Diabetes and consumptive thirst have their own limited connotation and extension,diagnosis and treatment of temporary certificate should also be distinguished.In recent years,great progress has been made in the study of pathogenesis of diabetes in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which is manifested in 3 aspects:multiple etiology,comprehensive disease location and detailed disease nature.The etiology include fire,qi,dampness,blood stasis,food,phlegm,sugar toxin,turbid toxin,GanXie,etc.According to the progress of the disease course,the location of diabetes are five zang viscera and collaterals.The diabetes mellitus is not only limited to “yin deficiency” and “dry heat”,but also develops into deficiency of both qi and yin,yang deficiency and yang hyperactivity,stagnation of deficiency qi,deficiency of qi and resolving toxin,as well as excessive yin and fire in internal exuberance,strengthening and lessening fire etc.The innovative pathogenesis seems to be contradictory,but in fact unified on “deficiency” and “fire”.It provides useful guidance for improving the clinical efficacy through the comprehensive analysis of the pathogenesis for diabetes in TCM.