to explain the functional property of the lung, disorder of which often leads to cough, dyspnea and expectoration

金破不鸣。

[jīn pò bù míng]

“A broken gong does not sound.” –an expression figuratively referring to hoarseness due to deficiency of the lung

金实不鸣。

[jīn shí bù míng]

“A muffled gong does not sound.” – an expression figuratively referring to sudden onset of hoarseness due to attack of the lung by exogenous pathogens such as wind-cold or wind-heat

亢则害，承乃制。

[kàng zé hài, chéng nǎi zhì]

Hyperactivity harms, but harmonization will restrict it.

所不胜，克我者也。

[suǒ bù shèng, kè wǒ zhě yě]

The unrestrained is what restricts me.

所胜，我所克也。

[suǒ shèng, wǒ suǒ kè yě]

The restrained is what I restrict.

木为金之所胜。

[mù wéi jīn zhī suǒ shèng]

Wood is restricted by metal.

金为火之所胜。

[jīn wéi huǒ zhī suǒ shèng]

Metal is restricted by fire.

火为水之所胜。

[huǒ wéi shuǐ zhī suǒ shèng]

Fire is restricted by water.

水为土之所胜。

[shuǐ wéi tǔ zhī suǒ shèng]

Water is restricted by earth.

土为木之所胜。

[tǔ wéi mù zhī suǒ shèng]

Earth is restricted by wood.

木为土之所不胜。

[mù wéi tǔ zhī suǒ bù shèng]

Wood is what earth cannot restrict.

土为水之所不胜。

[tǔ wéi shuǐ zhī suǒ bù shèng]

Earth is what water cannot restrict.

水为火之所不胜。

[shuǐ wéi huǒ zhī suǒ bù shèng]

Water is what fire cannot restrict.

火为金之所不胜。

[huǒ wéi jīn zhī suǒ bù shèng]

Fire is what metal cannot restrict.

金为木之所不胜。

[jīn wéi mù zhī suǒ bù shèng]

Metal is what wood cannot restrict.

母病及子。

[mǔ bìng jí zǐ]

Disorder of a mother organ afflicts its child organ. – an explanation of such pathological conditions, using the five-element/phase theory, as hyperactivity of liver yang developing into exuberant heart fire and weakness of spleen qi, as well as the consequent deficiency of lung qi

子病及母。

[zǐ bìng jí mǔ]

Disorder of a child organ afflicts its mother organ. – an explanation of such pathological conditions, using the five-element/phase theory, as lung qi deficiency developing into spleen qi deficiency with failure of the transporting function

子盗母气。

[zǐ dào mǔ qì]

A child organ robs its mother organ of qi. – another expression for “disorder of a child organ afflicts its mother organ” (子病及母 [zǐ bìng jí mǔ])