起点

• Reading: きてん
• Romaji: kiten
• Kanji breakdown: 起 (ki) — rise, begin, wake; 点 (ten) — point, dot
• Pronunciation: /ki.teɴ/

Meaning

Starting point; origin; the point from which something begins.

A noun describing the beginning point of a route, journey, process, or argument. Used in transportation (the start of a railway line), geography, and abstract contexts (the origin of an idea or movement). The opposite is 終点 (end point/terminus).

Examples

1. 東京駅はこの路線の起点だ。 Tokyo Station is the starting point of this rail line.
2. その事件が社会変革の起点となった。 That incident became the starting point of social reform.
3. 起点から終点まで約三時間かかる。 It takes about three hours from the start to the end of the line.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, geography, abstract

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 起 (rise, begin) + 点 (point). Literally 'the point where something begins or rises,' used for both physical and abstract starting points.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal