to set off; to start out
HSK level
出发 is written with 10 strokes (出: 5, 发: 5). The animation replays automatically.
出发 (chūfā) is a verb meaning 'to set off,' 'to depart,' or 'to start out on a journey.'
It combines 出 ('to go out') and 发 ('to send forth / start'), and describes the moment of leaving a starting point to head somewhere. It is neutral in register and used for trips, hikes, expeditions, and departures of all kinds.
Two things differ from English: 出发 marks the act of departing from where you are, so you say 我们八点出发 ('we set off at eight') without naming a destination; and figuratively 从……出发 means 'to proceed from / start from (a principle or standpoint),' as in 从实际出发 ('proceed from the actual situation'). Unlike 离开 (to leave a place, focus on separation), 出发 focuses on beginning the journey ahead.
Character by character
Memory hook: Go 'out' (出) and 'send yourself forth' (发) — you set off.
我们明天早上七点出发。
Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang qī diǎn chūfā.
We're setting off at seven tomorrow morning.
neutral
东西都准备好了，可以出发了。
Dōngxi dōu zhǔnbèi hǎo le, kěyǐ chūfā le.
Everything's ready, we can set off now.
spoken
他一个人出发去旅行了。
Tā yí ge rén chūfā qù lǚxíng le.
He set off traveling on his own.
neutral
看问题要从实际出发。
Kàn wèntí yào cóng shíjì chūfā.
You should approach problems starting from reality.
written
动身 also means 'to set out on a journey' but is a bit more literary and personal, focused on a traveler physically setting off. 出发 is broader and more neutral, usable for groups, vehicles, and abstract 'starting from' senses.
启程 is more formal and written, used for beginning a longer or more significant journey. 出发 is the everyday spoken choice.
出门 means 'to go out (of the house),' about leaving home for any errand. 出发 means to depart on a specific journey toward a destination.
发出 (with characters reversed) means 'to emit / send out (a sound, signal, notice).' 出发 means to set off. Word order changes the meaning entirely.
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