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

Subj. + 原来 + [Verb Phrase]

Examples

• 你 原来 的 发型 很 可爱。 Nǐ yuánlái de fàxíng hěn kě'ài.Your original hairstyle was very cute.
• 这 件 衣服 原来 的 价格 是 999 块。Zhè jiàn yīfu yuánlái de jiàgé shì 999 kuài.The original price is 999 RMB.
• 他 原来 不 知道 这 件 事， 是 我 刚刚 跟 他 说 的 。 Tā yuánlái bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì, shì wǒ gānggāng gēn tā shuō de.Originally he didn't know about this. 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.
• 她 原来 是 他 的 中文 老师，现在 是 他 老婆。 Tā yuánlái shì tā de Zhōngwén lǎoshī, xiànzài shì tā lǎopo.She was originally his Chinese teacher. She is now his wife.

原来 as "All along"

Structure

原来 + [New Information]

Here 原来 means "all along."

Examples

• 原来 是 你 ！Yuánlái shì nǐ!So it was you all along!
• 原来 你们 认识 ！Yuánlái nǐmen rènshi! So you've known each other this whole time!
• 原来 他 是 你 前男友 ！Yuánlái tā shì nǐ qián nányǒu!It turns out he was you ex-boyfriend!
• 原来 你 这么 有钱！Yuánlái nǐ zhème yǒuqián!It turns out you are so rich!
• 原来 你 在 骗 我 ！ 我 怎么 那么 傻 ？ Yuánlái nǐ zài piàn wǒ! Wǒ zěnme nàme shǎ?You have been tricking me, how could I be so stupid?

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