Yen is the name of the money used in Japan. People use yen to buy things there and in trade with other countries. It is one of the main world currencies.
I paid 500 yen for a sandwich.
The yen is strong today in markets.
Yen means a feeling when you want or wish for something very much. It is often used for strong wants or cravings, like wanting to eat a special food or do something you like.
She had a yen to travel the world.
I have a yen for chocolate today.
As a verb, yen means to want something very much or to long for it. This use is old or poetic and not common in daily talk. It means ‘to strongly wish’ for something.
He yens for peace and quiet.
Many people yen to see their family.
Yen can mean a type of old wooden wind instrument from Asia, like a flute or pipe. This meaning is rare and used in history or music studies.
The musician played the yen beautifully.
This ancient yen has a soft sound.
Yen can mean a strong want or need that is hard to control, like when someone wants to do or have something again and again. This use is often informal or about habits.
He fought his yen for cigarettes.
That yen can be very hard to stop.
Yen is sometimes used as slang to mean young men of East Asian origin or appearance. This use is rare and can be offensive or controversial. It appears in some subcultures or older texts.
The group was called yens by the locals.
Yens often gather in urban areas.
