原先 meaning in English

原先 describes how something was before it changed, and it often sets up a contrast with the present. It can come before a noun or work like an adverb at the start of a sentence. Example: 他原先是老师，现在当医生了。(Tā yuánxiān shì lǎoshī, xiànzài dāng yīshēng le.) He used to be a teacher, but now he is a doctor.

原 (yuán) means origin or source, and 先 (xiān) means first or before. Put together, 原先 is the state things were in first, at the origin, before any change.

Common mistake: Learners often use 原先 like 原来 (yuánlái) to express sudden realization, as in 原来是你 (so it was you). Only 原来 has that "so it turns out" meaning. 原先 just means "before, originally."