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

Alexander also said that Argentina and Australia this month renewed bilateral currency swap agreements with China that enable the exchange of tens of billions of dollars’ worth of yuan between the countries’ central banks. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Back then, 50 yuan was roughly equivalent to a month’s income for many rural residents. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Wang famously started Unitree in 2016 after a two-month stint at DJI and built his first bipedal robot as an undergraduate with 200 yuan in parts. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

The company launched the Passion S in China on August 15, with prices starting at 229,900 yuan ($33,800) and reaching 279,900 yuan ($41,200) across three trims. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 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