元来|がんらいganrai[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. adverboriginally; essentially; naturally; by nature; really; actually
   元来がんらいフットボールとは、ポロのように馬うまに乗のって行おこなわれる競技きょうぎとは違ちがって、足あしで、ボールを使つかって行おこなわれる競技きょうぎのことでした。↗

   Football originally meant "a game played with a ball on foot" - unlike a game played on horseback, such as polo.
2. adverbin the first place; to begin with

• SynonymもとよりWrittenWritten. Covers 'from the start' and 'of course' (「元より承知だ」), often in the pattern 「Aはもとより」; 「元来」 stresses original nature.
• SynonymもともとNeutralThe everyday choice: 'originally' (「もともと好きだった」). Most common in speech and more casual than 「元来」.
• Synonym根っからねっからCasualColloquial. 'Through and through; at heart' (「根っからの悪人」), stressing a person's basic nature rather than a starting point.
• Synonym根からねからNeutralClose to 「根っから」 but less common: 'natural-born' (「根からの商人」), also 'absolutely (not)'.
• Related生まれつきうまれつきNeutral'By birth' (「生まれつき体が弱い」). Focuses on traits present from birth; works as adverb or noun.
• Related由来ゆらいWrittenWritten. Mainly a noun for 'origin, derivation' (「地名の由来」); its adverbial use is rare.
• Related本質的ほんしつてきWrittenWritten adjectival noun: 'essential' (「本質的な問題」), used in abstract discussion.
• Related生まれながらうまれながらWrittenWritten. 'Inborn' (「生まれながらの才能」); works for both praise and criticism.
• Related生得せいとくFormalFormal written word for what is innate from birth (「生得の性質」); found mostly in academic prose.

Use 「元来」 to state what something is like from the start (「元来、人間は弱い」「元来の目的」); it leans toward written style. In speech say 「もともと」, for traits present from birth 「生まれつき」, and to stress basic nature 「根っから」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. はじめからそのような状態じょうたいや性質せいしつであること。もともと。
2. 物事ものごとを説明せつめいしたり、疑問ぎもんを呈ていしたりする場合ばあいに、文頭ぶんとうに置おいて接続詞せつぞくし的てきに用もちいる語ご。そもそも。