How to Write 元 (yuán) — Meaning “first; primary; unit of currency (Yuan)”

Imagine a person (儿) wearing a flat hat made of two horizontal lines — the hat makes them look 'first' or 'top' in line. You can also think of the two lines as the roof of a bank, representing currency (Yuan).

Stroke order: top horizontal, second horizontal, left-falling stroke (撇), then right-falling hook (竖弯钩). A common mistake is making the two top horizontals the same length; the second should be slightly shorter. Also ensure the 儿 part is balanced, not too wide or narrow.

元 has two horizontal strokes on top of 儿, while 儿 is just the two-stroke radical without any top lines. 兀 also looks like 元 but has only one horizontal line on top; 元 has two. In meaning, 元 means 'first' or 'currency,' 儿 means 'child,' and 兀 means 'bald' or 'towering' (rare use).

元 is most commonly used as the unit of Chinese currency (Yuan), as in 美元 (US dollar). It also appears in words like 元旦 (New Year's Day), where 元 means 'first' and 旦 means 'dawn.' Culturally, 元旦 is a major holiday marking the start of the new year.

Common words containing 元 include: 单元 (dān yuán) — unit; 美元 (měi yuán) — US dollar; 元旦 (yuán dàn) — New Year's Day.