1.
originally; by nature; inherently
Indicates that something has been the case from the very beginning, or that a quality is fundamental and innate. Used to describe original states, inherent characteristics, or the way things were meant to be.
彼は元来真面目な人だ。
He is by nature a serious person.
この土地は元来農地だった。
This land was originally farmland.
元来体が丈夫だったので、大きな病気をしたことがない。
Since I was inherently healthy, I've never had a serious illness.
A literary or formal adverb. In everyday speech, もともと} is more commonly used with the same meaning. {元来 appears more frequently in writing and formal contexts.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 元来〜な性格だ — is by nature a ~ personality
- 元来〜だった — was originally ~
- 元来の目的 — the original purpose