原始

• Pinyin: yuán shǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 原 = original, source; 始 = 女 + 台, beginning/start

Meaning

Primitive; original; primordial. Referring to earliest or most basic states.

Can describe historical periods (原始社会 = primitive society), natural conditions (原始森林 = virgin forest), or unprocessed data (原始数据 = raw data). Sometimes implies undeveloped or unsophisticated, sometimes authenticity and purity.

Examples

1. 这片原始森林保存得非常完好。 This virgin forest is very well preserved.
2. 我们需要看一下原始数据才能分析问题。 We need to look at the raw data to analyze the problem.
3. 原始社会的人类以采集和狩猎为生。 Humans in primitive society lived by gathering and hunting.

Usage Guide

Context: history, nature, data

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这里还保留着原始的生态环境。(The original ecological environment is still preserved here.)
• 请提供原始文件。(Please provide the original file.)

Don't Say

• 你太原始了 (Calling someone 'primitive' is insulting — avoid using it for people)

Origin & History

Compound of 原 (original) and 始 (beginning). Together meaning from the very beginning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal