本
来

About

The word "本来" is formed by combining the character "本", which means "root" or "origin", with the character "来", which means "come". This combination literally conveys the idea of "coming from the origin", leading to the derived meaning of "originally" or "inherently" in modern usage.

Example Sentences Hide

我本来要去学校。

Wǒ běnlái yào qù xuéxiào.

I originally was going to school.

他本来就很聪明。

Tā běnlái jiù hěn cōngmíng.

He is inherently smart.

这件事本来很简单。

Zhè jiàn shì běnlái hěn jiǎndān.

This matter was originally very simple.

我本来打算今天完成工作，但是太忙了。

Wǒ běnlái dǎsuàn jīntiān wánchéng gōngzuò, dànshì tài máng le.

I originally planned to finish work today, but I was too busy.

按照本来的计划，我们应该已经到达了。

Ànzhào běnlái de jìhuà, wǒmen yīnggāi yǐjīng dàodá le.

According to the original plan, we should have arrived already.

Word Definition - 本来

běn lái original; originally; at first; it goes without saying; of course

Individual Character Details

本 běn
来 lái