人民币

• Pinyin: rén mín bì
• Hanzi breakdown: 人 = person; 民 = the people; 币 = 巾 (cloth) simplified, meaning currency — cloth was used as money in ancient times

Meaning

Renminbi (RMB); Chinese yuan. The official currency of the People's Republic of China.

The formal name for China's currency. In everyday speech, people often say 元 or 块 (colloquial) for the unit, while 人民币 is used when specifying the currency itself, especially in contrast to foreign currencies. The abbreviation is RMB, and the unit is 元 (yuan). Used in banking, trade, and any discussion about Chinese money.

Examples

1. 请问这个可以用人民币支付吗？ Excuse me, can this be paid for in RMB?
2. 人民币对美元的汇率最近变了。 The exchange rate of RMB to USD has changed recently.
3. 他从银行换了一些人民币。 He exchanged some RMB at the bank.

Usage Guide

Context: banking, travel, commerce, exchange rates

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这里收人民币吗？(Do you accept RMB here?)
• 一美元大约等于七块人民币。(One US dollar is roughly equal to seven yuan RMB.)

Don't Say

• 给我五个人民币。(Don't use 人民币 as a counting unit — say 五块钱 or 五元人民币. 人民币 names the currency, not the unit.)

Origin & History

人民 means the people; 币 means currency (巾 cloth, as ancient money was sometimes cloth-based). Together: the people's currency — the money belonging to the citizens of China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal