块
yuan (money); piece; chunk
kuài
What does 块 mean?
块 (kuài) has two HSK 1 jobs. First and most common, it's the spoken measure word for Chinese currency: 十块钱 'ten yuan,' 一百块 'one hundred yuan.' The written/formal equivalent is 元 (yuán), but in everyday speech — at markets, taxis, restaurants — 块 is what you'll hear and say. Second, 块 is a general measure word for 'pieces / chunks' of solid things: 一块蛋糕 (a piece of cake), 一块肉 (a chunk of meat), 一块石头 (a stone). One thing English speakers often miss: when stating a price, the noun 钱 (qián, 'money') is usually dropped in fast speech — 多少钱?
五十块. 'How much? Fifty bucks.' The number-plus-块 alone is enough.
Note: 块 is the everyday spoken form for 元
Character breakdown
piece; lump; yuan (currency unit) — 土 (earth) radical + 夬 phonetic
Memory hook: 块 has the 土 ('earth/clod') radical — a chunk of earth is a 'piece,' and a piece of money is one 块.
Example sentences
这个多少钱？五块。
Zhège duōshǎo qián? Wǔ kuài.
How much is this? Five yuan.
spoken
我有一百块。
Wǒ yǒu yī bǎi kuài.
I have a hundred yuan.
spoken
请给我一块蛋糕。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yī kuài dàngāo.
Please give me a piece of cake.
polite
这本书十二块。
Zhè běn shū shí'èr kuài.
This book is twelve yuan.
spoken
Common phrases with 块
Synonyms
元 is the written/formal counterpart of 块. Banks, receipts, and news report prices in 元; conversation uses 块. 一百元 (written) = 一百块 (spoken). Same value, different register.
片 is for FLAT, THIN pieces — slices: 一片面包 (a slice of bread), 一片肉 (a thin slice of meat). 块 is for CHUNKIER, three-dimensional pieces. 一块肉
Don't confuse 块 with
快 (same pinyin, same tone) means 'fast / quick.' 块 has the 土 radical (earth); 快 has the 忄 radical (heart). 一块钱 'one yuan' vs 很快 'very fast.' Identical sound, totally different meaning.
毛 is one tenth of a 块 — like a dime to a dollar. 一块二毛 = 1.20 yuan. Beginners sometimes confuse the units; remember the order: 块 > 毛 >