つづける (JLPT N4)

About つづける

By attaching the verb 続(つづ)ける 'to continue' to the conjunctive form of another verb, we will be able to express that '(A) is continuing'. Let's have a look at a few examples of this structure.

Caution

There is a difference in nuance between connecting one verb to another verb through the conjunctive form, or through the use of the conjunction particle て. The former implies that '(A) is being done in the way of (B)', while the latter implies that '(A) is being done, and then (B)'.

日本語(にほんご)は難(むずか)しいけど、勉強(べんきょう)を頑張(がんば)って続(つづ)ける。

Japanese is difficult, but I will give it my best and continue with study. (Emphasis on the continuation of studying)
日本語(にほんご)は難(むずか)しいけど、勉強(べんきょう)を頑張(がんば)り続(つづ)ける。

Japanese is difficult, but I will continue giving it my best with study. (Emphasis on the continuation of giving it one's best)

Examples

--:--

テレビを見(み)続(つづ)けるつもりですか。

Do you plan to continue to watch TV?

まっすぐ見(み)て、歩(ある)き続(つづ)けなさい！

Look straight, and continue walking!

文法(ぶんぽう)の間違(まちが)えを直(なお)し続(つづ)けてみたらどうだ？

Why don't you try to continue to fix your grammar mistakes?

大(おお)きい魚(さかな)を釣(つ)るまで釣(つ)り続(つづ)けます。

I will continue to fish until I catch a big fish.

あの警察官(けいさつかん)は一時間(いちじかん)以上(いじょう)見回(みまわ)り続(つづ)けた。

That police officer continued to patrol around for over one hour.

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つづける – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (9 in total)

Pushindawood
to continue
Structure
- Verb[stem] + 続ける
View on Bunpro
CrisH
Could someone try to explain to me the difference between 続く and 続ける? I’m having trouble figuring out when you wouldn’t be continuing something, i.e. 続ける. You can’t continue nothing, so what is 続く used for? Maybe if someone told you to continue without specifying what, but then if 続ける is specifically transitive, how does that relate to this grammar point where there doesn’t seem to be an object?

Thanks!
nekoyama
続く is when things continue on their own, like how this comment will go on for a few more sentences. 続ける is when someone actively continues something else. This grammar point covers its use as an auxiliary verb, where the preceding verb stem is what is being continued.
CrisH
Thanks! You know when someone explains something to you and you can no longer see why you had trouble with it?
simias
I tried answering a review using the continuous form of ~続ける and it was rejected:

Even if you give that dog a treat, it will continue to bark.

My proposition:

餌をあげても、その犬は鳴き続けているよ

I realized after the fact that 続ける in itself already carries the “continuation” part so it would be redundant, but I wonder if there’s any situation where 続けている would make sense?
Fuga
Hey @simias !

The main reason 続けている was not accepted here is because the would change the meaning of the translation to ‘Even if you give that dog a treat, is is still continuing to bark’, because it is using a different tense then the first part of the sentence, and it sounds as unnatural in Japanese as it does in English.

It would work if the sentence was さっきワンちゃんに餌をあげたのに、鳴き続けている。‘Even though I gave that dog a treat earlier, it is still barking (it ihas been continuously barking)’.

I hope that makes sense!
simias
It does! Greatly appreciated!
Trytytka
I got this question:

Ongoing, Command
まっすぐ見て、___！(歩く)
Look straight, and continue walking !

why is the answer 歩き続けなさい? I thought it’d be 歩き続きなさい.
IcyIceBear
because its つづける
なさい attaches to verb stem, which with つづける being an ichidan, would become つづけ. resulting in 続けなさい

you might be thinking of つづく which is its intransitive pair, as in 雨が続く
Trytytka

you might be thinking of つづく which is its intransitive pair, as in 雨が続く

I was indeed, thank you!