Sign · 苔白
White tongue coat
A white layer over the surface of the tongue.
This page is a reference entry, not an assessment. It says which patterns the sign belongs to in the table this site is built on, at what weight, and where else on the site it appears. Having a sign is not having a pattern — most people have several of these at once, and the self-check is where they are weighed against each other.
What weight it carries
Every sign in the table is filed against one or more patterns at one of three weights. The weight is about diagnostic usefulness, not severity: a defining sign is one the pattern cannot be argued without, which is a different thing from a sign that is dangerous.
| Pattern | 中文 | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Spleen qi deficiency | 脾气虚证 | Common |
| Dampness | 湿证 | Common |
| Spleen yang deficiency | 脾阳虚证 | Common |
Common for 3 patterns
Usually present, and its absence counts against the pattern. ×2.
Where it appears on the site
No condition page currently lists this sign by name. It is still scored in the self-check, where it is reached through the follow-up questions rather than through a dedicated page.
Other tongue signs
The table groups signs by the part of the body or the kind of observation they come from. These are the other entries in the same group.
- Pale tongue 舌淡
- Tongue with teeth marks 舌有齿痕
- Tongue with little or no coat 舌红少苔
- Red tongue 舌红
- Greasy tongue coat 舌苔腻
- Thick tongue coat 苔厚
- Yellow tongue coat 苔黄
- Pale, swollen tongue 舌淡胖
Part of the sign index — 118 entries weighted across twelve patterns. How the weights are used is set out in the methodology.