Chinese word

原先

Pronunciation

Pinyinyuán xiān

Meaning

  • adverboriginally

Example

原先我以为他会来。yuán xiān wǒ yǐ wéi tā huì lái

Originally, I thought he would come.

Illustration for 原先 (originally)

More examples

原先并不知道这件事，直到昨天才有人告诉我。yuán xiān bìng bù zhī dào zhè jiàn shì zhí dào zuó tiān cái yǒu rén gào sù wǒ

I didn't know about this originally; it was only yesterday that someone told me.

Core concept

The earlier version of a situation, viewed against the one that exists now or comes later.

Common phrases

  • 原先以为yuán xiān yǐ wéi

    originally thought

  • 原先不知道yuán xiān bù zhī dào

    originally didn't know

  • 原先只是yuán xiān zhǐ shì

    originally just

Similar words

原来yuán lái: Shows surprise when the true situation becomes clear later.
本来běn lái: Refers to what something naturally has or was meant to do from the start.
起初qǐ chū: Refers to the situation when an event first began.
当初dāng chū: Refers to the plans or ideas held when something first began.

Definition in Chinese

表示某事在过去原本如此或曾有的安排，侧重强调与现在或后来不同的起点或状态。biǎo shì mǒu shì zài guò qù yuán běn rú cǐ huò céng yǒu de ān pái cè zhòng qiáng diào yǔ xiàn zài huò hòu lái bù tóng de qí diǎn huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

原 (yuán, "original") + 先 (xiān, "before") combines the ideas of an initial state and an earlier time.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a general reference to past time, this word highlights a change between an earlier state and a later result.

Other meanings

  • previouslyadverb
  • formerlyadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word