The most common Chinese terms

To Europeans, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is somewhat “other worldly”. We may find TCM concepts unnatural or difficult to imagine. In its essence, however, Chinese medicine is always simple and logical. It always strives to understand the causes and consequences of the ilness – based on day-to-day situations in life or in nature.

In Chinese medicine we can compare the human body to the car engine. The different chinese elements represent different parts, for example JIN (oil in the car), JANG (motor in the car) or QI energy (speed and power of the motor) etc…

Blood – XUE

 

Cold – HAN

 

Dampness – SHI

 

Deficiency – XU

 

Dryness – ZAO

 

Essence – YING

 

Excess – SHI

 

External disease – BIAO

 

External wind – FENG XIE QI

 

Fire – HUO

 

Heat – RE

 

Internal cold - HAN

 

Internal disease – LI

 

Internal wind – NEI FENG

 

Hot phlegm – TAN RE

 

Hot toxin – RE DU

 

Latent hidden heat – REL

 

Phlegm – TAN

 

Qi energy – QI

 

Triple burner – SAN JIAO

 

YANG

 

YIN