The word 起飞 is formed by combining two individual characters, each with its own meaning, to create a new, composite concept. The first character, 起 (qǐ), carries the core idea of "to rise" or "to lift up". The second character, 飞 (fēi), means "to fly". When joined, they literally depict the action of "rising to fly", which is the precise moment an aircraft leaves the ground. This concrete image is then extended metaphorically to describe anything, like an economy, a career, or a project, beginning a period of rapid advancement or success, conceptually taking off just like an airplane.