Difference between revisions of "Expressing "all along" with "yuanlai""

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=== Books ===
 
=== 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 - 96) [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]  
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* [[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) [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]  
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 195 - 196) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
+
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 195-6) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5)]] (pp. 29)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561914083/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561914083 →buy]  
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5)]] (pp. 29)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561914083/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561914083 →buy]  
  
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]

Revision as of 08:34, 30 January 2012

原来 (yuánlái) means "all along", and can be used to indicate a sudden realization of something previously unknown, a bit like "so its been like that all along, how could I not have realized?".

Some examples:

  • 原来 你 都 在 骗 我,我 怎么 那么 傻?
  • 原来 是 你!我 都 没 看 出来!
  • A: 他们 俩 昨晚 一起 去 吃饭 B: 哦,原来 是 这样 啊!
  • 原来 什么 都 不 懂,还 好 意思 说 自己 是 个 博士。

The more formal expression 原来如此 can be used like 原来是这样 in example 2, to mean "oh, so its like that is it?"

原来 can also mean "originally" (similar to 本来) or "former".

For example:

  • 原来 的 发型 很 可爱, 剪 了 就 太 难看 了!
  • 我 保证 我 原来 什么 都 不 知道,她 今早 才 告诉 我 这个 消息。
  • 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。

Sources and further reading

Books