Audio
本来 (běn lái) English Meaning
- original
- originally
- at first
- it goes without saying
- of course
Traditional Characters: 本來
本 forms words in:
HSK 1, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. CLICK HERE to see them all.
来 forms words in:
HSK 1, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. CLICK HERE to see them all.
Sample Sentences
- 你本来可以做的。
Nǐ běnlái kěyǐ zuò de.
You could have done it. - 我本来应该读一下这本书。
Wǒ běnlái yīnggāi dú yīxià zhè běn shū.
Of course I should read this book. - 本来这间房间里没有家具。
Běnlái zhè jiān fángjiān lǐ méiyǒu jiājù.
The room originally had no furniture. - 我们本来应该留在家里的。
Wǒmen běnlái yīnggāi liú zài jiālǐ de.
We should’ve stayed at home. - 这首诗本来是用法文写的。
Zhè shǒu shī běnlái shì yòng fǎwén xiě de.
This poem was originally written in French. - 这套房间本来是准备给5口人住的。
Zhè tàofáng jiān běnlái shì zhǔnbèi gěi 5 kǒu rén zhù de.
The apartment was originally meant for five.
Stroke Order & Character Components
本 (běn): roots or stems of plants; origin; source; this; the current; root; foundation; basis; classifier for books, periodicals, files etc; originally
- 木 (mù): tree
- 一 (yī): one
来 (lái): to come; to arrive; to come round; ever since; next;
- 一 (yī): one
- 丶 (zhǔ): stroke
- 木 (mù): tree
Links to all HSK Words & Lists Containing 本
HSK 1 Word List
- 本 (běn): origin; source; roots or stems of plants; this; the current; root; foundation; basis; classifier for books, periodicals, files, etc.; originally
HSK 3 Word List
- 笔记本 (bǐjìběn): notebook; CL: 本 (běn)
HSK 4 Word List
- 本来 (běn lái): original; originally; at first; it goes without saying; of course
HSK 5 Word List
- 本科 (běn kē): undergraduate course; undergraduate (adjective)
- 本领 (běn lǐng): skill; ability; capability; CL:项 (xiàng) ,个 (gè)
- 本质 (běn zhì): essence; nature; innate character; intrinsic quality
- 根本 (gēn běn): fundamental; basic; root; simply; absolutely (not); (not) at all; CL: 个 (gè)
- 基本 (jī běn): basic; fundamental; main; elementary
HSK 6 Word List
- 版本 (bǎn běn): version; edition; release
- 本能 (běn néng): instinct
- 本钱 (běn qián): capital (finance); assets; means
- 本人 (běn rén): oneself; I (humble form used in speeches); myself; in person; personal
- 本身 (běn shēn): in itself; per se; itself
- 本事 (běn shi): ability; skill; source material; original story
- 标本 (biāo běn): specimen; sample; the root cause and symptoms of a disease
- 成本 (chéng běn): (manufacturing, production, etc.) costs
- 剧本 (jù běn): script for play, opera, movie, etc.; screenplay
- 资本 (zī běn): capital (as in capitalism)
*CL: Classifier/Measure Word
Links to all HSK Words & Lists Containing 来
HSK 1 Word List
- 来(lái): to come; to arrive; to come round; ever since; next
HSK 3 Word List
- 后来(hòu lái): afterwards; later
- 起来(qǐ lái): beginning or continuing an action; upward movement; stand up
HSK 4 Word List
- 本来(běn lái): original; originally; at first; it goes without saying; of course
- 从来(cóng lái): always; at all times; never (if used in negative sentence)
- 将来(jiāng lái): in the future; future; the future; CL: 個|个(gè)
- 来不及(lái bu jí): there’s not enough time (to do something); it’s too late (to do something)
- 来得及(lái de jí): there’s still time; able to do something in time
- 来自(lái zì): to come from (a place); From: (in email header)
- 原来(yuán lái): original; former; originally; formerly; at first; so.. actually
HSK 5 Word List
- 未来(wèi lái): future; tomorrow; approaching; coming; pending; CL: 個|个(gè)
- 以来(yǐ lái): since (a previous event)
HSK 6 Word List
- 近来(jìn lái): recently; lately
- 苦尽甘来(kǔ jìn gān lái): bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning
- 来历(lái lì): history; antecedents; origin
- 来源(lái yuán): source (of information, etc.); origin
- 礼尚往来(lǐ shàng wǎng lái): proper behavior is based on reciprocity (idiom); fig. to return politeness for politeness;
- 历来(lì lái): always; throughout (a period of time); (of) all-time
- 向来(xiàng lái): always; all along
*CL: Classifier/Measure Word
