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 "originally"

Here 原来 (yuánlái) means "originally" or "original."

Structure

原来 + 的 + Noun

原来 + [Verb Phrase]

Examples

• 你 原来 的 发型 很 可爱 ， 剪 了 太 可惜 了 ！ Nǐ yuánlái de fàxíng hěn kě'ài, jiǎn le tài kěxī le! 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 。 Wǒ yuánlái de shàngsi shēng wán háizi yǐhòu jiù lízhí le. 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 。 Tā yuánlái shénme dōu bù zhīdào, shì wǒ gānggāng gēn tā shuō de. He didn't originally know anything about it. I just told him.
• 我们 原来 住 在 浦东 ， 几个月 以前 搬 到 了 这边 。 Wǒmen yuánlái zhù zài Pǔdōng, jǐ gè yuè yǐqián bān dào le zhèbiān. 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 。 Yuánlái wǒ yǐwéi, hūnyīn jiù shì xìngfú de kāishǐ. Xiànzài wǒ bù zhèyàng xiǎng le. Originally, I thought marriage is the beginning of happiness. Now I stop thinking that way.

原来 as "all along"

Structure

原来 + [New Information]

Here 原来 means "all along".

Examples

• 原来 你 一直 在 骗 我 ！ 我 怎么 那么 傻 ？ Yuánlái nǐ yīzhí zài piàn wǒ! Wǒ zěnme nàme shǎ? You have been tricking me this whole time, how could I be so stupid?
• 原来 是 你 ！ 我 都 没 认出来 ！ Yuánlái shì nǐ! Wǒ dōu méi rènchū lái! So it was you after all! I never imagined it.
• 原来 你们 认识 ！ 怎么 不 早 点 说 ？ Yuánlái nǐmen rènshi! Zěnme bù zǎo diǎn shuō? 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 。 Yuánlái tā shì nǐ qián nányǒu! Guàibude nǐ bù xiǎng qù cānjiā tā de hūnlǐ. 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 ！ Yuánlái nǐ shì Yīngwén zhuānyè de xuéshēng! Nánguài nǐ de Yīngwén zhème hǎo! 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?"

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