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原始 (yuán shǐ) — primitive, undeveloped; original, first (in time); original (document, not a copy)

Definition

原始 is the HSK 6 / more formal term for 'original / primitive' (early-stage, undeveloped, or first in time). 原来 is the everyday 'originally / it turns out'; 原 covers 'raw, unprocessed'.

adjective
primitiveundevelopedoriginalfirst (in time)original (document, not a copy)

Examples

  • 原始。
    Zhè piàn yuán shǐ sēn lín lǐ yǒu hěn duō dòng wù.
    There are many animals in this primitive forest.
  • 原始。
    Zhè xiē yuán shǐ jì lù fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    These original records are very important.
  • 原始。
    Qǐng bǎ yuán shǐ wén jiàn jiāo gěi wǒ.
    Please hand over the original document.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

原yuánoriginal or initial
始shǐbeginning

原 and 始 both point to the beginning or original state, giving the sense of primitive or original.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái始shǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 始 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6History5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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