yuan

IPA/juˈɑːn/
KK[juˈɑn]IPA/juˈɑːn/

yuan — noun

  • yuansingular
  • yuansplural

1. the standard currency denomination in China, equal to 100 fen and used for all e

1.nounB1
Definition

the standard currency denomination in China, equal to 100 fen and used for all everyday transactions. In formal financial contexts the currency system is called renminbi (RMB), but yuan is the everyday name for the basic unit.

Example

Quan paid 150 yuan for a new winter coat at the market in Shanghai.

collocation: pay + [amount] + yuan + for [item]

The price of the meal was only 35 yuan, including soup and tea.

collocation: be + [amount] + yuan (price expression)

Common collocations
  • pay yuan for
  • cost yuan
  • exchange dollars for yuan
  • yuan strengthens against
  • yuan weakens against
  • yuan drops
  • yuan rises
Synonyms
  • renminbi

    the official name of the Chinese currency system; used in formal or financial contexts, while yuan is the everyday unit

  • RMB

    abbreviation of renminbi; common in banking, exchange rates, and international trade

  • kuai

    informal spoken Chinese term for yuan, similar to saying 'buck' for dollar; not used in English writing

Grammar Patterns

[number] + yuan

pay / cost + [amount] + yuan + for + [item]

Usage Note

Yuan is both singular and plural — you say '10 yuan', not '10 yuans'. In mainland China, prices are usually given in yuan, though the official name of the currency system is renminbi (RMB). The symbol for yuan is ¥.

Common Mistakes

I have ten yuans in my wallet.
I have ten yuan in my wallet.
yuan does not add -s for the plural form.
The price is 50 RMB yuans.
The price is 50 yuan.' or 'The price is 50 RMB.
yuan and RMB both refer to the same unit; using them together is redundant.
I exchanged my money into Chinese yen.
I exchanged my money into Chinese yuan.
yen is the Japanese currency; yuan is the Chinese currency.

yuan — idiom

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Yuan, renminbi (RMB), and kuai all refer to Chinese money but differ in register and scope. Renminbi (meaning 'people's currency') is the official name of China's monetary system — like calling the US currency 'the dollar system'. Yuan is the base unit within that system (similar to 'dollar' as a unit). In everyday speech, Chinese people often use kuai (塊), an informal term equivalent to saying 'buck' for a dollar. In English writing, yuan is the standard term for the unit of money ('It costs 50 yuan'), while RMB is common in financial and international contexts ('the RMB exchange rate'). Kuai is rarely used in English. For a learner writing about China, use yuan for everyday prices and renminbi or RMB for official or financial contexts.

yuan ↗renminbiRMBkuai

Common collocations

Nouns

  • yuan coin
  • yuan note
  • yuan bill
  • yuan banknote
  • yuan symbol
  • yuan value

Phrases

  • Chinese yuan
  • yuan against the dollar
  • yuan strengthens
  • yuan weakens
  • yuan appreciated
  • yuan depreciated
  • yuan rose
  • yuan fell
  • yuan-dollar exchange rate

Etymology

ChineseEnglish

Yuan comes from Chinese 元 (yuán), which originally meant 'round' or 'circle', referring to the round shape of ancient Chinese coins. The word was adopted into English during the 19th century as trade with China increased. The term renminbi ('people's currency') was introduced after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 as the official name of the monetary system, while yuan continued as the name of the basic unit.