The yuan is the money of China — one yuan, ten yuan, a hundred yuan. It is the unit you count in, the way dollar is the unit in America.

The yuan is the money of Chinayuan 是中國的貨幣 one yuan, ten yuan, a hundred yuan像一塊 yuan、十塊 yuan、一百塊 yuan 這樣數 It is the unit you count in它是你用來計數的單位 the way dollar is the unit in America就像 dollar 是美國的單位一樣

One point confuses everyone, so let us be clear. The currency of China has two names in English, and they are not quite the same kind of name.

One point confuses everyone有一點大家都會搞混 so let us be clear我們把它講清楚 The currency of China has two names in English中國的貨幣在英文裡有兩個名字 and they are not quite the same kind of name而且這兩個名字不完全是同一類的名字

Renminbi (人民幣) is the name of the money itself, the whole system. Yuan is the name of the unit you count. So you say "the price is 200 yuan", but you say "China's currency, the renminbi, rose today". Newspapers often blur this and use yuan for both; that is normal and nobody will correct you.

Renminbi (人民幣) is the name of the money itselfRenminbi（人民幣）是這個貨幣本身的名字 the whole system指整套幣制 Yuan is the name of the unit you countyuan 則是你拿來計數的單位名稱 So you say "the price is 200 yuan"所以你會說『the price is 200 yuan』 but you say "China's currency, the renminbi, rose today"但會說『China's currency, the renminbi, rose today』 Newspapers often blur this and use yuan for both報紙常常把兩者混著用，兩個都叫 yuan that is normal and nobody will correct you這很正常，不會有人糾正你

In English, yuan does not usually take an -s in the plural: five yuan, not five yuans. This is like the way we say five yen.

In English, yuan does not usually take an -s in the plural在英文裡，yuan 的複數通常不加 -s five yuan, not five yuans是 five yuan，不是 five yuans This is like the way we say five yen就跟我們說 five yen 一樣

The word has a long history worth knowing, because it explains three currencies at once. 元 originally meant round — it named the round silver coins that came into Asia through trade. The Japanese yen and the Korean won come from that same character. So yen, won and yuan are cousins, all meaning "the round one".

The word has a long history worth knowing這個字有段值得知道的歷史 because it explains three currencies at once因為它一次解釋了三種貨幣 元 originally meant round元原本的意思是圓的 it named the round silver coins that came into Asia through trade指的是透過貿易傳進亞洲的圓形銀幣 The Japanese yen and the Korean won come from that same character日文的 yen 和韓文的 won 都來自同一個字 So yen, won and yuan are cousins所以 yen、won 和 yuan 算是表親 all meaning "the round one"都是『圓的那個』的意思

One more thing that trips up learners from Taiwan: the everyday Chinese word 元 is also how you count New Taiwan dollars. But in English, Taiwan's money is never called yuan. It is the New Taiwan dollar, written NT$ or TWD. If you say yuan in English, your listener will think of China.

One more thing that trips up learners from Taiwan還有一件事常讓台灣學習者搞混 the everyday Chinese word 元 is also how you count New Taiwan dollars中文日常說的「元」也是拿來數新台幣的單位 But in English, Taiwan's money is never called yuan但英文裡台灣的錢絕對不叫 yuan It is the New Taiwan dollar, written NT$ or TWD它是 New Taiwan dollar，寫作 NT$ 或 TWD If you say yuan in English如果你用英文說 yuan your listener will think of China聽的人會以為你在講中國