Decoded Slug: 原来 (yuánlái) - Originally, as it turns out
Mandarin Grammar Point
原来 (yuánlái) - Originally, as it turns out
原来 (yuánlái) - Originally, as it turns out
Short explanation:
'原来 (yuánlái)' is used to indicate that something that was discovered or realized which was different from what the speaker originally thought.
Formation:
原来, + New discovered information
Examples:
原来你是老板的女儿，我还以为你是他的秘书。
Yuánlái nǐ shì lǎobǎn de nǚ'ér, wǒ hái yǐwéi nǐ shì tā de mìshū.
So you are the boss's daughter, I thought you were his secretary.
原来这个电影是根据真实事件改编的，我一直以为它完全是虚构的。
Yuánlái zhège diànyǐng shì gēnjù zhēnshí shìjiàn gǎibiān de, wǒ yīzhí yǐwéi tā wánquán shì xūgǒu de.
Turns out this movie is based on a true event, I always thought it was completely fictional.
我看到她的时候，原来她是我初中同桌。
Wǒ kàn dào tā de shíhòu, yuánlái tā shì wǒ chūzhōng tóngzhuō.
When I saw her, it turned out she was my middle school desk mate.
原来这道数学题这么简单，我过去都是复杂化了。
Yuánlái zhè dào shùxué tím zhème jiǎndān, wǒ guòqù dōu shì fùzá huàle.
So this math problem is so simple, I used to complicate it.
Long explanation:
The Mandarin Chinese word '原来 (yuánlái)' is used when the speaker discovers or realizes something that was different from their original assumption or thought. It can be translated as 'originally', 'so', or 'as it turns out'. '原来' is usually placed at the beginning of the sentence but can also be placed in the middle to emphasize the discovered information.
