Also means
to drive off, to launch
Usage Note
démarrer is a regular -er verb originally tied to nautical 'unmooring' (dé- + amarrer). Today it covers starting a car (démarrer la voiture), launching a project (démarrer un projet), or a person getting going. The noun démarrage means 'start-up' or 'launch'.
Examples
"La voiture refuse de démarrer."
Natural Translation
The car refuses to start.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
7 min read
FrenchNow
6 min read