原来yuán láiso, actually, as it turns out

1. 1.

   so, actually, as it turns outadverb

2. 2.

   originally; formerly; at firstadverb

3. 3.

   original; formeradjective

• 原original
• 来not compositional here

原来 often starts a sentence when you suddenly understand something, and 原来的 + noun can mean the one from before.

1. HSK 5

   原来你是他的哥哥！

   Yuánlái nǐ shì tā de gēge!

   So you are his older brother!

2. 我原来住在北京，现在住在上海。

   Wǒ yuánlái zhù zài Běijīng, xiànzài zhù zài Shànghǎi.

   I originally lived in Beijing, and now I live in Shanghai.

3. HSK 5

   这是我原来的手机。

   Zhè shì wǒ yuánlái de shǒujī.

   This is my former phone.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   门口那个人一直在看你，他是谁？

   Ménkǒu nàge rén yìzhí zài kàn nǐ, tā shì shéi?

   That person at the door keeps looking at you. Who is he?

2. 
   Speaker B:

   他是我原来的同学，我们十年没见了。

   Tā shì wǒ yuánlái de tóngxué, wǒmen shí nián méi jiàn le.

   He is my former classmate. We have not seen each other for ten years.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   原来是这样！我还以为他是你哥哥。

   Yuánlái shì zhèyàng! Wǒ hái yǐwéi tā shì nǐ gēge.

   So that's it! I thought he was your older brother.

4. 
   Speaker B:

   不是，我没有哥哥，我去和他说一下。

   Bú shì, wǒ méiyǒu gēge, wǒ qù hé tā shuō yíxià.

   No, I do not have an older brother. I will go and speak with him for a moment.

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Related words

• 以前yǐ qiánbeforeHSK 3
• 本来běn láioriginally; at firstHSK 4
• 其实qí shíactually; in fact; reallyHSK 3
• 现在xiàn zàinow; at present; currentlyHSK 1
• 原因yuán yīnreasonHSK 4
• 来láito comeHSK 1

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