本来

Character by character

• 本běn5 strokesHSK 1root, origin, source; basis
• 来lái7 strokesHSK 1 traditional 來come, coming; return, returning

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 本来. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 来láiHSK 1

  to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来); ever since (as in 自古以来); for the past (amount of time); (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世); (between two verbs) in order to; (after a round number) approximately; (used after 得 to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来, or after 不 to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来)

• 起来qǐ laiHSK 1

  to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qǐ lái]

• 本běnHSK 1

  root; stem; origin; source; this; the current; original; inherent; originally; classifier for books, periodicals, files etc

• 出来chū láiHSK 1

  to come out; to appear; to arise

• 回来huí laiHSK 1

  to return; to come back

• 根本gēn běnHSK 3

  fundamental; basic; root; simply; absolutely (not); (not) at all

• 下来xià laiHSK 3

  to come down; (completed action marker); (after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.); (indicates continuation from the past towards us); to be harvested (of crops); to be over (of a period of time); to go among the masses (said of leaders)

• 来自lái zìHSK 2

  to come from (a place); From: (in email header)

• 带来dài láiHSK 2

  to bring; (fig.) to bring about; to produce

• 过来guò láiHSK 2

  to come over; to manage; to handle; to be able to take care of

• 未来wèi láiHSK 4

  future; tomorrow; approaching; coming; pending

• 看来kàn laiHSK 4

  apparently; it seems that

• 原来yuán láiHSK 2

  original; former; originally; formerly; at first; so, actually, as it turns out

• 来到lái dàoHSK 1

  to arrive; to come

• 越来越yuè lái yuèHSK 2

  more and more

• 后来hòu láiHSK 2

  afterwards; later; newly arrived

• 基本jī běnHSK 3

  basic; fundamental; main; elementary

• 以来yǐ láiHSK 3

  since (a previous event)

• 从来cóng láiHSK 3

  always; at all times; never (if used in negative sentence)

• 进来jìn láiHSK 1

  to come in

• 来源lái yuánHSK 4

  source (of information etc); origin

• 本身běn shēnHSK 6

  itself; in itself; per se

• 将来jiāng láiHSK 3

  in the future; future; the future

• 本人běn rénHSK 5

  I; me; myself; oneself; yourself; himself; herself; the person concerned