The head, the topmost part of a human body. A monetary unit (yuan); also "first," "original," or "primary" in words like 元旦 (New Year's Day) and 首元 (the first). Two horizontal strokes (二) crowning the legs (儿): the head of a person stamped like a coin's value.
元 is already the counting unit. Adding 个 makes it sound like you are counting a random object.
块 and 元 are two names for the same money unit. Do not stack them.
Same money, different style: 元 is written and formal, 块 is spoken and casual.
Use 元 on menus, receipts, news, and stories. Use 块 when talking out loud with friends, drivers, or shopkeepers. They mean the same yuan, but 元 sounds cleaner and more official. Do not mix them into 十块元. “卖了六只小狗，四百零九元钱。” (Sold six puppies for four hundred and nine yuan.) ── [《一两件新衣服》](/read/new-clothes-and-good-friends#s5)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Menu or receipt | 十元 | 十块元 |
| Friend or driver | 十块 | 十元块 |
| Same meaning | 十元 / 十块 | 十块元 / 十元块 |
元 is the counting unit, so it does not take 个.
You count money as 一元, 十元, 一百元. The word 个 is for general objects like 一个人 or 一个苹果. Adding 个 before 元 sounds like you are counting a thing, not a price. If you want spoken money, say 一块, not 一个块.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| One yuan | 一元 | 一个元 |
| Ten yuan | 十元 | 十个元 |
| Spoken one yuan | 一块 | 一个块 |
| With 钱 | 一元钱 | 一个元钱 |
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
卖了六只小狗，四百零九 元 钱。
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