Chinese–EnglishWith examples

原来

yuán lái · yuan lai

Traditional 原來

HSK 2Old HSK 4

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. original; former
  2. originally; formerly; at first
  3. so, actually, as it turns out
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In a conversation

0:21 cartoon

The old bookshop

  1. Leon

    这家(zhèjiā)咖啡店(kāfēidiàn)真(zhēn)漂亮(piàoliang)。

    This cafe is so pretty.

  2. Dengdeng

    这里(zhèlǐ)原来(yuánlái)是(shì)一家(yījiā)书店(shūdiàn)。

    This place was originally a bookshop.

  3. Leon

    原来(yuánlái)是(shì)书店(shūdiàn)？书(shū)都(dōu)去(qù)哪儿(nǎr)了(le)？

    It was a bookshop? Where did the books go?

  4. Liangliang

    书店(shūdiàn)搬(bān)到(dào)了(le)对面(duìmiàn)，原来(yuánlái)的(de)老板(lǎobǎn)现在(xiànzài)在(zài)这儿(zhèr)卖(mài)咖啡(kāfēi)。

    The bookshop moved across the street. The original owner sells coffee here now.

  5. Leon

    原来(yuánlái)是(shì)这样(zhèyàng)！所以(suǒyǐ)我(wǒ)买(mǎi)咖啡(kāfēi)，也(yě)能(néng)看到(kàndào)书(shū)。

    So that's how it is! So I can see books when I buy coffee.

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

Usage

原来 can refer to the original situation or introduce something you have just realized.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

原(yuán)来(lái)他(tā)们(men)前(qián)天(tiān)去(qù)电(diàn)影(yǐng)院(yuàn)啦(la)。

It turns out that they went to the cinema the day before yesterday.

Tatoeba: Chinese by cranewang · English by cranewang · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

我(wǒ)们(men)以(yǐ)为(wéi)他(tā)是(shì)一(yí)个(gè)英(yīng)雄(xióng)，原(yuán)来(lái)是(shì)一(yí)个(gè)叛(pàn)徒(tú)。

We had thought that he was a hero, but he turned out to be a traitor.

Tatoeba: Chinese by FeuDRenais · English by FeuDRenais2 · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
原
yuán

former; original

来
lái

to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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