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

Since formally taking the reins in 2013, Xi has made yuan internationalization a top priority. —William Pesek, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

The offshore yuan was little changed on the news and China’s equity futures were yet to open. —Danny Bakst, Fortune, 27 June 2025

The auction sold all 48 lots for total sales of 3.73 million yuan, or about $520,000, with nearly 1,000 collectors making bids either in person or online, Yongle said in a statement Wednesday. —Peter Guo, NBC news, 11 June 2025

The Yongle International Auction house sold the turquoise toy for 1.24 million yuan (or $172,798) on Tuesday, June 10, as part of a special Labubu art show. —Greta Bjornson, People.com, 11 June 2025

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