yuan
nounnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌjuːˈæn//
- United Kingdom//ˈwæn//
- United States//juˈɑn//
- United States//ˈwɑn//
- United States//ˈjuən//
The basic unit of money in China.
noun
- 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
noun
- 1
One of the five branches of the government of the Republic of China.
Etymology
From Mandarin 院 (yuàn).
Forms
- plural
- yuans