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Learn Hardcore Japanese: pasokon wo kidousuru. - I start up the computer.

Hardcore Japanese
/Taking a first-aid course
/pasokon o kidousuru.

pasokon o kidousuru.

パソコン　を　起動きどうする。pasokon o kidousuru.

I start up the computer.

Breakdown of pasokon o kidousuru.

direct object particle

パソコンpasokon

起動きどうするkidousuru

to start up; boot

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Questions & Answers about pasokon o kidousuru.

Why is を used here?

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.

What kind of verb is 起動する?

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

Why is there no subject in this sentence?

Nihon-shiki romanizationwatasi ha tyuugoku kara kimasita

Hepburn romanizationwatashi wa chuugoku kara kimashita

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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.

Does 起動する mean the same thing as 電源を入れる?

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.

Why is パソコン written in katakana?

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.

What is the nuance of パソコン? Is it the same as computer?

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.

Is 起動する only used for computers?

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.

Is this sentence casual or formal?

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.

Can 起動する refer to the present tense here?

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.

How is を pronounced 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.

Why are there spaces between the words here?

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.

Could I also say パソコンを立ち上げる?

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.

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.

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