Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of a person with a line added at the head area, representing the meaning "head" or "first".
About
The character combines 一 above 兀, a component that originally represented a person, forming a pictograph of a human figure with a line at the head to convey 'head' or 'first'. Since the head is the top and most critical part of the body, the meaning extended to primacy, origin, and chief importance, and it came to denote the beginning of a time period, such as the first year of an era or the start of a new year. In modern usage, 元 serves as the standard unit of Chinese currency and is a fundamental component in mathematical and scientific terminology, often denoting primary or basic elements.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个苹果一元钱。
我用了五元钱买苹果。
今天是元旦，我们放假。
公元2023年是很重要的一年。
“啊”是一个元音。
他是公司的创始元老。
学习需要元认知能力。
元数据描述了数据的属性。
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.