Yuan
/juːˈɑːn/noun
The basic monetary unit of China, officially called the renminbi yuan.
Did you know?The Chinese character traditionally used for yuan, 圓, literally means “round,” reflecting the circular shape of historic Chinese coins and connecting money with symbolic completeness.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
圓 / 元
“Round; complete; origin or fundamental unit, depending on the character”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
ŋjwen
“A round object or monetary unit, represented by forms related to 圓 and 元”
13th–14th Century
Chinese
yuán
“A monetary unit and the name associated with the Yuan dynasty”
17th–18th Century
Mandarin
yuán
“The principal monetary unit used in China”
19th Century
English
yuan
“An English loanword for China’s monetary unit”
Modern English
English
yuan
“The basic unit of China’s renminbi currency”