〜続ける (tsuzukeru) - Continue
〜続ける attaches to verb stems to indicate continuing an action over time. It emphasizes persistence, duration, and sustained effort.
Verb stem + 続ける
走り続ける - keep running
勉強し続ける - continue studying
待ち続ける - keep waiting
Ongoing action
Sustained effort
Persistence emphasized
Formation
Basic pattern
る-verbs:
食べる → 食べ続ける "continue eating"
見る → 見続ける "continue watching"
寝る → 寝続ける "continue sleeping"
う-verbs:
走る → 走り続ける "keep running"
書く → 書き続ける "keep writing"
待つ → 待ち続ける "keep waiting"
話す → 話し続ける "keep talking"
Irregular:
する → し続ける "continue doing"
来る → 来続ける "keep coming"
Core Meaning
Ongoing persistence
10年間勉強し続けた
"Continued studying for 10 years"
Emphasis on duration
Sustained effort
Not stopping
雨が降り続けている
"Rain keeps falling"
Continuous action
Still ongoing
No end yet
When to Use
Long-term continuity
毎日走り続けている
"Continue running every day"
3時間待ち続けた
"Kept waiting for 3 hours"
ずっと考え続けている
"Keep thinking about it constantly"
Duration emphasized
Persistence shown
Effort sustained
Despite difficulties
諦めずに挑戦し続ける
"Continue challenging without giving up"
困難でも働き続けた
"Kept working despite difficulties"
Often implies overcoming obstacles
Determination shown
Persistence valued
Transitivity
Maintains verb pattern
Transitive stays transitive:
本を読み続ける "continue reading a book"
仕事をし続ける "continue doing work"
Intransitive stays intransitive:
雨が降り続ける "rain continues falling"
時間が過ぎ続ける "time keeps passing"
Original grammar preserved
Duration Expressions
With time periods
3時間走り続けた
"Kept running for 3 hours"
10年間勉強し続けた
"Continued studying for 10 years"
一晩中考え続けた
"Kept thinking all night"
Works naturally with duration
Emphasizes length of time
Indefinite continuation
ずっと待ち続ける
"Keep waiting forever"
いつまでも愛し続ける
"Continue loving forever"
永遠に続く
"Continue eternally"
Open-ended duration
No specified end
With ている
Current ongoing state
今も勉強し続けている
"Still continuing to study even now"
雨が降り続けている
"Rain is continuing to fall"
Present progressive
Action still happening
Ongoing state
Contrast with Similar Forms
続ける vs ている
走っている
"Is running" (current action)
走り続けている
"Keeps running / continues running"
(Emphasis on persistence/duration)
続ける adds persistence nuance
More than just ongoing
Sustained effort implied
Emotional Weight
Often implies effort
頑張り続ける
"Keep trying hard"
信じ続ける
"Keep believing"
愛し続ける
"Keep loving"
Positive persistence
Determination
Emotional strength
Common Contexts
Persistence and determination
夢を追い続ける
"Continue pursuing dreams"
練習し続ける
"Continue practicing"
努力し続ける
"Continue making efforts"
Goal-oriented
Long-term commitment
Natural phenomena
雨が降り続ける
"Rain continues falling"
太陽が照り続ける
"Sun keeps shining"
風が吹き続ける
"Wind keeps blowing"
Weather and nature
Ongoing processes
Waiting and hoping
待ち続ける
"Keep waiting"
期待し続ける
"Continue hoping"
信じ続ける
"Keep believing"
Emotional endurance
Faith and patience
Negative Forms
Stop continuing
続けられない
"Can't continue"
もう走り続けられない
"Can't keep running anymore"
Inability to persist
Reached limit
Didn't continue
勉強し続けなかった
"Didn't continue studying"
諦めて、待ち続けなかった
"Gave up and didn't keep waiting"
Ceased action
Discontinued
With Other Grammar
Combined patterns
走り続けてきた
"Have been continuing to run"
信じ続けていく
"Will continue to believe (into future)"
頑張り続けなければならない
"Must continue trying hard"
Versatile combinations
Natural with various grammar
Formality
Neutral across contexts
Can use in:
- Casual: 走り続けた
- Polite: 走り続けました
- Written: 走り続けた
Adjust with conjugation
Not inherently formal/casual
Conjugation
Regular る-verb
続ける is a る-verb:
Present: 続ける
Past: 続けた
Negative: 続けない
Te-form: 続けて
Potential: 続けられる
Passive: 続けられる
Volitional: 続けよう
Standard conjugations
Emphasis on Effort
Implies challenge
Often used when action is difficult:
痛みに耐えながら走り続けた
"Kept running while enduring pain"
疲れても働き続けた
"Kept working even when tired"
Continuation despite hardship
Admirable persistence
Inspirational Contexts
Motivational language
諦めずに続けよう
"Let's continue without giving up"
最後まで頑張り続けよう
"Let's keep trying until the end"
夢を追い続けろ
"Keep chasing your dreams"
Encouraging language
Motivational speeches
Positive messaging
Common Collocations
走り続ける - keep running
Very common
勉強し続ける - continue studying
Common
待ち続ける - keep waiting
Common
頑張り続ける - keep trying
Motivational
愛し続ける - keep loving
Romantic
These are natural combinations
Learn as units
Common Mistakes
❌ Using dictionary form
✗ 走る続ける
✓ Using stem form
✓ 走り続ける
❌ Overusing for simple ongoing
Use ている for simple ongoing
Use 続ける for emphasized persistence
✓ Match nuance to context
❌ Wrong conjugation
✗ 続けった
✓ Correct conjugation
✓ 続けた
Practical Examples
Real-life usage
彼は20年間同じ仕事をし続けている
"He has continued doing the same job for 20 years"
雨が3日間降り続けた
"Rain kept falling for 3 days"
諦めずに挑戦し続けた結果、成功した
"As a result of continuing to challenge without giving up, I succeeded"
Natural contexts
Everyday usage
Emphasis on duration and persistence