yuan

noun

plural yuan
1
: the basic monetary unit of the People's Republic of China see Money Table compare renminbi
2
: the dollar of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Examples of yuan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The entire facility has a budget of 2 billion yuan (US$285 million) and encourages researchers from around the world, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025 According to the South China Morning Post , ByteDance could be looking to spend up to 100 billion yuan, or $14 billon, in Nvidia’s H200 chips in 2026, if the chips are allowed to be imported. Zev Fima,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025 The prices for the snake range from a few hundred to several thousand yuan, the outlet reported, citing Chinese state media outlet The Paper. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025 Since Russia receives most foreign payments in yuan, euros, or rupees, a strong ruble means selling ever more oil and gas just to earn the same revenue or dipping into the dwindling NWF to cover shortfalls. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yuan

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) yuán

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yuan was in 1917

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yuan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yuan. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

yuan

noun
plural yuan
1
: the basic unit of money in China
2
: a coin or bill worth one yuan

Geographical Definition

Yuan

geographical name

Yu·​an ˈywen How to pronounce Yuan (audio)
ˈywän
1
river 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southeast central China flowing from Guizhou northeast to northeastern Hunan
2

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