Meaning
(dynasty); dollar; primary; first
Chinese: 开端、基本单位；也指货币单位。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “yuan” becomes a different word in each tone. 元 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 美元měi yuánAmerican dollar; US dollar
- 单元dān yuánunit (forming an entity); element; (in a residential building) entrance or staircase
- 公元gōng yuánCE (Common Era); Christian Era; AD (Anno Domini)
- 元素yuán sùelement (key component of sth); (chemistry) element; (math.) element (member of a set)
- 元首yuán shǒuhead of state
Example Sentence
这本书五十元。Zhè běn shū wǔ shí yuán.This book costs fifty yuan.
这Zhèthis本běn(bound form) root书shūbook五十wǔ shífifty元yuáncurrency unit (esp. Chines。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
二 over 儿 (a person): the head, the top — ‘first, primary, chief; a fundamental unit; the yuan (currency); the Yuan dynasty’ (元旦, 元素, 美元).
A way to remember it
‘First / primary / a unit (yuan)’: 元旦, 美元.