Categorization[edit]

There are several different methods to classify traditional Chinese medicinals:

The Four Natures (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: sq)

The Five Flavors (Chinese: ; pinyin: wwi)
The meridians (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: jnglu)
The specific function.
Four Natures[edit]
The Four Natures are: hot (), warm (), cool (), cold () or neutral (), in terms of
temperature.[25] Hot and warm herbs are used to treat cold diseases, while cool and cold
herbs are used to treat heat diseases.[25]
Five Flavors[edit]

The Five Phases, which correspond to the Five Flavors

The Five Flavors, sometimes also translated as Five Tastes, are: acrid/pungent (), sweet
(), bitter (), sour (), and salty ().[25] Substances may also have more than one flavor,
or none (i.e., a bland () flavor).[25] Each of the Five Flavors corresponds to one of the zng
organs, which in turn corresponds to one of the Five Phases:[26] A flavor implies certain
properties and presumed therapeutic "actions" of a substance: saltiness "drains downward
and softens hard masses";[25] sweetness is "supplementing, harmonizing, and
moistening";[25] pungent substances are thought to induce sweat and act on qi and blood;
sourness tends to be astringent () in nature; bitterness "drains heat, purges the bowels,
and eliminates dampness".