HSK 1 · Article · 171 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-money-what-are-yuan-kuai-and-mao

十元还是十块？

Chinese money: what are yuan, kuai and mao?

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中国zhōngguó的de钱qián叫jiào“人民币rénmínbì”。你nǐ去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi东西dōngxī，东西dōngxī上shàng写xiě着zhe“十shí元yuán”。大家dàjiā说话shuōhuà的de时候shíhou，不bù说shuō“十shí元yuán”，说shuō“十shí块kuài”。“十shí元yuán”是shì写xiě的de，“十shí块kuài”是shì说shuō的de。

一块yíkuài钱qián是shì十shí毛máo，写xiě的de时候shíhou是shì十shí角jiǎo。一yí个gè面包miànbāo八块五bākuàiwǔ，就是jiùshì八块五毛bākuài-wǔmáo。

一百yìbǎi块kuài的de是shì红色hóngsè的de。现在xiànzài，很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén买mǎi东西dōngxī的de时候shíhou，在zài手机shǒujī上shàng给gěi钱qián。买mǎi水果shuíguǒ，买mǎi面条miàntiáo，坐zuò出租车chūzūchē，都dōu一样yíyàng。有的yǒude人rén一个yígè月yuè都dōu没有méiyǒu看见kànjiàn钱qián！

春节chūnjié的de时候shíhou，大家dàjiā都dōu想要xiǎngyào新xīn的de一百yìbǎi块kuài。爸爸bàba妈妈māma要yào给gěi孩子háizi红包hóngbāo，红包hóngbāo里是shì新xīn的de钱qián。孩子háizi们men非常fēicháng喜欢xǐhuān！

你nǐ那里nàlǐ的de钱qián叫jiào什么shénme？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
中国	zhōngguó	China
钱	qián	money
去	qù	to go
商店	shāngdiàn	store; shop
买	mǎi	to buy; to purchase
东西	dōngxī	east and west
上	shàng	up; above; on
写	xiě	to write
十	shí	ten
元	yuán	yuan (unit of Chinese money)
说话	shuōhuà	to speak; to talk
说	shuō	to speak; to say

English (for the teacher)

China’s money is called renminbi. When you go to a shop to buy something, it’s marked “ten yuan”. When people talk, they don’t say “ten yuan”; they say “ten kuai”. “Ten yuan” is written; “ten kuai” is spoken.

One kuai is ten mao; in writing it’s ten jiao. A bread roll for eight kuai five is eight kuai and five mao.

The hundred-kuai note is red. Now, when many Chinese people buy things, they pay on their phones. Fruit, noodles, a taxi: it’s all the same. Some people don’t see cash for a whole month!

At Spring Festival, everyone wants new hundred-kuai notes. Parents give children red envelopes, and inside is new money. Children love it!

What is the money called where you live?