Common Meanings
1
yuán元
Signifying the first, primary, chief, or beginning of something.
我们全家一起庆祝元旦。
Our whole family celebrated New Year's Day together.
Fundamental; basic; referring to a unit, component, or the essential part of something.
这个电子元件是电路的核心单元。
This electronic component is the core unit of the circuit.
Same as '圆' (yuán), meaning round or circular.
这个图案的边缘是元形。
The edge of this pattern is circular.
An unknown variable, as in 'quadratic equation with one variable' (一元二次方程).
解决这类一元问题需要用到特殊的方法。
Solving this type of one-variable problem requires special methods.
Refers to the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), a Chinese imperial dynasty, or the associated theatrical form known as Yuan opera (元曲).
元曲是元代文学的瑰宝之一。
Yuan opera is one of the treasures of Yuan Dynasty literature.
Historically, '元' was used as a substitute for '玄' (meaning 'profound' or 'mysterious') during the Qing Dynasty to avoid using Emperor Kangxi's personal name, '玄烨' (Xuányè).
宇宙之浩瀚，蕴含着无限元机
The vastness of the cosmos holds infinite profound mysteries.