Expressing "all along" with "yuanlai"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
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?".
Contents
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/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.
