本来

本來

běnlái

adverb HSK 3 #716

Meanings

HSK 1

这本来就是你的东西。

Zhè běnlái jiù shì nǐ de dōngxi.

This was yours to begin with.

HSK 3

他本来很高兴，听到消息后不高兴了。

Tā běnlái hěn gāoxìng, tīng dào xiāoxi hòu bù gāoxìng le.

He was originally happy, but became unhappy after hearing the news.

HSK 3

学中文本来就不容易。

Xué Zhōngwén běnlái jiù bù róngyì.

Learning Chinese is inherently not easy.

grammar

本来 often implies a contrast: 'originally X, but then Y.' Pattern: 本来…，但是/可是/后来… This shows a change from the original state.

usage

本来就 means 'inherently / it has always been the case that': 这本来就不对 (This was wrong from the start).

本 běn

来 lái