<p>Chinese usually use 美元 as dollar. For example, 14 dollar is 14 美元. I never saw Chinese use 弗 refered to dollar.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T08:59:22.113Z
2015-06-25T08:59:22.113Z
Olisun
<p>Someone will use 刀 for dollar because of the pronunciation, but 弗 is not used as $.</p>

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2015-06-26T19:05:30.463Z
Yes. That's true. Many of my friends use 刀 as well. They even use "人刀" for RMB.
FortCpp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T14:27:45.183Z
2015-06-26T14:27:45.183Z
Doubble22
<p>From <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BC%97">Wiktionary</a>, the possible meanings of 弗 are:</p>

<ul>
<li>as negation (as in, 不 and 否 for "no")</li>
<li>gust of wind</li>
<li>writing brush</li>
</ul>

<p>There is no mention if it can mean dollar.</p>

<hr>

<p>On the other hand, in Japanese, the possible meanings are:</p>

<ul>
<li>fluorine</li>
<li>the dollar sign ($)</li>
</ul>

<p>The reason of the dollar sign is because of the similarity of the sign itself (弗 vs $).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Repurposed for its visual similarity to the dollar symbol $. This reading is ultimately a borrowing from Dutch dollar.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T13:14:49.290Z
Wow! +1 It's amazing how Japanese language re-purposes Chinese characters so easily. With even more similarities to 弗 is the [Portuguese Cifrão](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cifr%C3%A3o) which has 2 vertical slashes. It was used before the Euro currency.
Armfoot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T13:35:08.560Z
@Armfoot sometimes dollar sign is also written with 2 vertical slashes. The rendition on this page really depends on what font your browser chooses. But you're right, the Cifrao is more similar since it's always written with 2 slashes.
Andrew T.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T07:18:58.013Z
2015-06-25T07:18:58.013Z
Andrew T.
<p>弗 means dollar (as in USD, $) in both Korean and Japanese.</p>
<p>Korean</p>
<blockquote>
<p>불</p>
<p>[弗] a dollar</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Japnese</p>
<blockquote>
<p>ドル</p>
<p>noun</p>
<ol>
<li>dollar (from Dutch, orig. an abbr. of ドルラル; also written as 弗) (see also: ドルラル)</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>Grand Ricci says that 弗 fú is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>6 (Écon. – Fin.) Car. empl. pr le symbole $ : dollar.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>the pronunciation of the dollar symbol in Chinese.</p>
<p>I haven't seen any other acknowledgement of 弗 fú having anything to do with US Dollars in any other dictionaries.</p>
<ul>
<li>Can 弗 Mean Dollar In Chinese?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T08:16:19.097Z
弗 in Canto is pronounced fat1 the same as: 窟 which means 块....wonder if there's a connection there
Mou某
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2015-06-25T16:22:00.180Z
窟 (hole/cave/den) does not mean 块/塊 (piece/lump/dollar) in any way to me. (Can you show the reference? Thanks.) After all, in Cantonese we don't use 块/塊 to mean dollar (at least spoken). Yes in Chinese we write 一塊錢 but it is seldom spoken out that way in Cantonese. We say 一「蚊」.
leo4jc
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T16:34:18.640Z
@leo4jc 量詞。塊（指較小的）

一窟布。
Mou某
<meaning>
Can 弗 Mean Dollar In Chinese?
# Can 弗 Mean Dollar In Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-25)

弗 means dollar (as in USD, $) in both Korean and Japanese.

Korean

> 불
>
> [弗] a dollar

Japnese

> ドル
>
> noun
>
> 1. dollar (from Dutch, orig. an abbr. of ドルラル; also written as 弗) (see also: ドルラル)

Grand Ricci says that 弗 fú is:

> 6 (Écon. – Fin.) Car. empl. pr le symbole $ : dollar.

the pronunciation of the dollar symbol in Chinese.

I haven't seen any other acknowledgement of 弗 fú having anything to do with US Dollars in any other dictionaries.

* Can 弗 Mean Dollar In Chinese?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 弗 in Canto is pronounced fat1 the same as: 窟 which means 块....wonder if there's a connection there  
> **username_1**: 窟 (hole/cave/den) does not mean 块/塊 (piece/lump/dollar) in any way to me. (Can you show the reference? Thanks.) After all, in Cantonese we don't use 块/塊 to mean dollar (at least spoken). Yes in Chinese we write 一塊錢 but it is seldom spoken out that way in Cantonese. We say 一「蚊」.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 量詞。塊（指較小的）  一窟布。  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-06-25. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

From [Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BC%97), the possible meanings of 弗 are:

* as negation (as in, 不 and 否 for "no")
* gust of wind
* writing brush

There is no mention if it can mean dollar.

---

On the other hand, in Japanese, the possible meanings are:

* fluorine
* the dollar sign ($)

The reason of the dollar sign is because of the similarity of the sign itself (弗 vs $).

> Repurposed for its visual similarity to the dollar symbol $. This reading is ultimately a borrowing from Dutch dollar.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Wow! +1 It's amazing how Japanese language re-purposes Chinese characters so easily. With even more similarities to 弗 is the [Portuguese Cifrão](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cifr%C3%A3o) which has 2 vertical slashes. It was used before the Euro currency.  
> **username_5**: @username_6 sometimes dollar sign is also written with 2 vertical slashes. The rendition on this page really depends on what font your browser chooses. But you're right, the Cifrao is more similar since it's always written with 2 slashes.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-25. Score: 2

Chinese usually use 美元 as dollar. For example, 14 dollar is 14 美元. I never saw Chinese use 弗 refered to dollar.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-06-26. Score: -1

Someone will use 刀 for dollar because of the pronunciation, but 弗 is not used as $.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Yes. That's true. Many of my friends use 刀 as well. They even use "人刀" for RMB.  

---

