start off

commencer, débuter

Commencer une activité, souvent d’une manière particulière.

En anglais simple : To begin an activity, often in a particular way.

• Let us start off with a game.
• He started off as a teacher.
• The meeting started off well but ended badly.

Comment l'utiliser : start off with something (We started off with a simple exercise.); start off by doing something (Start off by washing your hands.); start off as something (She started off as a shop assistant.)

Synonymes : begin, start

Contraires : finish, end

Expressions courantes : start off slowly, start off well, start off with something

partir, se mettre en route

Quitter un endroit pour commencer un voyage.

En anglais simple : To leave a place and begin a journey.

• We started off early.
• They started off for home after lunch.
• What time should we start off tomorrow?

Comment l'utiliser : start off for somewhere (We started off for the coast at dawn.); start off on something (They started off on their journey after breakfast.)

Synonymes : set off, set out

Contraires : arrive

Expressions courantes : start off early, start off home

faire partir, déclencher

Amener quelqu’un à commencer à rire, à pleurer ou à parler d’un sujet familier.

En anglais simple : To make someone begin laughing, crying, or talking about a familiar subject.

• That joke started him off laughing.
• Mentioning her dog started her off crying again.
• Do not start him off about his old job.

Comment l'utiliser : start someone off on/about something (Do not start her off on politics.); start someone off doing something (That joke started us all off laughing.)

Synonymes : set off, trigger

Expressions courantes : start someone off, start someone off laughing