Chinese symbol for “originally”
原本
yuán běn
originally; the original; original copy; original version
The closest CC-CEDICT match for originally is 原本 (yuán běn), defined as: originally; the original; original copy; original version.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “originally”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 原先 | yuán xiān | originally; original |
| 起初 | qǐ chū | originally; at first; at the outset |
| 本 | běn | (bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source |
| 原来 (原來) | yuán lái | original; former; originally; formerly; at first |
| 本来 (本來) | běn lái | original; originally |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 原本.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 原因 | yuán yīn | cause; origin |
| 原来 (原來) | yuán lái | original; former; originally; formerly; at first |
| 原则 (原則) | yuán zé | principle; doctrine |
| 原始 | yuán shǐ | first; original |
| 原理 | yuán lǐ | principle; theory |
| 根本 | gēn běn | fundamental; basic |
| 基本 | jī běn | basic; fundamental |
| 版本 | bǎn běn | version; edition |
See also: Japanese symbol for “originally”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.