元
元 (yuán) means “yuan”. It is made of 二 + 儿 and has 4 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 元 into its parts
What 元 is made of
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 儿 ér — child
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 乚 — hook stroke
Origin hint: A man 儿 with two lines emphasizing their head 二 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
元 stroke order
Example sentences
这个苹果三元。Zhège píngguǒ sān yuán.This apple is three yuan.
一杯茶多少元？Yī bēi chá duōshao yuán?How many yuan is a cup of tea?
Words with 元
- 单元dānyuánunit (of a textbook)
- 美元měiyuánUS dollar
- 公元gōngyuánAD
- 元旦YuándànNew Year's Day (January 1st)
- 多元化duōyuánhuàdiverse
- 元首yuánshǒuhead of state
- 元素yuánsùelement
- 元宵节YuánxiāojiéLantern Festival
Also built with 二
- 三sānthree
- 丑chǒuugly
- 于yúat
- 亏kuīto lose
- 云yúncloud
- 互hùmutually
- 五wǔfive
- 井jǐngwell
- 些xiēsome
- 仁rénbenevolent
- 月yuèmonth
- 甘gānsweet
Quick facts
| Pinyin | yuán |
|---|---|
| Meaning | yuan |
| Strokes | 4 |
| Radical | 儿 (legs; son, #10) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 3 |
Questions about 元
What does 元 mean?
元 (yuán) means “yuan”.
How many strokes does 元 have?
元 has 4 strokes.
What is the radical of 元?
The radical of 元 is 儿 (ér, “legs; son”), Kangxi radical number 10.
What parts make up 元?
元 is made of 二 (two strokes) and 儿 (child).
Which HSK level is 元?
元 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 3.
Learn 元 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 9: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.