Definition
起点 is the general, neutral term for a 'starting point' — physical (a route's start), temporal, or figurative (a new beginning). The near-synonym 出发点 narrows to the literal departure point of a journey or, figuratively, the motive/basis for an argument; 起跑线 means 'starting line' (of a race) used literally and in life/competition metaphors. 终点 is its opposite ('end point, finish line').
noun
starting point
Examples
- 起点。Zhè cì bǐsài de qǐ diǎn zài gōngyuán ménkǒu.The starting point of this competition is at the park entrance.
- 起点。Zhège xiàngmù shì wǒmen hézuò de xīn qǐ diǎn.This project is a new starting point for our cooperation.
- 起点，。Cóng qǐ diǎn dào zhōngdiǎn, wǒmen zǒu le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.From the starting point to the finish, we walked for two hours.
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