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yuan

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yuan¹

  • /ˌjuːˈæn/ UK
  • /ˈwæn/ UK
  • /juˈɑn/ US
  • /ˈwɑn/ US
  • /ˈjuən/ US

Sounds like won · Rhymes with -æn, -ɑːn

Where it comes from

From Mandarin 元 (yuán), from 圓／圆 (yuán, “circle > round coin”) referring to the piece of eight. Compare Japanese 円(えん) (en), Korean 원(圓) (won). Doublet of yen and won.

noun yuan · yuans · yüan

  1. The basic unit of money in China. Sung paused to show me some of the notes. They were in issues of five yuan (a Chinese dollar, equal at this time to a little less than one American dollar), one yuan, twenty and ten cent denominations.

    Similar: kuai, kwai

yuan²

  • /ˌjuːˈæn/ UK
  • /ˈwæn/ UK
  • /juˈɑn/ US
  • /ˈwɑn/ US
  • /ˈjuən/ US

Sounds like won · Rhymes with -æn, -ɑːn

Where it comes from

From Mandarin 院 (yuàn).

noun yuan · yuans · yüan

  1. Taiwan One of the five branches of the government of the Republic of China.

Yuan³

  • /ˌjuːˈæn/ UK
  • /ˈwæn/ UK
  • /juˈɑn/ US
  • /ˈwɑn/ US
  • /ˈjuən/ US

Sounds like won · Rhymes with -æn, -ɑːn

Where it comes from

From Mandarin 元 (Yuán).

proper noun Yüan

  1. The Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China from 1279 to 1368. [...]the Founder of that Family, who took the Name of Yuen, and who is known in Europe by the Name of Zing hi, or Zing his kan, but whom the Chineſe Hiſtory calls Tchin bi ſe, and Tai tſou, after he had conquer’d the King had thoughts of carrying the War into Corea: His General, called Leou co immed
  2. A surname from Chinese.

Yuan⁴

  • /ˌjuːˈæn/ UK
  • /ˈwæn/ UK
  • /juˈɑn/ US
  • /ˈwɑn/ US
  • /ˈjuən/ US

Sounds like won · Rhymes with -æn, -ɑːn

Where it comes from

From Mandarin 袁 (Yuán). Doublet of Yuen.

proper noun Yuans · Yüan

  1. A surname from Chinese.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: kwai, renminbi, chinese, kai, yen, dollar, pluralistic, rmb, park, currency, piece, parcels, garden, worth, hospital, yon

Translations

Every language

noun basic unit of money in China

Españolyuan
한국어원 won, 유안 yuan, 위안 wian
日本語元 gen, ユアン yuan, 人民元 jinmingen
中文圓 /圆 yuán, 元 yuán, 塊 /块 kuài, 人民幣 /人民币 rénmínbì
हिन्दीयुआन yuān
Portuguêsyuan
Françaisyuan
DeutschYuan
Italianoyuan
Русскийюа́нь juánʹ
Tiếng Việtnguyên
العربيةيُوَان yuwān
עבריתיוּאָן yuán

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MLA

"yuan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/yuan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

yuan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/yuan

Chicago

"yuan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/yuan.

BibTeX
@misc{yuan_2026,
  title = {yuan},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/yuan},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}