The yen sign ¥ is Alt+0165 on Windows and Option+Y on a Mac. It serves both the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan, which is why some fonts draw one crossbar and others draw two. In Chinese text the character 元 is often used instead.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (Alt code) | Hold Alt, type 0165 on the numpad |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Yen Sign" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 00A5, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 00a5, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | ¥ · \00a5 (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold Alt and type 0165 on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt, ¥ appears.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Yen Sign" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 00A5.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to ¥.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¥ with one bar | The same character, drawn differently | One or two crossbars is a font decision. Both are U+00A5. |
| 元 (U+5143) | A Chinese character meaning a unit of currency | The everyday written form for yuan amounts in Chinese text. |
| ¥ where a backslash belongs | A legacy Japanese encoding quirk | Older Japanese systems mapped the backslash byte to the yen sign, so paths can display wrongly. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the yen sign?
It is U+00A5, decimal 165. Alt+0165 types it on Windows.
Is the yen sign the same as the yuan sign?
The same character serves both. Japanese yen and Chinese yuan both use U+00A5, which is why prices need a country to be unambiguous. Chinese writing often uses 元 or the formal 圆 instead.
Why do some fonts show one crossbar and some two?
It is purely a typeface decision, with no difference in meaning. The Japanese standard tends toward two, and many Western fonts draw one.
Why does my Japanese file path show ¥ instead of ?
Older Japanese encodings put the yen sign at the byte value that ASCII uses for the backslash. Japanese Windows fonts still render that byte as ¥, so a path looks odd but works correctly.
Does yen use decimal places?
Not in practice. The sen subunit was withdrawn from circulation in 1953, so amounts are written as whole numbers such as ¥1,200.