Chinese phrase
这个〜的来历是什么？ zhè ge 〜 de lái lì shì shén me
Meaning
Where did this ___ come from?
When to use it
Asks where something came from. It is often used to ask about the history or source of a name, place, object, or custom.
Example dialogue
你知道这个名字的来历是什么？ nǐ zhī dào zhè ge míng zì de lái lì shì shén me
Do you know where this name came from?
我听说是当地一个传说里的地名。 wǒ tīng shuō shì dāng dì yí gè chuán shuō lǐ de dì míng
I heard it is a place name from a local legend.