ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yuan

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //juˈɑn// UK //jˈuːən// yuan

n. the official unit of money used in China. You use it to talk about prices or the value of the Chinese currency.

n. the primary unit of currency in the People's Republic of China. When referring to the international currency system, it is often used interchangeably with 'renminbi', though technically it is the unit of account.


SIMPLE

The meal costs fifty yuan.

CONTEXTUAL

Investors are watching the value of the yuan closely as international trade tensions continue to rise.

COMPLEX

The central bank's decision to devalue the yuan sent shockwaves through global markets, affecting everything from commodity prices to the valuation of tech stocks in Silicon Valley.

Etymology 1

From Mandarin 元 (Yuán).

Etymology 2

From Mandarin 袁 (Yuán). Doublet of Yuen.

Usage

The plural form can be either 'yuan' or 'yuans', though the zero-plural 'yuan' is more common in financial contexts.

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