Chinese word dictionary

单元

dānyuán · unit (forming an entity); element; (in a residential building) entrance or staircase

Practice word

Word information

Simplified单元

Traditional單元

Pinyindānyuán

Part of speech名

HSK 3.05

HSK 2.05

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

单dān

single, individual, only; lone

元yuán

first; dollar; origin; head

How to learn 单元

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

元yuán

currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan); (bound form) first; original; primary; (bound form) basic; fundamental; (bound form) constituent; part; (prefix) meta-; (math.) argument; variable; era (of a reign); (Tw) (geology) eon; surname Yuan; Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)

菜单càidān

menu; CL:份[fen4],張|张[zhang1]

简单jiǎndān

simple; not complicated

名单míngdān

list of names

单位dānwèi

unit (of measure); unit (group of people as a whole); work unit (place of employment, esp. in the PRC prior to economic reform); CL:個|个[ge4]

床单chuángdān

bed sheet; CL:條|条[tiao2],件[jian4],張|张[zhang1],床[chuang2]