旅立つ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 旅立つ is a godan intransitive verb read たびだつ. It means setting out on a journey or leaving a familiar place for a new stage, and its past form is 旅立った.
• Basic usage: A literal departure may be accompanied by luggage or a travel scene, while a figurative use can describe graduates beginning their separate paths.
  • 青年は小さな荷物を背負って旅立った。 describes a young man setting out with a small pack; 卒業生たちはそれぞれの道へ旅立つ。 describes graduates embarking on their own paths.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 旅立った
  • The final つ changes to the geminated った in the past form. Do not form it as 旅立ちた.
• それぞれの道へ
  • へ marks the direction of departure, and 道 here figuratively refers to each person's future path rather than a physical road.
• 旅立つ and 出発する
  • 出発する states departure neutrally, while 旅立つ can also carry the sense of setting off on a journey or entering a new stage.