The Chinese word 原来 is used to express surprise or realization about something that was previously unknown or misunderstood. It can be translated to “so that’s how it is” or “as it turns out”. It is often used in conversation to express a change in understanding or to clarify a situation. For example, if someone tells you they are from Beijing and you respond with “原来你是北京人”, it would mean “Oh, so you’re from Beijing”.
Translation
Adjective: former, original
Adverb: as it turns out
Pronunciation
Example Sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | Engish |
|---|---|---|
| 原来你是我的同学 | yuán lái nǐ shì wǒ de tóng xué | So you are my classmate |
| 原来这道菜是辣的 | yuán lái zhè dào cài shì là de | So this dish is spicy |
| 原来他会弹吉他 | yuán lái tā huì tán jí tā | So he can play the guitar |
| 原来你也喜欢看电影 | yuán lái nǐ yě xǐ huān kàn diàn yǐng | So you also like watching movies |
| 原来这个城市的夜景很美 | yuán lái zhè ge chéng shì de yè jǐng hěn měi | So the night view of this city is beautiful |
| 原来这个问题很容易解决 | yuán lái zhè ge wèn tí hěn róng yì jiě jué | So this problem is very easy to solve |
| 原来他们是一对情侣 | yuán lái tā men shì yī duì qíng lǚ | So they are a couple |
| 原来这个地方有很多历史遗迹 | yuán lái zhè ge dì fāng yǒu hěn duō lì shǐ yí jì | So this place has many historical relics |
HSK
原来 is part of HSK Level 4 in HSK 2.0. In the newer HSK 3.0 it is part of HSK Level 2.
Learning Card
