How to say “origin” in Chinese
origin, source
“Origin” in Chinese is 由来, yóu lái: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
由来 is read yóu 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
Like 田 “field”, but the stroke sticks out at the top. It hints at the sound of 油 and 邮 yóu.
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 “由来”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 由来. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你知道这个名字的由来吗nǐzhīdàozhègemíngzideyóuláimaDo you know where this name comes from?
- 这个名字有什么由来zhègemíngziyǒushénmeyóuláiWhat’s the origin of this name?
More words from the lesson “Origins: where it all began”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “origin” in Chinese?
“Origin” in Chinese is 由来, pinyin yóulái.
What does 由来 mean?
由来 (yóulái) means “origin, source”.
How do you write 由来?
由来 is 2 characters: 由 (yóu) — from; reason; 来 (lái) — come. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 由来?
由来 is read yóulái. Tones: yóu — second tone, lái — second tone. The page has an audio recording.
“origin” in the lesson “Origins: where it all began”
This word is from the topic “China’s history and traditions” of HSK 6. 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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