Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== chóngqǐ: 重启 - Restart, Reboot ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** 重启, chongqi, restart Chinese, reboot Chinese, start over in Chinese, Chinese word for restart, 重启电脑, restart a project, how to say reboot in Chinese, fresh start Chinese. * **Summary:** The Chinese word **重启 (chóngqǐ)** primarily means "to restart" or "to reboot," most commonly used for computers and electronic devices. However, its meaning extends metaphorically to represent a "fresh start" or "do-over" for projects, plans, negotiations, and even one's life. Understanding **chóngqǐ** is essential for navigating modern tech conversations and grasping a powerful metaphor for renewal and starting again in contemporary Chinese culture. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chóngqǐ * **Part of Speech:** Verb * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 * **Concise Definition:** To restart or reboot a system, device, process, or plan. * **In a Nutshell:** Think of **重启 (chóngqǐ)** as hitting the reset button. Its most frequent use is telling someone to "restart the computer" (`重启电脑`). Beyond technology, it's a powerful and slightly formal way to talk about wiping the slate clean and starting a complex process—like a failed project or a stalled negotiation—from the very beginning. It implies that the previous attempt is over, and a new one is beginning. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **重 (chóng):** This character means "again," "repeat," or "once more." It signifies the repetition of an action. (Note: This character has another common pronunciation, `zhòng`, which means "heavy," but in this word, it is always `chóng`). * **启 (qǐ):** This character means "to start," "to open," or "to initiate." It evokes the image of beginning a process or opening a door to something new. * Together, **重启 (chóngqǐ)** literally means "to start again," a perfect and direct combination that creates the meaning of "restart." ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== While a seemingly modern, technical term, the metaphorical use of **重启 (chóngqǐ)** has gained significant cultural resonance in rapidly developing China. It taps into a collective mindset of iteration, trial-and-error, and swift adaptation. In Western culture, the idea of a "fresh start" or "hitting the reset button" is common, often applied to personal life changes like moving to a new city or starting a new job. In China, while it shares this personal meaning, **重启** is also frequently applied on a much larger, systemic scale—in business, technology, and even urban planning. A company might **重启** its entire market strategy after a setback, or a government might **重启** a major infrastructure project. This reflects a pragmatic cultural value: if a system isn't working, don't just patch it—**重启** it. It signifies a willingness to abandon a failing path and begin anew with the lessons learned. It's less about sentimental attachment to the first attempt and more about the ultimate goal of success, embodying the dynamic and unsentimental spirit of modern Chinese progress. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **重启 (chóngqǐ)** is used in several distinct contexts, moving from the literal to the highly metaphorical. * **Technical/Digital Context (Very Common):** This is the most frequent usage. It's the standard term for restarting any electronic device or software. * e.g., "My computer is frozen, I need to restart it." (我电脑卡住了，需要**重启**。) * **Business and Project Management (Formal):** In a professional setting, **重启** is used to formally announce the re-initiation of a project, negotiation, or process that had previously stopped or failed. It carries more weight than simply "continuing." * e.g., "After a six-month hiatus, the company decided to restart the negotiations." (中断了六个月后，公司决定**重启**谈判。) * **Life and Relationships (Metaphorical/Literary):** While less common in casual conversation, **重启** can be used in a more dramatic or literary sense to talk about starting one's life over or reviving a relationship. It implies a fundamental change, not just picking up where you left off. * e.g., "He wanted to leave this city and restart his life." (他想离开这座城市，**重启**人生。) Its connotation is generally neutral, but the context determines the feeling. Restarting a computer is routine. Restarting a multi-million dollar project can be either a hopeful second chance or an admission of a major failure. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 电脑太卡了，你最好**重启**一下。 * Pinyin: Diànnǎo tài kǎ le, nǐ zuìhǎo **chóngqǐ** yíxià. * English: The computer is too slow/frozen, you'd better restart it. * Analysis: This is the most common, everyday use of **重启**. The phrase `...一下 (yíxià)` softens the suggestion, making it sound more casual. * **Example 2:** * 软件更新后，系统提示需要**重启**。 * Pinyin: Ruǎnjiàn gēngxīn hòu, xìtǒng tíshì xūyào **chóngqǐ**. * English: After the software update, the system prompts that a restart is required. * Analysis: A standard, neutral sentence you would see in a technical context. `提示 (tíshì)` means "to prompt" or "to notify." * **Example 3:** * 如果路由器没信号，你试试先把它关掉再**重启**。 * Pinyin: Rúguǒ lùyóuqì méi xìnhào, nǐ shìshi xiān bǎ tā guāndiào zài **chóngqǐ**. * English: If the router has no signal, try turning it off and then restarting it. * Analysis: This sentence shows the practical, problem-solving nature of the word. `试试 (shìshi)` means "to try." * **Example 4:** * 由于资金问题，这个项目去年被暂停，现在我们准备**重启**它。 * Pinyin: Yóuyú zījīn wèntí, zhège xiàngmù qùnián bèi zàntíng, xiànzài wǒmen zhǔnbèi **chóngqǐ** tā. * English: Due to funding issues, this project was suspended last year, and now we are preparing to restart it. * Analysis: A classic business context. **重启** here implies a formal decision to get the project running again from its foundations. * **Example 5:** * 两国决定**重启**贸易谈判。 * Pinyin: Liǎng guó juédìng **chóngqǐ** màoyì tánpàn. * English: The two countries decided to restart trade negotiations. * Analysis: This is a formal, diplomatic usage you would often hear in news reports. It signifies a fresh start to a high-level process. * **Example 6:** * 每次遇到重大挫折，他都告诉自己，这是一个**重启**人生的机会。 * Pinyin: Měi cì yùdào zhòngdà cuòzhé, tā dōu gàosù zìjǐ, zhè shì yí ge **chóngqǐ** rénshēng de jīhuì. * English: Every time he encounters a major setback, he tells himself this is an opportunity to restart his life. * Analysis: A highly metaphorical and inspirational use of the term. `重启人生 (chóngqǐ rénshēng)` is a powerful phrase for "starting life over." * **Example 7:** * 手机自动**重启**是怎么回事？ * Pinyin: Shǒujī zìdòng **chóngqǐ** shì zěnme huí shì? * English: What's going on with my phone automatically restarting? * Analysis: A common question when troubleshooting electronics. `怎么回事 (zěnme huí shì)` is a colloquial way to ask "what's the matter?" or "what happened?". * **Example 8:** * 这部电影讲述了一个失忆后**重启**记忆的故事。 * Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng jiǎngshùle yí ge shīyì hòu **chóngqǐ** jìyì de gùshì. * English: This movie tells a story about restarting memories after getting amnesia. * Analysis: This creative, metaphorical use shows the flexibility of the term. Here, "memory" is treated like a system that can be rebooted. * **Example 9:** * 很多程序安装完之后，都需要你**重启**电脑才能生效。 * Pinyin: Hěnduō chéngxù ānzhuāng wán zhīhòu, dōu xūyào nǐ **chóngqǐ** diànnǎo cáinéng shēngxiào. * English: After many programs are finished installing, they require you to restart the computer to take effect. * Analysis: This explains the functional reason for restarting. `生效 (shēngxiào)` means "to take effect" or "to become effective." * **Example 10:** * 我们之间的关系已经无法修复，也许唯一的选择就是**重启**。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen zhījiān de guānxì yǐjīng wúfǎ xiūfù, yěxǔ wéiyī de xuǎnzé jiùshì **chóngqǐ**. * English: The relationship between us is already beyond repair; perhaps the only option is to start over. * Analysis: A very dramatic and emotional use of the word. Here, **重启** implies ending the current relationship to potentially start a completely new one from scratch, not just fixing the old one. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **重启 (chóngqǐ) vs. 重新开始 (chóngxīn kāishǐ):** This is the most critical distinction for learners. * **重启 (chóngqǐ)** implies restarting a //system// or a formally defined //process//. It often means returning to an initial state. You **重启** a computer, a negotiation, or an engine. * **重新开始 (chóngxīn kāishǐ)** means "to start over" in a more general sense. It can be used for almost any activity. You **重新开始** a game, a drawing, or a book. * **Common Mistake:** Saying "我重启我的作业" (Wǒ chóngqǐ wǒ de zuòyè - I rebooted my homework). This sounds very strange, as homework is not a system. * **Correct Usage:** "我要重新开始做作业" (Wǒ yào chóngxīn kāishǐ zuò zuòyè - I need to start my homework over). * **Restart vs. Resume:** In English, "restart" can sometimes mean "resume" after a pause (e.g., "The meeting will restart after lunch"). **重启 (chóngqǐ)** does //not// mean this. It always means starting from the beginning. To express "resume," you should use **[[继续]] (jìxù)**. * **Incorrect:** "午饭后，我们会重启会议。" (Wǔfàn hòu, wǒmen huì chóngqǐ huìyì.) * **Correct:** "午饭后，我们会继续开会。" (Wǔfàn hòu, wǒmen huì jìxù kāihuì. - After lunch, we will continue the meeting.) ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * **[[重新开始]] (chóngxīn kāishǐ)** - To start again from the beginning. A more general and widely used synonym for starting an activity over. * **[[开机]] (kāijī)** - To turn on (a machine); to boot up. This is the "start" action. * **[[关机]] (guānjī)** - To turn off (a machine); to shut down. This is the "stop" action often preceding a manual restart. * **[[启动]] (qǐdòng)** - To start up, launch, or initiate (a program, a plan, an engine). More formal than `开机` and often used for processes and plans, not just devices. * **[[恢复]] (huīfù)** - To restore, recover, or reinstate. This is about returning something to a former state, which may or may not involve restarting. * **[[更新]] (gēngxīn)** - To update or renew. An action that often requires a system **重启**. * **[[暂停]] (zàntíng)** - To pause or suspend. A temporary stop, unlike the complete reset implied by **重启**. * **[[继续]] (jìxù)** - To continue or resume. The direct antonym of pausing or stopping.