原委 (yuán wěi) — the whole story, the full details, the ins and… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal written noun for 'the whole story / all the details and causes behind something.' Pairs with 的 to specify the matter (事情的原委), unlike 原因 which names just the cause.

noun

the whole storythe full detailsthe ins and outs

Examples

原委。
Tā bǎ shì qing de yuán wěi yī wǔ yī shí dì gào sù le wǒ.
He told me the whole story of the matter in detail.
原委。
Diào chá rén yuán zhèng zài nǔ lì nòng qīng shì gù de yuán wěi.
Investigators are working hard to get to the bottom of the accident.
，原委。
Tīng wán tā de jiě shì, wǒ cái míng bai qí zhōng de yuán wěi.
Only after hearing his explanation did I understand the full story behind it.

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yuánbeginning

The 原 beginning and 委 end together mean the whole course of a matter, from start to finish.

Characters in this word

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

泉泉quánspring
厂厂chǎngcliff

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

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

禾女委

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

禾

禾hé委wěi

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

委 has 女 under 禾. 女, a woman, is the meaning part, and 禾 gives the sound.

Appears in

Abstract Concepts

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