adverbial N3 common casualpolitewritten
もともとの — original / initial
もともとの
Meaning
- original / initial — the way something was from the start, before any change
Key sentence
もともとの計画とは違う。
It's different from the original plan.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| もともと + の + Noun | もともとの N | もともとの色 (the original colour) |
Examples
もともとの値段はもっと高かった。
The original price was higher.
もともとの住人はもう引っ越した。
The original residents have already moved out.
When you can't use it
- もともと is usually an *adverb* ('originally / by nature': もともと体が弱い). もともとの + noun is its adnominal use, modifying a noun as 'the original ~.'
Notes
- As a bare adverb もともと means 'originally / from the start / to begin with' (もともと知っていた). 本来 is a more formal 'originally / by rights'; the kanji form is 元々.
See もともとの in real sentences
Jengo shows もともとの the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.