The yuan ( yoo-A(H)N; sign: ¥; Chinese: 圓/元; pinyin: yuán; [ɥæ̌n] ) is the base unit of a number of former and present-day currencies throughout China. A yuan is also known colloquially as a kuai (simplified Chinese: 块; traditional Chinese: 塊; pinyin: kuài; lit. 'lump'; originally a lump of silver). One yuan is divided into 10 jiao (角; jiǎo; 'corner') or colloquially mao (毛; máo; 'feather'). One jiao is divided into 10 fen (分; fēn; 'small portion').