原
来

About

The word 原来 is formed by combining two characters: 原, which originally depicted a spring or source of water, conveying the idea of an "origin" or "foundation", and 来, which is a pictograph of a stalk of wheat, symbolizing "coming" or "arrival". Together, they create a conceptual compound meaning "that which has come from the source", evoking the image of tracing something back to its initial, fundamental state or discovering the underlying truth of a situation.

Example Sentences Hide

我原来的手机坏了。

Wǒ yuánlái de shǒujī huài le.

My original phone is broken.

原来你也是中国人呀。

Yuánlái nǐ yě shì Zhōngguó rén ya.

So you are Chinese too.

我原来完全不知道这件事。

Wǒ yuánlái wánquán bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì.

I originally had no idea about this matter.

他原来是老师，现在改行了。

Tā yuánlái shì lǎoshī, xiànzài gǎiháng le.

He was originally a teacher, but now he has changed careers.

经过解释，我才明白原来的计划有问题。

Jīngguò jiěshì, wǒ cái míngbai yuánlái de jìhuà yǒu wèntí.

After the explanation, I finally realized that the original plan had problems.

Word Definition - 原来

yuán lái original; former; originally; formerly; at first; so, actually, as it turns out

Individual Character Details

原 yuán, yuán
来 lái