yuan
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌjuːˈæn/
ipa: /ˈwæn/
ipa: /juˈɑn/
ipa: /ˈwɑn/
ipa: /ˈjuən/
homophone: won
rhymes: -æn
rhymes: -ɑːn
Forms: form: yuan
form: yuans
form: yüan
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1940, Evans Fordyce Carlson, “Test Tube for New China”, in Twin Stars of China: A Behind-the-Scenes Story of China's Valiant Struggle For Existence By A U. S. Marine who Lived & Moved with The People, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, →OCLC, page 219:
text: The Nanchiaoshan Co-operative in Kuangling County originally had 14 households. But they became dissatisfied and 7 withdrew because nothing was done when the production-team leader (a rich peasant) and the bookkeeper made away with some 60 yuan of public money.
ref: 1978 [1955 June 24], Yenpei Prefectural Party Committee, “A Stern Struggle Must be Waged Against Graft and Theft”, in General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, editor, Socialist Upsurge in China's Countryside [中国农村的社会主义高潮（选本）], First edition, Peking: Foreign Languages Press, →OCLC, page 481:
english: 中国农村的社会主义高潮（选本）
translation: 中国农村的社会主义高潮（选本）
text: A ticket to these Saturday and Sunday night dances costs 15 yuan, or $5.35, which is a lot when one considers that the average Peking worker makes 60 to 70 yuan ($21 to $25) a month.
ref: 1985 April 29, Daniel Southerl, “Saturday Night Fever in Peking”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Aug 2023:
text: Donations to the mosque come from a village considered fairly poor by regional standards, with an average annual income of 300 yuan (about U.S. $100) per household. The 1982 average per capita annual income in Yongning County was substantially higher, 539 yuan according to the Population Census Office (1987:206).
ref: 1998, Dru C. Gladney, “Getting Rich is Not So Glorious: Contrasting Perspectives on Prosperity Among Muslims and Han in China”, in Robert W. Hefner, editor, Market Cultures: Society and Morality in the New Asian Capitalisms, Westview Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 110:
text: The provincial government has designated thirty-four counties in Henan as officially impoverished (pinkun xian) according to the provincial criterion: an average annual per capita income below 500 yuan and total household assets valued at less than 8,000 yuan, based on 1990 prices.
ref: 2002, Kellee S. Tsai, “Creative Capitalists in Henan”, in Back-Alley Banking: Private Entrepreneurs in China, Cornell University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 185:
text: In Pinggu, a suburb of Beijing, residents were told that they would receive 50-yuan ($7.60) prizes in cash or merchandise once they had been fully vaccinated.
ref: 2021 April 5, Lily Kuo, Lyric Li, “China’s covid vaccine drive is lagging. Free food could help turn things around.”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2021, Asia & Pacific:
text: The popular Chinese coffee chain rolled out the so-called “sauce-flavored latte” with a jolt of liquor for 38 yuan ($5.20) on Monday. Customers who order with an online coupon will be able to receive 50% off for a limited time, it said.
ref: 2023 September 4, Berry Wang and Michelle Toh, “Moutai coffee, anyone? Luckin is adding the fiery liquor to its lattes”, in CNN Business:
text: The drink is priced at 68 yuan ($9.45), according to the app.
ref: 2024 February 20, Jessie Yeung and Hassan Tayir, “Pork flavored coffee is Starbucks’ newest China pitch”, in CNN Business:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
numismatics
glosses: The basic unit of money in China.
Synonyms: word: kuai
word: kwai
Related terms: renminbi
CNY
RMB