yuan

noun

yu·​an ˈyü-ən  yü-ˈän 

plural yuan

1

: the basic monetary unit of the People's Republic of China see Money Table compare renminbi

2

: the dollar of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Examples of yuan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to Ganzhou’s policy, if a household per-person income is below the minimum living allowance threshold set by the government, each person in the family could receive 1,005 yuan per month, equivalent to $150 dollars. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Anta Kids, meanwhile, has become a formidable challenger, having crossed 10 billion yuan in annual gross merchandise volume by the end of 2024 and continuing to record high-single-digit offline growth into the first quarter of this year. — Li Jun, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

That shift was on display this week when Xiaomi unveiled its higher-end 18 Fold, starting at 10,999 yuan ($1,640) and aimed squarely at the premium segment. — Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

With half‑year sales topping 100 billion yuan, growth is being driven by Sam’s Club expansion, e‑commerce, and relentless focus on value, assortment, and convenience. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) yuán

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for yuan

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

yuan

noun

yu·​an ˈyü-ən  yu̇-ˈän 

plural yuan

1

: the basic unit of money in China

2

: a coin or bill worth one yuan

Geographical Definition

Yuan

geographical name

Yu·​an ˈywen 

ˈywän

1

river 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southeast central China flowing from Guizhou northeast to northeastern Hunan

2

see red sense 4