Expressing "originally" with "benlai"

Nível: HSK 4 | Categoria: Gramática

Explicação da Regra:

There are a number of ways to express " originally " in Chinese, and 本来 (běnlái) is one of the ones first learned, partly because its two characters are so simple. 本来 means "originally." Use it when you need to explain that happened unexpectedly later. Since the action has already happened, the 是... 的 construction is likely appropriate here. 是 is optional. Subj. + 本来 + 是 +（不）[要 / 会 / 应该] + Verb + 的，[但是 / 可是 / 不过]... If you've got an opinion to express after stating how it "should be" or "should not be," then 本来就 will help you sound more convincing. The end of the sentence usually has an imperative or rhetorical question that leads to an opinion or suggestion, emphasizing the tone.

Exemplos com Falantes Nativos:

• 我本来是要去的，不过后来不太舒服，就没去。 (wǒ běnlái shì yào qù de，bùguò hòulái bù tài shūfú ，jìu méi qù 。): "I was going to go, but later I was not very comfortable, so I didn't go."
• 他本来是应该考得更好的，可是那天他生病了。 (tā běnlái shì yìnggāi kǎo dé gèng hǎo de ，kěshì nàtiān tā shēngbìng le 。): "He should have had a better test, but he was sick that day."
• 我们本来想去找他帮忙的，可是他那么忙，就没去。 (wǒmen běnlái xiǎng qù zhǎo tā bāngmáng de，kěshì tā nàyāo máng ，jìu méi qù 。): "We wanted to go to him for help, but he was so busy that he didn't go."
• 这些工作本来是要今天做完的，不过明天做也可以。 (zhèxiē gōngzuò běnlái shì yào jīntiān zuòwán de ，bùguò míngtiān zuò yě kěyǐ 。): "The work was originally done today, but it can be done tomorrow."
• 我本来要跟他结婚的，可是后来发现了我们真的不合适。 (wǒ běnlái yào gēn tā jiéhūn de ，kěshì hòulái fāxiàn le wǒmen zhēnde bù héshì 。): "I was going to marry him, but then I found out that we were really inappropriate."

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