The Chinese word 起身 (qǐshēn) is a compound verb formed through the combination of two meaningful characters: 起 (qǐ), meaning "to rise" or "to get up," and 身 (shēn), meaning "body" or "oneself." Literally, it describes the physical action of raising one's body from a seated or lying position. However, through metaphorical extension, a common process in Chinese word formation, its meaning broadens significantly. It thus comes to signify not just the initial act of rising, but the subsequent commencement of movement, ultimately meaning "to set off" or "to depart" from a place, conceptually linking the physical act of getting up to the beginning of a journey or action.