How to Say ‘Oh, I see!’ in Simplified Chinese
原来是这样！
yuán lái shì zhè yàng
[yuánlái shir zhèyàng]
💬 Usage Tip: 原来 (yuánlái) signals sudden understanding, like "so that's how it is!" It works in other sentences too: 原来你会说中文 "oh, so you speak Chinese!"
Phrase Breakdown
原来
yuán lái
[yuánlái]
so it turns out
Expresses realizing the truth about something.
原来你是老师！
So you're a teacher!
是
shì
[shir]
to be
The verb “to be,” used to identify or describe a situation.
你是第一次来，所以我给你介绍一下。
Since it’s your first time here, I’ll introduce things to you.
这样
zhè yàng
[zhèyàng]
like this; so
Refers to a situation just mentioned; '这样啊' means 'I see'.
原来是这样。
So that's how it is.
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