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元yuáncurrency unit (esp. Chinese yuan)

HSK 1word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

元 (yuán) means a "currency unit," especially the Chinese yuan. It is used after a number to state a price or an amount of money, as in 三十元 (thirty yuan). On price tags and in written Chinese it often appears where speech would use 块.

What does 元 mean?

  1. 1.

    currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan)measure word

What does the character 元 mean?

  • 元currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan)

How do you use 元?

元 often appears in writing and on price tags, while everyday speech can use 块 for the same amount.

What are some examples of 元 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    这本书三十元。

    Zhè běn shū sānshí yuán.

    This book is thirty yuan.

  2. 一杯咖啡二十五元。

    Yì bēi kāfēi èrshíwǔ yuán.

    A cup of coffee is twenty-five yuan.

  3. HSK 3

    我一共花了一百元。

    Wǒ yígòng huā le yìbǎi yuán.

    I spent one hundred yuan in total.

How is 元 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    苹果多少钱一斤？

    Píngguǒ duōshao qián yì jīn?

    How much are the apples per jin?

  2. Speaker B:

    八元一斤，今天很新鲜。

    Bā yuán yì jīn, jīntiān hěn xīnxiān.

    Eight yuan a jin. They're very fresh today.

  3. Speaker A:

    我要两斤。

    Wǒ yào liǎng jīn.

    I'd like two jin.

  4. Speaker B:

    好的，一共十六元。

    Hǎo de, yígòng shíliù yuán.

    OK, that's sixteen yuan in total.

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.