Chinese–EnglishWith examples

本来

běn lái · ben lai

Traditional 本來

HSK 3Old HSK 4

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. original
  2. originally
  3. at first
  4. it goes without saying
  5. of course
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In a conversation

0:21 cartoon

I overslept too

  1. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)今天(jīntiān)本来(běnlái)要(yào)去(qù)爬山(páshān)，对(duì)吧(ba)？

    You were going to climb the mountain today, right?

  2. Dengdeng

    对(duì)，我(wǒ)本来(běnlái)想(xiǎng)六点(liùdiǎn)起床(qǐchuáng)，可是(kěshì)八点(bādiǎn)才(cái)醒(xǐng)。现在(xiànzài)不(bù)去(qù)了(le)

    Yes. I meant to get up at six, but I woke at eight. Now I am not going.

  3. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)本来(běnlái)就(jiù)不(bù)喜欢(xǐhuan)早起(zǎoqǐ)，为什么(wèishénme)要(yào)去(qù)？

    You never liked getting up early. Why did you want to go?

  4. Dengdeng

    因为(yīnwèi)你(nǐ)说(shuō)你(nǐ)也(yě)去(qù)！

    Because you said you were going too!

  5. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)本来(běnlái)要(yào)去(qù)，可是(kěshì)我(wǒ)也(yě)起(qǐ)晚(wǎn)了(le)。

    I was going, but I overslept too.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

她(tā)本(běn)来(lái)没(méi)必(bì)要(yào)付(fù)钱(qián)的(de)。

She needn't have paid the money.

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

02

我(wǒ)本(běn)来(lái)对(duì)摇(yáo)滚(gǔn)乐(yuè)没(méi)什(shén)么(me)好(hǎo)感(gǎn)，但(dàn)后(hòu)来(lái)却(què)渐(jiàn)渐(jiàn)喜(xǐ)欢(huan)上(shàng)了(le)。

I didn't like rock music at first, but it soon grew on me.

Tatoeba: Chinese by nickyeow · English by CM · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

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How to write

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The characters

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本
běn

(bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source

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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