adjective HSK 5
original · primitive · primeval · primordial
Meaning
原始 describes something in its earliest or most basic state, unchanged from the beginning. It can refer to primitive societies, pristine natural environments, or original data that hasn't been processed. The word carries a sense of being untouched, unrefined, or from ancient times.
Usage
Commonly used in academic and formal contexts to describe prehistoric societies (原始社会), untouched forests (原始森林), or raw data (原始数据). It generally carries a neutral tone when describing historical periods or nature, but can imply 'backward' or 'undeveloped' when comparing to modern standards.
Examples
- 01这片原始森林还没有被开发过。.This primeval forest has not yet been developed.
- 02我们需要保存原始数据以便核查。.We need to preserve the raw data for verification.
Characters
Common collocations
- 原始社会primitive society
- 原始森林primeval forest
- 原始数据raw data
- 原始人primitive human
Antonyms
Origin
Combines 原 (original, source) and 始 (beginning), literally meaning 'original beginning' or 'from the start,' emphasizing the earliest state of something.