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进发 (jìn fā) — to set out (for), to head towards (a destination)

Definition

进发 means 'to set out / head towards' with a sense of purposeful, often collective movement toward a destination (troops, expeditions, teams). It is more literary than everyday 出发, emphasizing momentum and direction.

verb
to set out (for)to head towards (a destination)

Examples

  • 进发。
    Wǒ men míng tiān zǎo shàng xiàng běi jīng jìn fā.
    We will set out for Beijing tomorrow morning.
  • 进发。
    Tàn xiǎn duì xiàng shā mò shēn chù jìn fā.
    The expedition set out deep into the desert.
  • 进发。
    Jūn duì yǐ jīng xiàng zāi qū jìn fā le.
    The army has already set out for the disaster area.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

进jìnadvance
发fāset out

进 means advance and 发 means set out: moving forward toward a destination.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 進; 进 is its simplified writing.

  • 辵辵chuòwalk
  • 隹隹zhuīshort-tail bird

The traditional form 進 pairs 辵 (walk) with 隹 (short-tail bird): the picture showed moving forward because a bird can only walk forward, not backward. The simplified 进 is a later shorthand.

Open 进 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →
Appears in
Travel & Tourism

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