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How to say “originally” in Chinese with 本来 (běnlái)

Subj. + 本来 (běnlái) + Verb / Adj.

Expressing "originally" with "本来 (běnlái)"

HSK 4Adverbs

Rule structure

本来 (běnlái) indicates an original state or fact that may have changed later. It often pairs with 就 (jiù) for emphasis and contrasts with 后来 (hòulái).

Examples

我本来是学化学的，后来改学物理了。

Wǒ běnlái shì xué huàxué de, hòulái gǎi xué wùlǐ le.

I originally studied chemistry, then switched to physics.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Expressing "originally" with "本来 (běnlái)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: Subj. + 本来 (běnlái) + Verb / Adj.. For example: 我本来是学化学的，后来改学物理了。 — “I originally studied chemistry, then switched to physics.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

我本来是学化学的，后来改学物理了。 — “I originally studied chemistry, then switched to physics.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 4.

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More HSK 4 grammar rules

Expressing "it turns out / originally" with "原来 (yuánlái)"

Subj. + 原来 (yuánlái) + Predicate

Expressing "to make certain" with "千万 (qiānwàn)"

千万 (qiānwàn) + (别 (bié) / 不 (bù)) + Verb

Coincidence with "正好 (zhènghǎo)"

Subj. + 正好 (zhènghǎo) + Verb / Adj.

Expressing "have to" with "不得不 (bùdébù)"

Subj. + 不得不 (bùdébù) + Verb Phrase

Using "也 (yě)" and "都 (dōu)" together

Subj. + 也 (yě) + 都 (dōu) + Verb

Expressing "in the end" with "究竟 (jiūjìng)"

究竟 (jiūjìng) + Question word / Question

Expressing concern with "恐怕 (kǒngpà)"

恐怕 (kǒngpà) + Clause

Expressing "never / ever in negative contexts" with "从来 (cónglái)"

从来 (cónglái) + 都 (dōu)/也 (yě) + 不 (bù)/没 (méi) + Verb / Adj.