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

Beijing has been trying to expand the yuan’s use in global trade, in part to protect its financial sector from potential negative actions from Western countries. —Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026

In another sign of strength last year, Kunlunxin won orders worth over 1 billion yuan from suppliers to China Mobile, one of the country’s biggest mobile carriers. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026

The entire facility has a budget of 2 billion yuan (US$285 million) and encourages researchers from around the world, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025

Indian and Russian trade now settles in rupees, dirhams, and yuan. —Keyu Jin, Wired News, 28 Dec. 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