出発点(しゅっぱつてん)

Compound of 出発(しゅっぱつ) (departure) + 点(てん) (point). Used both literally for physical journeys and figuratively for ideas, arguments, and careers.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

• 出発点(しゅっぱつてん)に立(た)つ: to stand at a starting point
• 出発点(しゅっぱつてん)に戻(もど)る: to return to the starting point
• 新(あたら)しい出発点(しゅっぱつてん): a new starting point
• 議論(ぎろん)の出発点(しゅっぱつてん): the starting point of a discussion

SIMILAR WORDS:

• 起点(きてん): starting point, origin (often for routes or measurements)
• 原点(げんてん): origin, starting point (implies going back to fundamentals: 原点(げんてん)に返(かえ)る)
• 出発(しゅっぱつ): departure (the act of leaving, not the location)