起動

• Reading: きどう
• Romaji: kidou
• Kanji breakdown: 起 (ki) — rise, begin; 動 (dō) — move, motion
• Pronunciation: /ki.doː/

Meaning

Startup; booting up; activation. The act of starting a machine, engine, or software.

A suru-verb used for starting mechanical or digital systems. Commonly heard in IT contexts for booting computers or launching applications, but also applies to engines and machinery. The transitive and intransitive uses are both common.

Examples

1. パソコンの起動に時間がかかるようになった。 My computer has been taking longer to boot up lately.
2. アプリを起動したら、すぐにエラーが出た。 As soon as I launched the app, an error popped up.
3. エンジンを起動する前に安全確認をしてください。 Please perform a safety check before starting the engine.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, engineering, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 起 (rise, begin) + 動 (move, motion). Literally 'begin to move,' describing the activation of a system or mechanism.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal