1.
original form, original shape
The form or shape that something had before being altered, damaged, or transformed.
建物は原形をとどめていない。
The building no longer retains its original form.
災害で街は原形をとどめないほど破壊された。
The disaster destroyed the town beyond recognition.
出土した土器は損傷がひどく、原形を復元するのに長い時間がかかった。
The excavated pottery was badly damaged, and it took a long time to restore its original form.
2.
base form, dictionary form (grammar)
The uninflected or citation form of a word, especially a verb or adjective.
動詞の原形を答えなさい。
Give the base form of the verb.
「食べた」の原形は「食べる」だ。
The base form of 'tabeta' is 'taberu.'
英語では、to の後に動詞の原形が来るのが基本だ。
In English, the base form of a verb basically follows 'to.'
USAGE:
Sense 1 frequently appears in the expression 原形をとどめない (to not retain one's original form), describing severe damage or transformation. Sense 2 is a grammatical term used in language education.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 原形をとどめない: to be unrecognizable from the original
- 原形をとどめる: to retain the original form
- 原形を復元する: to restore the original form
- 動詞の原形: base form of a verb
SIMILAR WORDS:
原形 refers to the original shape or base form. 原型 (same reading, different kanji) means prototype or archetype — the model from which copies are made. 元の形 is a more casual way to say "original shape."