元

• 拼音: yuán
• 汉字拆解: 元 = 二 (two) + 儿 (legs) — originally depicting a person's head, meaning 'primary, first'

含义

Yuan; the basic unit of Chinese currency (RMB). Used when stating prices and amounts of money.

The formal measure word for Chinese money (人民币). In casual speech, 块 is far more common, but 元 appears on price tags, receipts, bank documents, and formal writing. One 元 equals ten 角 (or 毛 in speech).

例句

1. 这个苹果三元。
2. 请给我五十元。
3. 一杯咖啡二十元。

用法指南

语境: shopping, money, everyday

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 这本书二十五元。(This book is twenty-five yuan.)
• 票价是一百元。(The ticket price is one hundred yuan.)

错误说法

• 我有很多元。(Unnatural — say 我有很多钱 for 'I have a lot of money,' not 很多元)

起源与历史

Originally meant 'head' or 'first/primary.' Extended to mean the primary unit of currency. The character has been used for the monetary unit since the Yuan dynasty.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal