Word
yuan
US/juˈɑn/
UK/jˈuːən/
Definitions
01Chinese currency
n. the basic unit of money used in the People's Republic of China.
n. the primary unit of currency in the People's Republic of China, often used interchangeably with 'renminbi' in international contexts.
“The price of the meal was fifty yuan, which was quite cheap.”
“Economists monitored the slight fluctuation of the yuan against the dollar following the central bank's announcement regarding interest rates.”
Usage
The plural form is usually 'yuan' rather than 'yuans'.
Synonyms
02historical dynasty
n. the period from 1279 to 1368 when the Mongols ruled China.
n. the Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China established by Kublai Khan, lasting from 1279 to 1368.
“We studied a beautiful blue and white vase from the Yuan dynasty.”
“The Yuan era saw significant cultural exchange between East and West, largely due to the vast extent of the Mongol Empire.”
Academic
03Taiwanese government branch
n. one of the five main parts of the government in Taiwan.
n. one of the five branches of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), such as the Legislative Yuan or Executive Yuan.
“The Legislative Yuan passed the new law after a long debate.”
“Under the current constitutional framework, the Executive Yuan serves as the highest administrative organ of the state.”
Technical · Formal
Real-World Examples
“Still the BBC was offered the drug in an online chat room for as little as 10 Chinese yuan ($1.5; £1.09) per gram.” Etymology
From Mandarin 元 (Yuán).
From Mandarin 袁 (Yuán). Doublet of Yuen.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/yuan