pasokon wo kidousuru.

を marks the direct object of the verb. In パソコンを起動する, the thing being started up is パソコン.

So the structure is:

• パソコン = personal computer
• を = object marker
• 起動する = to start up / to boot

A rough literal breakdown is start up the computer.

起動する is a する-verb.

That means it is built from:

• 起動 = startup / activation / booting
• する = to do

So 起動する literally works like to do startup, but in natural English it means to start up, to boot up, or to launch, depending on context.

Because it is a する-verb, it conjugates like する:

• 起動する = plain form
• 起動します = polite form
• 起動した = started up / booted up
• 起動して = start up and...
• 起動しない = do not start up

Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.

So パソコンを起動する could mean things like:

• I start up the computer
• You start up the computer
• (Someone) starts up the computer
• to start up the computer

The exact subject depends on the situation. This is very normal in Japanese and usually does not sound incomplete.

Not exactly.

• 電源を入れる = to turn on the power
• 起動する = to boot up / start up a system

For a computer, these can be closely related, but they are not always identical.

For example:

• If you press the power button on a computer, you 電源を入れる.
• When the operating system loads, the computer 起動する.

So 起動する sounds a bit more technical and system-focused than simply turn on.

パソコン is a loanword, shortened from パーソナルコンピューター.

Katakana is commonly used for:

• foreign loanwords
• some technical terms
• emphasis
• onomatopoeia

So パソコン is the normal Japanese word for PC or personal computer, and katakana is exactly what you would expect here.

パソコン usually means a personal computer, especially a desktop or laptop.

A few related words:

• パソコン = PC / personal computer
• コンピューター = computer (broader, sometimes more technical or general)
• PC = also used, especially in tech contexts

In everyday Japanese, パソコン is extremely common. If you are talking about your laptop or desktop, this is a very natural word.

No. It is often used for computers, but it can also be used for other systems, devices, software, and machines.

Examples:

• アプリを起動する = to launch an app
• ソフトを起動する = to start software
• システムを起動する = to boot up a system
• エンジンを起動する = to start an engine

The core idea is activating something so that it begins operating.

パソコンを起動する。 is in the plain form.

That does not automatically mean rude. It depends on context. Plain form is used in:

• dictionary entries
• instructions
• casual conversation
• note-taking
• internal thoughts
• headlines or labels

If you want the polite version, you would say:

• パソコンを起動します。

That would be better in polite conversation, customer-facing writing, or formal instructions.

Japanese non-past forms cover both present and future meanings, depending on context.

So 起動する can mean:

• start up the computer
• will start up the computer
• starts up the computer
• to start up the computer (as a dictionary form or instruction label)

Without context, it is just the plain non-past form. Japanese does not separate present and future as sharply as English does here.

In modern Japanese, the particle を is pronounced お.

So:

• パソコンを起動する
• pronounced roughly: pasokon o kidō suru

Even though it is written を, when it is used as a particle, learners should think of its pronunciation as o.

Normally, standard Japanese writing does not use spaces like this:

• normal writing: パソコンを起動する。

The spaced version is often used for learners to make the structure easier to see:

• パソコン / を / 起動する

So the spaces are just a teaching aid, not standard Japanese formatting.

Yes, often you can.

立ち上げる can also mean to start up or to launch, especially in everyday speech. For computers and software, it is very common.

Comparison:

• パソコンを起動する = more technical / precise
• パソコンを立ち上げる = very natural in everyday speech

For software:

• アプリを起動する
• アプリを立ち上げる

Both are common, though 起動する can sound a bit more technical.