员

員

yuán

noun #493

Meanings

Contains 口 (mouth) and 贝 (shell/money) — originally referred to a person counted among a group.

Tā shì dǎngyán.

He is a party member.

Fúwùyuán, mǎdān!

Waiter, the check please!

Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu sānbǎi míng yuángōng.

Our company has three hundred employees.

usage

员 is a very productive suffix for roles/occupations: 服务员 (waiter), 演员 (actor), 教员 (instructor), 商员 (salesperson), 程序员 (programmer), 会员 (member), 学员 (trainee).

员 yuán