元来

元來

yuánlái

adverb

Meanings

1 (variant of 原来) originally
2 as it turns out
3 so that's how it is

Characters

original / first (= 原)

Examples

元来如此！我终于明白了。

Yuánlái rúcǐ! Wǒ zhōngyú míngbái le.

So that's how it is! I finally understand.

他元来是这家公司的老板。

Tā yuánlái shì zhè jiā gōngsī de lǎobǎn.

It turns out he's the boss of this company.

Tips

usage

An older variant of 原来 (yuánlái), common in Ming/Qing vernacular novels (e.g. 《水浒传》, 《红楼梦》). Modern Mandarin uses 原来 almost exclusively — encountering 元来 usually flags a classical or pre-modern text.

Stroke Order

元 yuán

来 lái