---
title: "Danyuan Meaning: 单元 (unit) or 但愿 (if only)?"
description: "单元 (traditional 單元, dānyuán) means “unit (of a building, textbook, or system)”. Not the danyuan you heard? See 但愿. Hear its tones, see what 单 and 元 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danyuan"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 单元 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

单元 dānyuán

## unit (of a building, textbook, or system)

## It can also mean

- entrance; stairwell (of an apartment block)

## Its characters

1. 单 dān single
2. 元 yuán yuan (unit of Chinese money)

## In a sentence

我们今天学习第三单元。 Today we're studying Unit Three.

[More about 单元](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8D%95%E5%85%83)

## Other words said danyuan

- [但愿dànyuànif only](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BD%86%E6%84%BF)

## More words with 单 or 元

- [菜单 càidān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/caidan)
- [床单 chuángdān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/chuangdan)
- [单纯 dānchún](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danchun)
- [单独 dāndú](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dandu)
- [单价 dānjià](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danjia)
- [单身 dānshēn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danshen)
- [单位 dānwèi](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danwei)
- [单一 dānyī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/danyi)
- [订单 dìngdān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dingdan)
- [多元 duōyuán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/duoyuan)

## Keep 单元 for Review

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