Today’s lesson focuses on the verb démarrer, meaning to start or to start up, specifically in the context of starting up motors or engines.
Démarrer
to start, to start up
Pronunciation [demaʀe]

Démarrer – to start, to start up
Explanation
A related verb we’ve covered is se mettre à, which is used in the context of starting activities. Another verb, commencer (to start, to begin) would not be used in the context of starting up engines.
Example sentences
Heureusement ma voiture démarre toujours quand il fait froid en hiver.
Fortunately my car always starts when it’s cold out in the winter.
For this second sentence, pourrais-tu is the conditional tense of pouvoir (can, to able). Peux-tu means “can you” but pourrais-tu (could you) is a more formal way of making polite requests. This sentence uses the inversion form of asking questions.
Jean-Luc, pourrais-tu m’aider à démarrer la tondeuse ?
Jean-Luc, could you help me start the lawn mower?
Another usage of démarrer is “to get off to a + adjective + start”. La fac is a shortening of la faculté (college, university). This sentence is in the passé composé tense.
Anya a bien démarré à la fac cette année et ses parents sont fiers.
Anya got off to a good start in university this year and her parents are proud.