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本来 (běn lái) — (adverb) originally, at first; (adjective) original, former

Definition

本来 means 'originally / at first' — focuses on a past situation that later changed (跟 原本 同义), not 'of course' (那当然 zirán). As an adjective it means 'original, former.'

adverb
originallyat first
adjective
originalformer

Examples

  • 本来，。
    Wǒ běn lái dǎ suàn qù shàng hǎi, hòu lái gǎi le zhǔ yì.
    I originally planned to go to Shanghai, but later changed my mind.
  • 本来。
    Zhè ge fáng jiān huī fù le běn lái de yàng zi.
    This room has been restored to its original look.
  • 本来。
    Nǐ běn lái jiù yīng gāi zǎo diǎn gào sù wǒ.
    You should have told me earlier in the first place.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

本běnoriginal
来láicome

本 (original) and 来 (come) together express the state as it came from the beginning.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.

Open 本 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 41000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsTime (Abstract)2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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