Expressing "all along" with "yuanlai"

原来 (yuánlái) means "originally" (similar to 本来) or "former". It can also mean "all along", and can be used to indicate a sudden realization of something previously unknown, a bit like "so it's been like that all along, how could I not have realized?".

原来 as "all along"

Structure

原来 + [recently discovered information]

Here 原来 means "all along".

Examples

• 原来 你 一直 在 骗 我！我 怎么 那么 傻？You have been tricking me this whole time, how could I be so stupid?
• 原来 是 你！我 都 没 认出来！So it was you after all! I never imagined it.
• 原来 你们 认识！怎么 不 早 点 说？ So you've known each other this whole time! Why wouldn't you tell me earlier?
• 原来 他 是 你 前男友！怪不得 你 不 想 去 参加 他 的 婚礼。 It turns out he was you ex-boyfriend! No wonder that you don't want to go to his wedding.
• 原来 你 是 英文 专业 的 学生！难怪 你 的 英文 这么 好！It turns out you are an English major! No wonder that your English is so good!

The more formal expression 原来如此 can be used like 原来是这样 in example 3, to mean "oh, so it's like that is it?"

原来 as "originally"

Structure

原来 + Noun/Adj./[Verb Phrase]

Here 原来 means "originally" or "former".

Examples

• 你 原来 的 发型 很 可爱，剪 了 太 可惜 了！Your original hairstyle was very cute. It's a shame that you cut it.
• 我 原来 的 上司 生 完 孩子 以后 就 离职 了 。 My original supervisor left her position after she had a baby.
• 他 原来 什么 都 不 知道，是 我 刚刚 跟 他 说 的。He didn't originally know anything about it. I just tole him.
• 我们 原来 住 在 浦东，几个月 以前 搬 到 了 这边。Originally we lived in Pudong. We moved here a few months ago.
• 原来 我 以为，婚姻 就 是 幸福 的 开始。现在 我 不 这样 想了。Originally, I thought marriage is the beginning of happiness. Now I stop thinking that way.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 94-6) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 195-6) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5) (pp. 29)→buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (pp. 22-23) →buy