Nǐ hǎo！

This time we will still talk about two words of comparison. If something was originally a certain way, or “should be” a certain way, two words, “本来” (běn lái) and “原来” (yuán lái), are often used in daily Chinese conversation. Sometimes they are interchangeable, but they are also used in different ways depending on the context.

本来(běn lái) vs 原来(yuán lái)

Similarities:
1. 本 来 and 原 来 both can be used as adjectives, indicating “original,
unaltered”.
e.g.
⚫ 已经看不出来(这件衣服)原来的颜色了.
(Yǐjīng kàn bù chūlái (zhè jiàn yīfú) yuánlái de yánsè le.)
⚫ 已经看不出来(这件衣服)本来的颜色了.
(Yǐjīng kàn bù chūlái (zhè jiàn yīfú) běnlái de yánsè le.)
(One/you) can’t tell what the original color was.
2. 本来 and 原来 both can be used as adverbs, indicating “the situation in the
past is different from that at present”, both can be placed before or after the
subject.
e.g.
⚫ 本来我是学英语的，后来学了法语.
(Běnlái wǒ shì xué yīngyǔ de, hòulái xué le fǎyǔ.)
⚫ 原来我是学英语的，后来学了法语.
(Yuánlái wǒ shì xué yīngyǔ de, hòulái xué le fǎyǔ.)
I was originally studying English and then studied French.

Differences:
When 原来 is used as an adverb, it can indicate “a formerly unknown situation
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has been found out”.
e.g.
我在后面叫她，可她一直没回头。等到了她身边，才发现原来我认错人了。
(Wǒ zài hòumian jiào tā, kě tā yìzhí méi huítóu. Děng dào le tā shēnbian, cái fāxiàn yuánlái
wǒ rèn cuò rén le.)
I kept calling her, but she never looked back. When l stood by her side, it turned out I’d
mistaken someone else for her!
When 本来 is used as an adverb, it can indicate “it should have been like this”.
e.g.
这本书本来应该昨天还给你，真不好意思.
(Zhè běn shū běnlái yīnggāi zuótiān huán gěi nǐ, zhēn bùhǎo yìsī.)
This book was supposed to have been returned to you yesterday, so sorry.
Do you know how to use them now? Let’s do some practice! Please fill in the
blanks with “本来” or “原来” to complete the sentences.
1. I could have climbed that mountain.
我____能够爬上那座山的。
(Wǒ ____néng gòu pá shàng nà zuò shān de.)
2. It turns out that you are a Chinese!
______, 你是中国人啊！
(______, Nǐ shì zhōngguó rén a!)
3. It is you! I almost didn’t recognize you until just now.
_____是你! 我几乎没认出来。
(____shì nǐ ! Wǒ jīhū méi rèn chūlái.)
4. Shenzhen was a small fishing village in the past.
____深圳是个小渔村。
(____Shēnzhèn shì gè xiǎo yúcūn)
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5. I should have been in China to study three years ago.
我_____三年前就应该来中国学习了。
(Wǒ_____sān nián qián jiù yīnggāi lái Zhōngguó xuéxíle.)
6. It turns out that your girlfriend is my Chinese teacher!
_____你的女朋友是我的中文老师啊！
(Nǐ de nǚ péngyǒu shì wǒ de zhōngwén lǎoshī a!)
7. I have already forgotten your original appearance.
我已经忘记你_______的样子了。
Wǒ yǐjīng wàngjì nǐ_______de yàngzile.

Key:
1. 我本来能够爬上那座山的。
2. 原来，你是中国人啊！
3. 原来是你! 我几乎没认出来。
4. 本来/原来深圳是个小渔村。
5. 我本来三年前就应该来中国学习了。
6. 原来你的女朋友是我的中文老师啊！
7. 我已经忘记你本来/原来的样子了。