to set off / start
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to set off
To start moving in order to leave a place; to set out or get going.
Wir sollten jetzt losgehen, wenn wir den Anfang des Films nicht verpassen wollen.
We should set off now if we don't want to miss the beginning of the film.
to start
To begin; the start of an event or action.
Das Konzert geht um 20 Uhr los.
The concert starts at 8 p.m.
to go off
To suddenly make a loud noise, as with an explosion, a shot, or an alarm.
Mitten in der Nacht ging plötzlich die Alarmanlage des Autos los.
In the middle of the night, the car alarm suddenly went off.
to go at someone
To attack someone physically or verbally in an aggressive way.
Nach einer kurzen Diskussion ist er wütend auf seinen Kollegen losgegangen.
After a short discussion, he angrily went at his colleague.
to come undone
To open or come loose unintentionally, for example a knot or a button.
Pass auf, dein Schnürsenkel ist losgegangen!
Watch out, your shoelace has come undone!
'Losgehen' (to set off / start) is a separable verb. The prefix 'los-' comes at the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses or in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Wir gehen in fünf Minuten los.
We're setting off in five minutes.
The prefix 'los-' often signals a start, a release, or the beginning of an action. It gives the base verb 'gehen' (to go) the meaning of starting or setting off.
Sobald das Signal ertönt, können wir losgehen.
As soon as the signal sounds, we can set off.
The exclamation 'Jetzt geht's los!' (Here we go! / Now it starts!) is a very common expression. It is used to announce the beginning of an activity, a party, or even a problem.
Die Band kommt auf die Bühne. Jetzt geht's los!
The band is coming onto the stage. Here we go!
In this meaning, the subject of the sentence is typically a device or weapon that suddenly makes a noise. Common subjects are 'die Alarmanlage' (the alarm system), 'der Wecker' (the alarm clock), 'der Schuss' (the shot), or 'die Bombe' (the bomb).
Als ich die Tür öffnete, ging sofort der Alarm los.
When I opened the door, the alarm immediately went off.
When 'losgehen' (to go at someone) describes an attack, it is always used with the preposition 'auf' followed by the person or thing being attacked in the accusative.
Die beiden Männer sind nach einem Streit aufeinander losgegangen.
The two men went at each other after an argument.
When something comes loose unintentionally, the subject is often a knot, a button, or a shoelace. Here, the verb describes a passive event in which something opens by itself.
Binde deine Schuhe neu, ein Schnürsenkel ist schon fast losgegangen.
Tie your shoes again; one shoelace has almost come undone.
to begin
Beginnen and losgehen can both refer to the start of an event. Beginnen sounds neutral or somewhat more formal, while losgehen is distinctly more colloquial. Beginnen is more suitable for an official announcement; losgehen sounds natural in a casual conversation.
Komm schnell, das Konzert geht um acht Uhr los.
Come on, the concert starts at eight.
Laut Programm beginnt das Konzert um acht Uhr.
According to the program, the concert begins at eight o’clock.
