来历 (lái lì) — origin, background, history (of a person or thing)
Definition
来历 is the 'origin or past history' of a specific person or thing (a person, company, artifact). Unlike 历史 ('history' as a field or broad past), 来历 zooms in on one item's background.
noun
originbackgroundhistory (of a person or thing)
Examples
- 来历，。Zhè ge rén de lái lì hěn fù zá, shuí yě shuō bù qīng chǔ.This person's background is very complicated; nobody can explain it clearly.
- 来历？Nǐ zhī dào zhè jiàn wén wù de lái lì ma?Do you know the origin of this cultural relic?
- 来历。Tā men gōng sī de lái lì kě yǐ zhuī sù dào yì bǎi nián qián.The history of their company can be traced back one hundred years.
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