The phase equilibria of the Y-Co-Cu ternary system were investigated experimentally by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The experimental results did not indicate any ternary intermetallic compounds and revealed that the YCo5 and YCu6 binary intermetallic compounds form the continuous solid solution phase Y(Co, Cu)5 because of having the same space groups. According to the measured phase compositions at 873 K, the solid solubilities of Co in fcc(Cu), YCu4, Y2Cu7 and YCu2 are 8.6, 1.7, 44.0 and 8.6 at.%, respectively, while those of Cu in fcc(Co), Y2Co17, Y2Co7, YCo3, YCo2, Y2Co3, Y6Co7, Y4Co3, Y8Co5 and Y3Co were determined to be 15.8, 6.4, 8.1, 13.5, 7.9, 1.2, 1.4, 3.9, 7.6 and 10.6 at.%, respectively. Furthermore, at 1073 K the solid solubilities of Co in fcc(Cu), YCu4, Y2Cu7 and YCu2 were measured to be 3.9, 2.5, 40.0 and 10.8 at.%, respectively, while those of Cu in fcc(Co), Y2Co17, Y2Co7, YCo3, YCo2, Y2Co3 and YCo were determined to be 13.6, 9.4, 7.4, 13.7, 10.3, 2.3 and 31.4 at.%, respectively. Two isothermal sections of the Y-Co-Cu ternary system at 1073 K and 873 K were established finally.