====== qǐdòng: 启动 - To Start, Launch, Initiate, Boot Up ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **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. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **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. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **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. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== `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. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== `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 Sentences ===== * **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. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== 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. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[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.