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

Recently, Unitree unveiled a low-cost upper-body humanoid robot, priced from 26,900 yuan ($4,290), aiming to make humanoid robotics more affordable and accessible. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

DeepSeek is aiming to raise at least 10 billion yuan of additional funds, though the final amount could go several times higher depending on the number of investors that sign on, the people said. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Energy Alchemy, a luxury five-day retreat in Bali priced at 42,000 yuan ($6,200), is aimed at wealthy millennial Chinese women and includes workshops on breathwork and reiki, a Japanese spiritual healing practice. — CNN Money, 8 July 2026

In 2023, the company offered employees a 10,000 yuan ($1,470) annual cash bonus per newborn child, paid every year until the fifth birthday. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 July 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