To get started with C programming, one prints "Hello World!" by including standard input/output headers, defining a main function that returns 0, and using printf to output the text. Compilers are programs that translate human-readable code into machine-readable binary for a computer to execute. They convert syntax like #include, main(), and printf statements according to language rules. Popular C compilers include Turbo C++, Dev C++, and Codeblocks. Compilers scan entire programs at once and generate object code, while interpreters translate statements individually without object code.