Need the Chinese yuan symbol fast? Copy it below, or type it: Windows Alt+0165 (numpad), Mac Option+Y, Word type 00A5 then Alt+X, Chromebook Ctrl+Shift+U 00a5, and on phones long‑press the $ key and pick ¥.
The Chinese yuan symbol is the yen sign “¥” — Unicode name YEN SIGN, code point U+00A5.
Chinese yuan symbol codes (quick reference)
| Symbol | Official name | Unicode (hex) | Alt code (decimal) | HTML (named / numeric) | Mac | Word (hex then Alt+X) | Chromebook/Linux (hex) | Excel/Sheets | CSS escape | LaTeX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¥ | YEN SIGN | U+00A5 | Alt+0165 | ¥ | Option+Y | 00A5, Alt+X | Ctrl+Shift+U 00a5, then Space/Enter | =UNICHAR(165) | \00A5 | Not applicable |
Alt codes above 127 depend on the table used: Alt+0165 (leading zero) outputs ¥ reliably in modern Windows apps. Zero‑less codes read from the PC’s OEM code page (CP437 in the US; CP850 in many other regions) and can produce different characters. Prefer Alt+0165 for documents.
Windows: type ¥ with a numeric keypad
- Turn on Num Lock. Hold Alt and type 0165 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt → ¥.
- No numpad? Press Win+. (or Win+;) to open the emoji/symbol panel, type “yen” or “yen sign,” and click ¥. You can also use Character Map: press Win+R, type
charmap, find “Yen Sign,” and copy. - If someone told you Alt+0165 works: it may on some PCs, but it depends on regional code pages. Use Alt+0165 for a consistent result.
Alt codes require a physical numeric keypad. On compact laptops, use the emoji panel or copy from the widget above.
Mac: Option shortcut for the yuan (yen) sign
- Press Option+Y → ¥.
- Or open the Character Viewer (Control+Command+Space), search “yen,” and insert ¥.
Microsoft Word
- Type 00A5, then press Alt+X → ¥. (Works in Word, Outlook, OneNote.)
- Ribbon: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → subset “Latin-1 Supplement” → select Yen Sign → Insert.
- There is no built‑in Word-only shortcut; assign one via Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Shortcut Key if you type it often.
Excel and PowerPoint
- Insert menu: Insert → Symbol → subset “Latin‑1 Supplement” → Yen Sign → Insert.
- Excel formula: in a cell enter
=UNICHAR(165). Format the cell as text or include it inside a text formula (e.g.="Price: "&UNICHAR(165)&A2). - PowerPoint has no Alt+X; use Insert → Symbol or paste ¥.
Google Docs and Google Sheets
- Docs: Insert → Special characters → search “yen” → click ¥. Or paste it.
- Sheets: there’s no Special characters picker. Use
=UNICHAR(165)in a cell, or paste ¥. Press F2 to enter cell edit mode before using any OS shortcut or paste.
iPhone and Android
- iPhone/iPad: tap 123, then press and hold the $ key to pop up currency options. Slide to ¥.
- Android (Gboard): press and hold $ (or the currency key) and choose ¥. If you don’t see it, add the Japanese keyboard or long‑press the currency/number key and pick ¥.
Chromebook (and Linux)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, release, type 00a5, then press Space or Enter → ¥. You’ll see an underlined u before you type the hex code.
- Or copy and paste from the widget at the top.
Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
Paste ¥ directly into pages, messages, and designs. If you insert it often, set a text replacement such as ;yen → ¥ in your OS (iOS/macOS Text Replacements; Windows PowerToys “Keyboard Manager”) or the app’s substitution feature. Fonts in these apps support ¥ widely; if it looks odd, switch to a Latin font like Arial, Calibri, Roboto, Segoe UI, or Noto Sans.
Where people use the ¥ sign
¥ marks prices and amounts for the Chinese yuan and Japanese yen. In finance, you’ll also see ISO codes like CNY and JPY, or localized formats like CN¥12.
50. In multi‑currency documents and spreadsheets, pairing the symbol with the code (¥1,200 CNY) avoids confusion.
For more codes and symbols, see the world currency symbols list. If you need a different character quickly, open our Copy & Paste Symbols tool.
Related guides and resources
- Browse more currency tips on the currency symbol guides page.
- Swiss franc: how to type the CHF symbol.
- Vietnamese đồng: copy and type the ₫ symbol.
- Thai baht: type the ฿ symbol.
- Cent sign: type the ¢ symbol.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chinese yuan symbol the same as the Japanese yen symbol?
Yes. The character ¥ is a single Unicode symbol named YEN SIGN and is used for both currencies. Context (country, ISO code like CNY or JPY, or the amount’s locale) tells you which currency is meant.
Why does ¥ sometimes appear as a box or a strange glyph?
That’s a font issue. Switch to a font with full Latin‑1 support such as Arial, Calibri, Segoe UI, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
In Google Sheets or PowerPoint, change the text’s font. On the web, ensure the page uses a font that includes U+00A5.
I pressed Alt+0165 and didn’t get ¥ — what happened?
Zero‑less Alt codes read from an OEM code page that varies by region. On many PCs Alt+0165 produces Ñ, not ¥. Use the reliable Alt+0165 (with a leading zero) on a numeric keypad, or copy/paste.
Why do I sometimes see a backslash instead of ¥?
In some environments configured for Japanese, the ASCII backslash (U+005C) is drawn with a yen‑like glyph. The real yuan/yen sign is U+00A5. Paste ¥ from the widget or use the methods above to be sure you have the right character.
Can I use ¥ in a username or bio?
Usually yes for bios and display names. Many services restrict usernames to letters, numbers, and underscores, so ¥ may be rejected there. If it fails, use the ISO code CNY or the localized form CN¥.