四诊 (sìzhěn): the four diagnostic methods of…

Meanings

1 the four diagnostic methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine: observation, listening/smelling, questioning, and pulse-taking

Characters

四

to diagnose / examine

Examples

中医通过四诊判断病情。

Zhōngyī tōngguò sìzhěn pànduàn bìngqíng.

TCM diagnoses illness through the four examinations.

四诊合参是中医诊断的基本原则。

Sìzhěn hécān shì zhōngyī zhěnduàn de jīběn yuánzé.

Combining all four diagnostic methods is a fundamental principle of TCM.

Tips

culture

The four are 望 wàng (looking — at face, tongue, posture), 闻 wén (listening to voice/breath, smelling), 问 wèn (asking about symptoms), and 切 qiè (feeling the pulse). The ideal is 四诊合参 — combining all four; relying on just one is considered shallow practice.

history

Codified in 《难经》 (Nànjīng, ~Han dynasty): 望而知之谓之神，闻而知之谓之圣，问而知之谓之工，切脉而知之谓之巧 — 'to know by looking is divine; by listening, sage-like; by asking, skilled; by pulse, clever.'