起程
qǐ chéng · HSK 7
to set out
🧳 起 = start/rise + 程 = journey, route — so 'start the journey' = set out
起 carries the sense of rising or starting up; 程 means a journey or route (same 程 as 路程, distance traveled). Together they mean to start a journey, i.e. to set out or depart.
起 — 走 (run) + 己 (self/phonetic)
起 combines 走 'run/walk' as the meaning component with 己 as the phonetic component. The 走 element suggests movement of the body, giving the core sense of rising up or starting to move. From there it extended to meanings like 'get up,' 'begin,' and 'arise.'