美元
měiyuán
The phrase 'dollars' in Chinese is translated as 美元 (měiyuán).
美元 refers to the basic unit of money used in the United States.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the character 元 (yuán), which refers to a basic unit of currency.
Which one should you use?
While 美元 is the standard term for US dollars, in spoken Chinese, people often use the colloquial term 块 (kuài) to refer to units of money.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the term 美元 does not change its form to indicate plurality. The number is indicated by a preceding numeral.
How do you pronounce it?
měiyuán
Did you know?
- In very formal legal contracts, the word 元 (yuán) is often written as 圆 (yuán) to prevent fraud, as the latter is harder to alter with a pen.
- When talking about very large sums of dollars, Chinese uses 万 (wàn), meaning ten thousand, as a primary counting unit rather than the million or billion used in English.
- The colloquial term 块 (kuài) used for currency literally means 'piece' or 'chunk'. This reflects an era when currency was often cast in small pieces of metal.
Examples in context
- 他给他四美元。He paid him four dollars.This sentence is useful for describing a payment of four dollars using 美元.Tatoeba #5576834 by verdastelo9604, translation #4833052 by derpapottamus
- 这本书二十美元。This book costs 20 dollars.This sentence is useful for stating the cost of a book using 美元.Tatoeba #3377897 by GlossaMatik, translation #3377898 by CM
- 我們只有兩美元。We have only two dollars.This sentence is useful for expressing that one only has two dollars using 美元.Tatoeba #9037035 by xjjAstrus, translation #2163201 by Source_VOA
- 这本杂志只卖五块钱。This magazine costs only five dollars.
- 你能给我一百美元吗？Can you give me one hundred dollars?
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing the price of a new gadget.
- 浩然 Haoran这个耳机要多少美元？Zhège èrjī yào duōshǎo měiyuán?How many dollars does this headset cost?
- 雨婷 Yuting大约五十美元。Dàyuē wǔshí měiyuán.About fifty dollars.
- 浩然 Haoran我觉得太贵了。Wǒ juéde tài guì le.I think it's too expensive.
- 雨婷 Yuting但是质量真的很好。Dànshì zhìliàng zhēnde hěn hǎo.But the quality is really good.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
