起飞 qǐfēi take off (in an airplane)
take off (in an airplane); liftoff
How to remember 起飞: 起 rise up + 飞 to fly = take off (in an airplane).
Characters
How it is used
- Specifically an aircraft leaving the ground - 飞机准时起飞 (fēijī zhǔnshí qǐfēi) the plane took off on time.
- Opposite is 降落 (jiàngluò) to land. Don't use 起飞 for a person departing; that's 出发 (chūfā) set off or 走 (zǒu) - 飞机降落了 (fēijī jiàngluò le) the plane has landed.
Example sentences
- 飞机九点起飞。 Fēijī jiǔ diǎn qǐfēi.The airplane departs at 9:00.
- 飞机十分钟后起飞。 Fēijī shífēnzhōng hòu qǐfēi.The plane takes off in ten minutes.
- 飞机十分钟前起飞了。 Fēijī shífēnzhōng qián qǐfēi le.The airplane took off ten minutes ago.