What does 本来 mean?
本来 is a Japanese noun meaning “originally” or “by nature” in English. It can also be translated as “proper” or “rightful” depending on context. It is written as 本来 in kanji, ほんらい in hiragana, and honrai in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N2 vocabulary.
Example sentences
この詩は本来フランス語で書かれた。
This poem was originally written in French.
本来なら私が行くべきだった。
By rights, I should have gone.