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.
• A: 我们 以前 是 同学，我 当然 认识 他。 B: 哦，原来 是 这样 啊！A: We used to be classmates, of course I recognize you. B:Oh, so that's how!
• 原来 你 什么 都 不 懂，为什么 还 说 自己 是 个 博士？It turns out you don't know anything. Why are you still calling yourself a doctor?

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/Adjective/[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 发誓 我 原来 什么 都 不 知道，她 今早 才 告诉 我 这个 消息。I swear: I didn't originally know anything about it. She just told me this news this morning.
• 原来 科学家 以为 激光 没有 多大 用处，可 它 却 成为 了 20 世纪 最 重要 的 发明 之一。Originally, scientists didn't think lasers had much use, but it is one of the 20th century's most important inventions.

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