Comparing "benlai" and "yuanlai"

If something is supposed to be the way it is or what you think it is, we say that it is "originally" or "it's supposed to be", which in Chinese are "本来"（běnlái) and"原来"（yuánlái). "本来"（běnlái) is usually adverb while "原来"（yuánlái) could be both adjective and adverb. However, they are used in different ways and different places, so this article will help you distinguish when and where to use them.

本来

"本来" is usually placed before subject, and it often requires “就” and some other modal verb before the adjective or the verb to emphasize.

Subject +本来+就+很/不+Adj.

Subject+本来+就+会/要/得/应该+ Verb

Examples

• 生活本来 就 很 现实。Life is real originally.
• 创业本来就 不 容易。It's not supposed to be an easy thing to start your own business.
• 照顾 孩子本来 就 是 父母 的 责任。Taking care of babies is supposed to be the responsibility of parents.
• 老师本来就 应该 好好 备课。Teachers are supposed to prepared the lesson very well.
• 美国 人 本来就 会 说 流利 的 英文。Americans are supposed to speak fluent English.

If something happened unexpectedly later,"本来" is preferred rather than "原来" considering there is a change of the original situation。Since it's happened,the pattern "是···的" is suggested here.If you are just trying to give some fact,then "是···的" is optional。

Subject+本来+是+（不）要/会/得/应该+ Verb+的，但是/可是/不过/现在/后来···

Examples

• 我本来 是 要 去 参加 你的 生日 派对 的，可是 周末 突然 要 加班。I was going to your birthday party,but I had to work some extra time this weekend.
• 他本来是 应该 考 得 更好 的，可是 那天 他 发 高烧 了。He was supposed to do better at the test.However,he got a high fever the other day .
• 我们本来 是 不 打算 去 的，后来 因为 他们 打 了 好 几次 电话 就 去 了。We did't plan to go but we did finally because they called more than once.
• 这些 工作本来是 不必 今天 就 做 完 的，不过 如果 你 想 快点 做 完 也 可以。These work doesn't need to be done by today.But if you wanna finish them sooner,you go ahead.
• 我本来是 要 跟 他 结婚 的，可是后来发现了 我们 真的 不合适。I was going to married him while I found we are just not meant for each other.

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