Usage of the character 元

History of the Yuan Dynasty, twenty third of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史 ( Ershísì Shǐ), compiled under Song Lian 宋濂 ( Sòng Lián) in 1370 during the Ming Dynasty, 210 scrolls

Yuándàn

元旦

[元旦]

New Year's Day

yuánqīng

元青

[元青]

deep black

huìyuán

会元

[會元]

provincial imperial examination graduate who ranked 1st in metropolitan examination (in Ming and Qing dynasties)

hányuán

韩元

[韓元]

South Korean won (currency)

yuánpèi

元配

[元配]

first wife

Yuánshān

元山

[元山]

Wonsan city in Kangweon province 江原道 of North Korea

yuánxiōng

元凶

[元凶]

chief offender
main culprit

sānyuán

三元

[三元]

(old) first place in civil service examinations at three levels: provincial 解元 (jièyuán), metropolitan 會元／会元 (huìyuán) and palace 狀元／状元 (zhuàngyuán)

yīyuán

一元

[一元]

(math.) single-variable; univariate

Yuáncháo

元朝

[元朝]

Yuan or Mongol dynasty (1279-1368)

yuánshǒu

元首

[元首]

head of state

yuánxiāo

元宵

[元宵]

Lantern Festival
night of the 15th of the first lunar month
see also 元夜 (yuányè)
sticky rice dumplings

yuánlóng

元龙

[元龍]

one that has achieved the way
emperor

yínyuán

银元

[銀元]

flat silver (former coinage)
also written 銀圓／银圆
silver dollar

Kāiyuán

开元

[開元]

Tang emperor Xuanzong's 唐玄宗 ( Táng Xuánzōng) reign name used during the Kaiyuan era (713-741), a peak of Tang prosperity

yuánshuài

元帅

[元帥]

marshal (in the army)

Gǎngyuán

港元

[港元]

Hong Kong dollar

gǎiyuán

改元

[改元]

to change an emperor's or ruler's reign title (old)

zhuàngyuán

状元

[狀元]

top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system)
see 榜眼 (bǎngyǎn) and 探花 (tànhuā)
top scorer in college entrance examination 高考 (gāokǎo)
(fig.) the most brilliantly talented person in the field
leading light

Měiyuán

美元

[美元]

American dollar
US dollar

yuánqì

元气

[元氣]

strength
vigor
vitality
(TCM) vital energy

jìyuán

纪元

[紀元]

calendar era
epoch

yuánjiàn

元件

[元件]

element
component

Yuán Lǎng

元朗

[元朗]

Yuen Long town in northwest New Territories, Hong Kong

Yuánbǎo

元宝

[元寶]

Yuanbao district of Dandong city 丹東市／丹东市 ( Dāndōngshì), Liaoning

yuányǔzhòu

元宇宙

[元宇宙]

metaverse (computing)

sānyuánchún

三元醇

[三元醇]

propyl alcohol C3H7OH

dàyuánshuài

大元帅

[大元帥]

generalissimo

dānwèiyuán

单位元

[單位元]

identity element (math.)

sānyuányīn

三元音

[三元音]

triphthong (such as putonghua uei etc)

Yuánbǎoshān

元宝山

[元寶山]

Yuanbaoshan district, Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia

gōngyuánqián

公元前

[公元前]

BCE (before the Common Era)
BC (before Christ)

wèiyuánzǔ

位元组

[位元組]

(Tw) byte (computing)

Yuán Shìzǔ

元世祖

[元世祖]

lit. progenitor of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), title of Khubilai Khan (1215-1294), first Yuan dynasty emperor, reigned 1260-1294

Yuánshìxiàn

元氏县

[元氏縣]

Yuanshi county in Shijiazhuang 石家莊／石家庄 ( Shíjiāzhuāng), Hebei

èrcìyuán

二次元

[二次元]

two-dimensional
the fictional worlds of anime, comics and games

Yuán Hàowèn

元好问

[元好問]

Yuan Haowen (1190-1257), famous poet Northern China during the Jin-Yuan transition

bāwèiyuán

八位元

[八位元]

8-bit (computing)

Tiānyuánqū

天元区

[天元區]

Tianyuan district of Zhuzhou city 株洲市, Hunan

Lǐ Bóyuán

李伯元

[李伯元]

Li Boyuan or Li Baojia 李寶嘉／李宝嘉 (1867-1906), late Qing journalist, novelist and social observer, author of Observations on the current state of officialdom 官場現形記／官场现形记

sāncìyuán

三次元

[三次元]

three-dimensional
the real world (cf. 二次元 (èrcìyuán))

Yuányángxiàn

元阳县

[元陽縣]

Yuanyang county in Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan

Yuánbàqū

元坝区

[元壩區]

Yuanba district of Guangyuan city 廣元市／广元市 ( Guǎngyuánshì), Sichuan

yīyuánhuà

一元化

[一元化]

integration
integrated; unified

dānyuángé

单元格

[單元格]

(spreadsheet) cell

Yuánbǎoqū

元宝区

[元寶區]

Yuanbao district of Dandong city 丹東市／丹东市 ( Dāndōngshì), Liaoning

yuánrènzhī

元认知

[元認知]

metacognition

bìyuányīn

闭元音

[閉元音]

close vowel

yuánqìjiàn

元器件

[元器件]

component

yīyuánlùn

一元论

[一元論]

monism, belief that the universe is made of a single substance

Wèiyuánbì

位元币

[位元幣]

Bitcoin

zìyuánjí

字元集

[字元集]

character set

Lǐ Yuánhào

李元昊

[李元昊]

Li Yuanhao (1003-1048), founding king of Xixia 西夏 ( Xī Xià) around modern Ningxia 寧夏／宁夏 ( Níngxià)

yuánzīliào

元资料

[元資料]

metadata

duōyuánlùn

多元论

[多元論]

pluralism, philosophical doctrine that the universe consists of different substances

xīnjìyuán

新纪元

[新紀元]

new era
new epoch

Xīn Yuánshǐ

新元史

[新元史]

New History of the Yuan Dynasty, completed by Ke Shaomin 柯劭忞 ( Kē Shàomín) in 1920, sometimes listed as one of the 24 Dynastic Histories 二十四史 ( Ershísì Shǐ)

Yuánmóu Xiàn

元谋县

[元謀縣]

Yuanmou County in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture 楚雄彞族自治州／楚雄彝族自治州 ( Chǔxióng Yízú Zìzhìzhōu), Yunnan

Zhū Yuánzhāng

朱元璋

[朱元璋]

Zhu Yuanzhang, personal name of first Ming dynasty emperor Hongwu 洪武 ( Hóngwǔ)

Chén Yuánguāng

陈元光

[陳元光]

Chen Yuanguang (657-711), Tang dynasty general with posthumous title 開漳聖王／开漳圣王 ( Kāizhāngshèngwáng), i.e. Sacred King, founder of Zhangzhou 漳州 ( Zhāngzhōu), Fujian

shénjīngyuán

神经元

[神經元]

neuron

yīyuánchún

一元醇

[一元醇]

methyl alcohol CH3OH

Dà Jìyuán

大纪元

[大紀元]

Epoch Times, US newspaper

sìyuánshù

四元数

[四元數]

quaternion (math.)

Liǔ Zōngyuán

柳宗元

[柳宗元]

Liu Zongyuan (773-819), Tang essayist and poet, advocate of the classical writing 古文運動／古文运动 and neoclassical 復古／复古 movements

Yuán Lǎngshì

元朗市

[元朗市]

Yuen Long town, Hong Kong Island

bùdìngyuán

不定元

[不定元]

indeterminate element (math.), often denoted by x

Yuángǔdài

元古代

[元古代]

Proterozoic (geological era 2500-540m years ago)

Yuánchángxiāng

元长乡

[元長鄉]

Yuanchang township in Yunlin county 雲林縣／云林县 ( Yúnlínxiàn), Taiwan

Yáo Wényuán

姚文元

[姚文元]

Yao Wenyuan (1931-2005), one of the Gang of Four

Cuī Yǒngyuán

崔永元

[崔永元]

Cui Yongyuan (1963-), TV presenter

Sānyuán Qū

三元区

[三元區]

Sanyuan, a district of Sanming City 三明市 ( Sānming Shì), Fujian

jìyuánqián

纪元前

[紀元前]

before the common era (BC)

qiānwèiyuán

千位元

[千位元]

kilobit

duōyuánxìng

多元性

[多元性]

diversity

yǒuxiànyuán

有限元

[有限元]

finite element (method)

Yuánjiāngxiàn

元江县

[元江縣]

Yuanjiang Hani, Yi and Dai autonomous county in Yuxi 玉溪 ( Yùxī), Yunnan

Zhào Yuánrèn

赵元任

[趙元任]

Yuen Ren Chao (1892-1982), Chinese-American linguist

jīnyuánquàn

金元券

[金元券]

currency issued by Nationalist Government in 1948

Yuán Tàizǔ

元太祖

[元太祖]

posthumous title of Genghis Khan 成吉思汗 ( Chéngjísīhán) (1162-1227)

Zhōngyuánjié

中元节

[中元節]

Ghost Festival on 15th day of 7th lunar month when offerings are made to the deceased

Yuánxiāojié

元宵节

[元宵節]

Lantern Festival, the final event of the Spring Festival 春節／春节, on 15th of first month of the lunar calendar

Yuángǔzhòu

元古宙

[元古宙]

pre-Cambrian (geological eon 2500-645m)

Qìngyuánxiàn

庆元县

[慶元縣]

Qingyuan county in Lishui 麗水／丽水 ( Líshuǐ), Zhejiang

Yuánshānshì

元山市

[元山市]

Wonsan city in Kangweon province 江原道 of North Korea

Hàn Yuándì

汉元帝

[漢元帝]

Yuan Emperor, reign name of Han Dynasty emperor Liu Shi 劉奭／刘奭 ( Liú Shì), (74-33 BC), reigned 48-33 BC

yuányǔyán

元语言

[元語言]

metalanguage

Xīnjìyuán

新纪元

[新紀元]

New Age (movement)

Cài Yuánpéi

蔡元培

[蔡元培]

Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), educationist and politician, president of Peking University 1917-27

yuánshùjù

元数据

[元數據]

metadata

duōyuánzhǐ

多元酯

[多元酯]

polyester

zhòngyuánsù

重元素

[重元素]

heavy element (such as uranium)

xīyuánqián

西元前

[西元前]

BCE (before the Common Era)
BC (before Christ)

duōyuánhuà

多元化

[多元化]

diversification
pluralism
to diversify

èryuánchún

二元醇

[二元醇]

ethyl alcohol C2H5OH

Oūyuánqū

欧元区

[歐元區]

Eurozone

wànyuánhù

万元户

[萬元戶]

household with savings or annual income of 10,000 yuan or more (considered a large amount in the 1970s, when the term became established)

qīngyuánsù

轻元素

[輕元素]

light element (such as hydrogen)

yuánlǎoyuàn

元老院

[元老院]

upper house
senate
senior statesmen's assembly

dānyuánfáng

单元房

[單元房]

apartment

shuāngyuányīn

双元音

[雙元音]

diphthong

Guǎngyuánshì

广元市

[廣元市]

Guangyuan prefecture-level city in Sichuan

èryuánlùn

二元论

[二元論]

dualism, belief that the universe is made of two different substance (e.g. mind and matter or good and evil)

sānyuányùnsuàn

三元运算

[三元運算]

ternary operator (computing)

yuányīnshīdú

元音失读

[元音失讀]

vowel devoicing

duōyuányǔzhòu

多元宇宙

[多元宇宙]

multiverse (cosmology)

guójiāyuánshǒu

国家元首

[國家元首]

head of state

shíyìwèiyuán

十亿位元

[十億位元]

gigabit

yǒuxiàndānyuán

有限单元

[有限單元]

finite element (method)

yǒuxiànyuánfǎ

有限元法

[有限元法]

finite element method

wànyòngzìyuán

万用字元

[萬用字元]

(computing) wildcard character (Tw)

kāiguóyuánxūn

开国元勋

[開國元勳]

founding figure (of a country or dynasty)
founding father
fig. also used of company or school etc

shíliùwèiyuán

十六位元

[十六位元]

16-bit (computing)

xīyǒuyuánsù

稀有元素

[稀有元素]

trace element (nutrition)

lánxìyuánsù

镧系元素

[鑭系元素]

lanthanoid (rare earth series), namely: lanthanum La57 鑭／镧 (lán), cerium Ce58 鈰／铈 (shì), praseodymium Pr59 鐠／镨 (pǔ), neodymium Nd60 釹／钕 (nü), promethium Pm61 鉕／钷 (pǒ), samarium Sm62 釤／钐 (shān), europium Eu63 銪／铕 (yǒu), gadolinium Gd64 釓／钆 (gá), terbium Tb65 鋱／铽 (tè), dysprosium Dy66 鏑／镝 (dī), holmium Ho67 鈥／钬 (huǒ), erbium Er68 鉺／铒 (ěr), thulium Tm69 銩／铥 (diū), ytterbium Yb70 鐿／镱 (yì), lutetium Lu71 鑥／镥 (lǔ)

yuányīnhéxié

元音和谐

[元音和諧]

vowel harmony (in phonetics of Altaic languages)

yuán'èdàduì

元恶大憝

[元惡大憝]

arch-criminal and archenemy (idiom)

kāiguóyuánxūn

开国元勋

[開國元勛]

variant of 開國元勳／开国元勋, founding figure (of country or dynasty)
founding father
fig. also used of company, school etc

juǎnshéyuányīn

卷舌元音

[捲舌元音]

retroflex vowel (e.g. the final r of putonghua)

āxìyuánsù

锕系元素

[錒系元素]

actinoids (rare earth series), namely: actinium Ac89 錒／锕 (ā), thorium Th90 釷／钍 (tǔ), protoactinium Pa91 鏷／镤 (pú), uranium U92 鈾／铀 (yóu), neptunium Ne93 鎿／镎 (ná), plutonium Pu94 鈈／钚 (bù), americium Am95 鎇／镅 (méi), curium Cm96 鋦／锔 (jú), berkelium Bk97 錇／锫 (péi), californium Cf98 鐦／锎 (kāi), einsteinium Es99 鎄／锿 (āi), fermium Fm100 鐨／镄 (fèi), mendelevium Md101 鍆／钔 (mén), nobelium No102 鍩／锘 (nuò), lawrencium Lr103 鐒／铹 (láo)

dàshāngyuánqì

大伤元气

[大傷元氣]

to ruin one's constitution

Bā Dà Yuánlǎo

八大元老

[八大元老]

"the Eight Great Eminent Officials" of the CCP, namely 鄧小平／邓小平 ( Dèng Xiǎopíng), 陳雲／陈云 ( Chén Yún), 李先念 ( Lǐ Xiānniàn), 彭真 ( Péng Zhēn), 楊尚昆／杨尚昆 ( Yáng Shàngkūn), 薄一波 ( Bó Yībō), 王震 ( Wáng Zhèn), and 宋任窮／宋任穷 ( Sòng Rènqióng)
abbr. to 八老 ( Bālǎo)

xītǔyuánsù

稀土元素

[稀土元素]

rare earth element (chemistry)

fùjiāyuánjiàn

附加元件

[附加元件]

additional element
(computing) add-on
plug-in

juǎnshéyuányīn

卷舌元音

[卷舌元音]

retroflex vowel (e.g. the final r of putonghua)

Yuánbǎoshānqū

元宝山区

[元寶山區]

Yuanbaoshan district, Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia

mókuàidānyuán

模块单元

[模塊單元]

modular unit

Zhàogōngyuánshuài

赵公元帅

[趙公元帥]

Marshal Zhao, aka Zhao Gongming or Zhao Xuantan, God of Wealth in the Chinese folk tradition and Taoism

rénmínbìyuán

人民币元

[人民幣元]

renminbi yuan (RMB), PRC currency unit

fùhéyuányīn

复合元音

[複合元音]

diphthong (such as putonghua ɑi, ei etc)

Wǔdēng Huìyuán

五灯会元

[五燈會元]

Song Dynasty History of Zen Buddhism in China (1252), 20 scrolls

yīyuánfùshǐ

一元复始

[一元復始]

a new year begins (idiom)

Yuánmò Míngchū

元末明初

[元末明初]

late Yuan and early Ming
mid 14th century

Cèfǔyuánguī

册府元龟

[冊府元龜]

Prime tortoise of the record bureau, Song dynasty historical encyclopedia of political essays, autobiography, memorials and decrees, compiled 1005-1013 under Wang Qinruo 王欽若／王钦若 and Yang Yi 楊億／杨亿, 1000 scrolls

wēiliàngyuánsù

微量元素

[微量元素]

trace element (chemistry)

shénjīngyuánwǎng

神经元网

[神經元網]

neural network

yuányuánběnběn

元元本本

[元元本本]

variant of 原原本本 (yuányuánběnběn)

liánzhòngsānyuán

连中三元

[連中三元]

(old) to rank first in the imperial examinations at the provincial capital, the national capital and the palace successively
(sports etc) to achieve three successes in a row (three matches in a row, three goals in a match etc)

huàxuéyuánsù

化学元素

[化學元素]

chemical element

zhōngyuánpǔdù

中元普渡

[中元普渡]

Ghosts' festival on 15th day of 7th moon

Dà Jìyuán Shíbào

大纪元时报

[大紀元時報]

Epoch Times, US newspaper

Yuánshīsìdàjiā

元诗四大家

[元詩四大家]

the four masters of Yuan poetry, namely 虞集 ( Yú Jí), 範梈／范梈 ( Fàn Pēng), 楊載／杨载 ( Yáng Zài) and 揭傒斯 ( Jiē Xīsī)

yuánbāozìdòngjī

元胞自动机

[元胞自動機]

cellular automaton

yuányǔyánnénglì

元语言能力

[元語言能力]

metalinguistic ability

liùshísìwèiyuán

六十四位元

[六十四位元]

64-bit (computing)

Yuánqǔ Sì Dàjiā

元曲四大家

[元曲四大家]

Four Great Yuan Dramatists, namely: Guan Hanqing 關漢卿／关汉卿 ( Guān Hànqīng), Zheng Guangzu 鄭光祖／郑光祖 ( Zhèng Guāngzǔ), Ma Zhiyuan 馬致遠／马致远 ( Mǎ Zhìyuǎn) and Bai Pu 白樸／白朴 ( Bái Pǔ)

yuánsùzhōuqībiǎo

元素周期表

[元素週期表]

periodic table of the elements (chemistry)

shēngwùduōyuánhuà

生物多元化

[生物多元化]

biodiversity

sānshí'èrwèiyuán

三十二位元

[三十二位元]

32-bit (computing)

zhōngjiānshénjīngyuán

中间神经元

[中間神經元]

interneuron

hánghángchūzhuàngyuán

行行出状元

[行行出狀元]

lit. in every trade, a master appears (idiom); fig. You can produce outstanding achievements in any task, provided you put it enough love and diligence

Dà Yuán Dàyītǒngzhì

大元大一统志

[大元大一統誌]