人民币
rén mín bì
Money of china · trad. 人民幣
人民币 (rénmínbì) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. It's often abbreviated as RMB, especially in international contexts, and is the standard term when referring to Chinese money.
When to use it
Neutral and formal. While 人民币 is the official name, in daily conversation, people often use 元 (yuán) or its more casual equivalent 块 (kuài) to refer to the unit of currency (like 'dollar' or 'pound').
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “REN-meen-BEE.” The first syllable is a rising tone, the second a rising tone, and the third a falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- RMBRMBcommon English abbreviation
- 元yuányuan (formal unit of currency)
- 块kuàikuai (casual unit of currency, like 'buck')
Examples
这个用人民币多少钱？
zhè ge yòng rén mín bì duō shǎo qián ？
How much is this in Chinese money?
我需要换一些人民币。
wǒ xū yào huàn yì xiē rén mín bì 。
I need to exchange some Chinese money.
中国的官方货币是人民币。
zhōng guó de guān fāng huò bì shì rén mín bì 。
The official currency of China is the Renminbi.
Pro tip: Remember that 人民币 is the name of the currency, while 元 (yuán) and 块 (kuài) are the units. So you'd say 'ten yuan' (十元) or 'ten kuai' (十块), not 'ten Renminbi' directly for the amount, though 'ten Renminbi' is understood.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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