How to say “originally” in Chinese
originally; actually
“Originally” in Chinese is 本来, běn lái: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
本来 is read běn lái: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
木 “tree” with a stroke at the root.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “本来”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 本来. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我本来想去，可是没时间。wǒběnláixiǎngqù,kěshìméishíjiānI actually wanted to go, but I didn’t have time.
- 我本来想当医生wǒběnláixiǎngdāngyīshēngActually, I wanted to be a doctor.
More words from the lesson “At the factory”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “originally” in Chinese?
“Originally” in Chinese is 本来, pinyin běnlái.
What does 本来 mean?
本来 (běnlái) means “originally; actually”.
How do you write 本来?
本来 is 2 characters: 本 (běn) — root; measure word: books; 来 (lái) — come. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 本来?
本来 is read běnlái. Tones: běn — third tone, lái — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“originally” in the lesson “At the factory”
This word is from the topic “Profession and plans” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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