原本

yuánběn

adverb HSK 7 #3,551

Meanings

1 originally; formerly
2 as a matter of fact

Characters

original; source

root; originally

Both characters mean 'original/root,' reinforcing the sense of how things were at the beginning.

Examples

我原本打算去北京，后来改了主意。

Wǒ yuánběn dǎsuàn qù Běijīng, hòulái gǎi le zhǔyi.

I originally planned to go to Beijing, but later changed my mind.

原本很简单的事情变得复杂了。

Yuánběn hěn jiǎndān de shìqing biàn de fùzá le.

What was originally a simple matter became complicated.

Tips

usage

原本 vs 本来: they're nearly interchangeable, but 原本 sounds slightly more literary/formal. In everyday speech, 本来 is more common. Both imply a contrast — things were one way, then changed.

Stroke Order

原 yuán

本 běn