How to say “former” in Chinese
former; it turns out
“Former” in Chinese is 原来, yuán lái: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
原来 is read yuán 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
A spring beneath a cliff 厂 — the source. It hints at the sound of 愿 yuàn.
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 “原来”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 原来. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 原来是你！yuánláishìnǐSo it's you!
- 原来你也在这儿yuánláinǐyězàizhèrSo you're here too!
- 原来是这样yuánláishìzhèyàngOh, so that's it!
- 原来钥匙在门背后yuánláiyàoshizàiménbèihòuSo the keys were behind the door!
- 哦原来是这样ò,yuánláishìzhèyàngOh, so that's how it is.
- 他还是原来的模样。tāháishiyuánláidemúyàngHe looks just the same as before.
More words from the lesson “Memories”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “former” in Chinese?
“Former” in Chinese is 原来, pinyin yuánlái.
What does 原来 mean?
原来 (yuánlái) means “former; it turns out”.
How do you write 原来?
原来 is 2 characters: 原 (yuán) — original; plain; 来 (lái) — come. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 原来?
原来 is read yuánlái. Tones: yuán — second tone, lái — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“former” in the lesson “Memories”
This word is from the topic “Feelings and mood” 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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