Japanese word

始動

Pronunciation

Romajishidō

Meaning

  • nounstarting

Example

寒い日は車の始動に時間がかかります。samu i hi wa kuruma no shi dō ni ji kan ga ka ka ri ma su

Starting the car takes time on cold days.

Illustration for 始動 (starting)

More examples

停電時には、非常用発電機が自動で始動します。tei den ji ni wa hi jō yō hatsu den ki ga ji dō de shi dō shi ma su

During a power outage, the emergency generator starts automatically.

Core concept

Describes something moving from a stopped state into active operation.

Common phrases

  • モーターの始動mō tā no shi dō

    motor startup

  • 始動確認shi dō kaku nin

    startup check

  • 始動音shi dō oto

    startup sound

Similar words

起動kidō: The act of making a machine or system begin operating.
スタートsutāto: The beginning of an activity, event, or process, often in a less formal expression.

Definition in Japanese

止まっていた機械や活動などが動き始めること。to ma tte i ta ki kai ya katsu dō na do ga ugo ki haji me ru ko to

Word origin

始動 (shidō) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 始 (shi, "beginning") and 動 (dō, "movement"), so its parts directly point to movement beginning.

Usage tips

  • Japanese uses 始動 (shidō) for both engines and organized activities, while its formal tone makes it common in reports and public announcements.

Opposites

Related words

  • 始動性shidōseistartabilitynoun

Word lists with this word