qǐdòng: 启动 - To Start, Launch, Initiate, Boot Up

• Keywords: 启动, qidong, start in Chinese, launch in Chinese, how to say boot up in Chinese, start a program in Chinese, initiate a project in Chinese, 启动 vs 开始, Chinese for activate, start a car in Chinese.
• Summary: 启动 (qǐdòng) is a dynamic and essential Chinese verb that means to start, launch, or initiate something, particularly a machine, program, or formal process. Unlike the general word for “begin,” 启动 implies flipping a switch to set a system in motion. It's the word you use to boot up a computer, start a car's engine, or officially launch a major project, making it a key term in modern, tech-savvy China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qǐdòng
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To start, launch, or set in motion a machine, program, process, or plan.
• In a Nutshell: Think of `启动` as the action of “activating” something. It's not just about something beginning; it's about causing it to begin. It has a tangible, mechanical, or procedural feel. You `启动` a car engine to make it run, you `启动` an application on your phone to make it open, and a company holds a ceremony to `启动` a new project, officially setting it in motion.

• 启 (qǐ): This character means “to open,” “to start,” or “to enlighten.” It's composed of 户 (hù), meaning “door,” and 口 (kǒu), meaning “mouth.” Pictorially, you can imagine opening a door to speak or to begin a journey. It represents an opening or an initiation.
• 动 (dòng): This character means “to move” or “action.” It combines 重 (zhòng), originally meaning “heavy,” and 力 (lì), meaning “strength” or “power.” The image is of using strength to move a heavy object. It signifies action and movement.
• Together, 启动 (qǐdòng) literally translates to “open and move” or “initiate action.” This perfectly captures the meaning of activating a dormant system and setting it into motion.

`启动` is a word that powerfully reflects modern China's focus on progress, technology, and large-scale development. While it's a practical term, its frequent use in media and business a “can-do” spirit of new beginnings and ambitious undertakings. The concept of a “launch ceremony” (`启动仪式` - qǐdòng yíshì) is very common for new businesses, government initiatives, and even building construction, marking a formal, optimistic start. In Western business culture, we might have a “kick-off meeting” to start a project. This is often informal and collaborative. A `启动仪式`, however, is typically a more formal, public, and symbolic event. It’s less about a brainstorming session and more about a declaration: “The process has officially begun.” This highlights a cultural appreciation for marking new ventures with a sense of ceremony and official sanction. `启动` carries the weight of this formal initiation.

`启动` is a standard, formal-leaning term used across several key domains. You won't hear it much in very casual slang, but it's ubiquitous in everyday standard Mandarin.

• Technology and Electronics: This is its most common usage.
  • Booting up a computer: `启动电脑 (qǐdòng diànnǎo)`
  • Starting a software application: `启动软件 (qǐdòng ruǎnjiàn)`
  • Activating a feature on a phone: `启动这个功能 (qǐdòng zhège gōngnéng)`
• Machinery and Vehicles:
  • Starting a car's engine: `启动发动机 (qǐdòng fādòngjī)`
  • Turning on a machine: `启动机器 (qǐdòng jīqì)`
• Business and Government:
  • Launching a project: `启动一个新项目 (qǐdòng yīgè xīn xiàngmù)`
  • Initiating a plan: `启动改革计划 (qǐdòng gǎigé jìhuà)`
  • Activating an emergency response: `启动应急预案 (qǐdòng yìngjí yù'àn)`

Its connotation is almost always neutral or positive, signifying progress, the start of work, and readiness.

• Example 1:
  • 请按那个红色按钮来启动机器。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng àn nàge hóngsè ànniǔ lái qǐdòng jīqì.
  • English: Please press that red button to start the machine.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, literal use of `启动`. It refers to activating a piece of machinery, a core function of the word.
• Example 2:
  • 我的电脑启动得非常慢。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo qǐdòng de fēicháng màn.
  • English: My computer boots up very slowly.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the most common modern usage of `启动` for electronics. Here, it specifically means “to boot up.”
• Example 3:
  • 公司决定下个月启动新的市场营销计划。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī juédìng xià gè yuè qǐdòng xīn de shìchǎng yíngxiāo jìhuà.
  • English: The company decided to launch the new marketing plan next month.
  • Analysis: Here, `启动` is used in a business context to mean “launch” or “initiate.” It implies a formal, planned beginning.
• Example 4:
  • 政府已经启动了灾后重建工作。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ yǐjīng qǐdòng le zāihòu chóngjiàn gōngzuò.
  • English: The government has already initiated the post-disaster reconstruction work.
  • Analysis: This example shows the formal, official tone of `启动`. It’s used for large-scale, organized efforts.
• Example 5:
  • 你需要双击图标来启动这个应用程序。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào shuāngjī túbiāo lái qǐdòng zhège yìngyòng chéngxù.
  • English: You need to double-click the icon to launch this application.
  • Analysis: Another common tech-related example, equivalent to “launch” or “run” a program.
• Example 6:
  • 驾驶员正在尝试重新启动发动机。
  • Pinyin: Jiàshǐyuán zhèngzài chángshì chóngxīn qǐdòng fādòngjī.
  • English: The driver is trying to restart the engine.
  • Analysis: Note the use of `重新 (chóngxīn)` meaning “again,” which works perfectly with `启动` to mean “restart.” This is different from the single word `重启 (chóngqǐ)`, which usually means “reboot.”
• Example 7:
  • 这个项目需要一百万的启动资金。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù xūyào yībǎi wàn de qǐdòng zījīn.
  • English: This project requires one million in start-up capital.
  • Analysis: Here, `启动` acts as an adjective to describe `资金 (zījīn)`, or “funds.” `启动资金` is a set phrase for “start-up capital.”
• Example 8:
  • 由于天气恶劣，火箭的发射启动程序被暂停了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì èliè, huǒjiàn de fāshè qǐdòng chéngxù bèi zàntíng le.
  • English: Due to bad weather, the rocket's launch sequence (starting procedure) was suspended.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the procedural nature of `启动`. It's not just the launch itself, but the “starting procedure” or sequence.
• Example 9:
  • 当系统检测到威胁时，会自动启动防御模式。
  • Pinyin: Dāng xìtǒng jiǎncè dào wēixié shí, huì zìdòng qǐdòng fángyù móshì.
  • English: When the system detects a threat, it will automatically activate defense mode.
  • Analysis: This shows `启动` used for automated processes. It means “to activate” or “to engage.”
• Example 10:
  • 明天早上九点，我们将举行新产品的启动仪式。
  • Pinyin: Míngtiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn, wǒmen jiāng jǔxíng xīn chǎnpǐn de qǐdòng yíshì.
  • English: At 9 AM tomorrow, we will hold the launch ceremony for the new product.
  • Analysis: `启动仪式 (qǐdòng yíshì)` is a very common phrase. This demonstrates the ceremonial and formal side of the word.

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between `启动 (qǐdòng)` and `开始 (kāishǐ)`. `启动 (qǐdòng)` vs. `开始 (kāishǐ)`

• `开始 (kāishǐ)`: This is the general, all-purpose word for “to begin” or “to start.” It can be used for actions, events, states, and periods of time. It describes the beginning of something.
  • `电影八点开始。` (Diànyǐng bā diǎn kāishǐ.) - The movie starts at 8.
  • `我们开始上课吧。` (Wǒmen kāishǐ shàngkè ba.) - Let's start the class.
  • `我去年开始学中文。` (Wǒ qùnián kāishǐ xué Zhōngwén.) - I started learning Chinese last year.
• `启动 (qǐdòng)`: This word means “to set in motion.” It is the action that *causes* something (usually a machine or process) to start running. You cannot `启动` a class, a movie, or the act of learning. You `启动` the projector *for* the class.

Common Mistakes:

• INCORRECT: `我今天启动学习。` (Wǒ jīntiān qǐdòng xuéxí.)
  • Why it's wrong: “Learning” is an ongoing activity, not a machine or a formal project you activate.
  • CORRECT: `我今天开始学习。` (Wǒ jīntiān kāishǐ xuéxí.) - I started studying today.
• INCORRECT: `会议已经启动了。` (Huìyì yǐjīng qǐdòng le.)
  • Why it's wrong: This sounds overly dramatic and technical, as if a meeting were a complex machine. For a normal meeting, you just “begin.”
  • CORRECT: `会议已经开始了。` (Huìyì yǐjīng kāishǐ le.) - The meeting has already started.
  • Exception: If it were a massive, multi-day conference with a formal “launch ceremony,” you might hear `大会正式启动` (The conference is officially launched), but this is a very specific, formal context.

• 开始 (kāishǐ) - The general word for “to begin” or “to start.” Use this for events, activities, and time.
• 发动 (fādòng) - To start an engine; to launch or initiate (a war, a campaign, a movement). It often carries a more forceful or even aggressive connotation than `启动`.
• 开启 (kāiqǐ) - To open; to start. This is more literary and often used figuratively for abstract things like opening a new chapter in life (`开启新篇章`) or starting a new era.
• 运行 (yùnxíng) - To run, operate, be in motion. This is the state that occurs *after* something has been successfully `启动`. For example, `系统正在正常运行` (The system is running normally).
• 重启 (chóngqǐ) - To restart, to reboot. The direct counterpart to `启动`, most commonly used for computers and systems.
• 启动资金 (qǐdòng zījīn) - A set phrase meaning “start-up capital” or “seed money” for a new venture.
• 启动仪式 (qǐdòng yíshì) - A “launch ceremony,” a common formal event to kick off a project or initiative.
• 初始化 (chūshǐhuà) - To initialize. A highly technical term from computer science, it's the process that happens during `启动` to prepare a system for operation.