LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Lesson notes · Oct 6, 2026

Continue in Japanese: 続つづける (tsuzukeru) vs 続つづく (tsuzuku) and how to say "keep going

"Continue" in Japanese is 続つづける (tsuzukeru) when *you* keep something going, and 続つづく (tsuzuku) when something goes on by itself — and the English word "continue" also hides four or five other Japanese expressions.

If you look "continue" up in a dictionary, you get one answer and it is only the beginning. Japanese splits the idea by who is doing the continuing, by what kind of thing is continuing, and by how formal the situation is. Get the split right and you can say "continue studying," "the rain continues," "to be continued," and "please continue to support us" without second-guessing yourself.

The basics

What is the basic word for "continue" in Japanese?

続つづける (tsuzukeru) is the verb you reach for first: a person continues an action or keeps something going. It is a transitive verb, so the thing being continued takes を.

勉強べんきょうを続つづけます。 — I'll continue studying. (polite, the standard "continue" sentence) 話はなしを続つづけてください。 — Please continue your story. (polite request)

Notice the shape: [thing] を 続つづける. A person is the subject, and the thing continued is the object. If you can say "I continue X" or "please continue X" in English, 続つづける is almost always the right word.

What is 続つづく, and why are there two words?

続つづく (tsuzuku) is the intransitive twin: something continues, extends, or goes on, with no one pushing it. Its subject takes が, and nobody is "doing" anything.

雨あめが続つづいています。 — The rain keeps going. (polite, weather, no human actor) この道みちはずっと続つづいています。 — This road goes on and on. (polite, a road continues in space, not only in time)

This is the transitive/intransitive pair that Japanese loves: 続つづける is what a person does, 続つづく is what happens. If you want the bigger picture of how these pairs work across the whole language, our guide to transitive and intransitive verbs covers the pattern. The short rule for today: a person doing it, use 続つづける; a thing happening, use 続つづく.

Can you say "keep doing" with a verb? That's 〜続つづける

Yes: attach 続つづける to the stem of another verb, and you get "keep doing" or "go on doing." The stem is the ます-form without ます: 走はしります → 走はしり, 待まちます → 待まち, 食たべます → 食たべ.

彼かれは夜よるまで走はしり続つづけた。 — He kept running until night. (casual-plain, narrative) 私わたしはあなたを待まち続つづけます。 — I will keep waiting for you. (polite, emotional, very anime)

This 〜続つづける form is a compound verb, and it is the closest thing Japanese has to "keep -ing." It is not the same as 〜ている, which describes an ongoing state or action in progress; if you are unsure where that line sits, our article on the te-iru form is the companion to this one. In short, 走はしっている means "is running right now," while 走はしり続つづける means "keeps on running without stopping."

Beyond the basics

What is 続つづき, and how is it different from 続つづける?

続つづき (tsuzuki) is the noun: "the continuation," "the rest," "what comes next." It is the same stem trick as before: 続つづきます → 続つづき, now acting as a noun.

続つづきは次回じかい。 — The rest is next time. (casual, a typical sign-off in a series) この本ほんの続つづきが読よみたい。 — I want to read the sequel to this book. (casual-plain, wanting the next installment)

A very common phrase is 続つづきを読よむ / 続つづきを見みる, "read the rest" / "watch the next part." You will use it every time a streaming service asks whether you want to pick up where you left off. 続つづき is a thing; 続つづける is an action. That is the whole difference.

How do you say "to be continued"?

"To be continued" is つづく, written in kana at the end of an episode, and it uses 続つづく, not 続つづける. The story is the thing that continues, so the verb is intransitive.

つづく。 — To be continued. (the card at the end of a cliffhanger) 次回じかいへ続つづく。 — Continued next time. (formal-neutral, used on screen text)

The classic learner mistake is to translate "to be continued" word by word as 続つづけられる or 続つづけます, because English "to be continued" feels like a passive. It is not a passive in Japanese. The story simply continues, and 続つづく is the verb for that. We will come back to this under mistakes.

How do you say "continue" in formal and business Japanese?

継続けいぞくする (keizoku suru) is the formal word, used for contracts, subscriptions, services, and any official process. It is a する-verb, and it often takes を or appears with a noun.

契約けいやくを継続けいぞくしたいです。 — I would like to continue the contract. (polite-formal, business) この活動かつどうは今後こんごも継続けいぞくします。 — We will continue this activity from now on, too. (formal announcement)

継続けいぞく is heavier than 続つづける. You would never say 勉強べんきょうを継続けいぞくします to a friend; you would say 勉強べんきょうを続つづけるよ. But you will see 継続けいぞく on websites and forms constantly: "continue subscription," "continuing education." It is the same idea in a suit and tie.

What does 引き続ひきつづき mean?

引き続ひきつづき (hikitsuzuki) is the business-email "continue to…" — "as before, going forward." It is an adverb that comes at the start of a clause and means "continuing on from now into the future."

引き続ひきつづきよろしくお願ねがいいたします。 — I look forward to continuing to work with you. (very polite, the standard email closing) 引き続ひきつづき、ご利用りようください。 — Please continue to use our service. (polite-formal, customer-facing)

This is the phrase that fills the last line of a huge number of Japanese emails. You do not conjugate it or build it; you just memorize it as a block. It carries the feeling of "we have been doing this, and we will keep doing it."

What about "continue as is," or "keep going!" in conversation?

Everyday speech often skips 続つづける entirely. To say "continue as is," Japanese uses そのまま ("as it is"), and to say "keep going!" it uses a command, an encouragement, or just a negative request.

そのままでいいです。 — Leave it as it is. / That's fine as it is. (polite, "continue as is") やめないで。 — Don't stop. (casual, urging someone to continue) まだまだ続つづくよ。 — This is still going to go on. (casual, "we are not done yet")

そのまま, やめないで, and まだまだ are the things you actually say in a café, a game, or a workout. If you want the deeper story on まだ and its partners, see the already and still article.

How does "continue" sound in anime?

Anime uses the full range, and the endings are very recognizable. The episode ends with つづく, a title card or a quiet voiceover, and the preview that follows is called 次回予告じかいよこく (jikai yokoku), "next-episode preview."

Inside the story, you will hear plain, forceful versions:

続つづけろ! — Keep going! (rough-casual, a coach, rival, or villain barking an order) まだ続つづくのか。 — Is this still going on? (casual-plain, tired or shocked) これからも続つづけていく。 — I'll keep on going from here. (casual-plain, a resolution speech)

That last one is worth noticing: 続つづけていく is 続つづける + ていく, "keep doing and carry it forward into the future." It is the sound of a character finishing a promise to themselves. Pair it with the idea of "forever" and you land in the neighborhood of eien and zutto, where the long-time feeling lives.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 勉強べんきょうを続つづく. In my lessons this is the most frequent error. 続つづく is intransitive and cannot take を, so "continue to study" needs the transitive 続つづける: 勉強べんきょうを続つづける. If your object has を, the verb must be 続つづける.
  • Saying 雨あめを続つづける. The opposite mistake: you are not the one continuing the rain. The rain continues by itself, so it is 雨あめが続つづく.
  • Translating "to be continued" as 続つづける. The card at the end of an episode is つづく, not つづける. The story continues; nobody is continuing it.
  • Attaching 続つづける to the wrong form. Learners say 走はしる続つづける or 走はしって続つづける. The pattern is the stem: 走はしり続つづける. If you are shaky on stems, drill ます-form first.
  • Using 継続けいぞくする with friends. It is grammatical, but it sounds like a contract. Use 続つづける in conversation and save 継続けいぞく for paperwork.
  • Overusing 続つづける when そのまま or やめないで is more natural. English forces "continue" into every sentence; Japanese often says "as it is" or "don't stop" instead.

A quick comparison table

Word Part of speech Transitivity Politeness Example
続つづける verb transitive (を) neutral, works in polite and casual 勉強べんきょうを続つづけます。
続つづく verb intransitive (が) neutral 雨あめが続つづいています。
〜続つづける compound verb transitive or intransitive, follows the first verb neutral 走はしり続つづけた。
続つづき noun n/a casual-neutral 続つづきは次回じかい。
継続けいぞくする する-verb transitive (を) formal, business 契約けいやくを継続けいぞくします。
引き続ひきつづき adverb n/a polite to formal 引き続ひきつづきよろしくお願ねがいいたします。

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair: the same idea, with the verb changing from transitive to intransitive.

1. Say "I'll continue studying Japanese." Use a verb that takes を.

Show answer

日本語にほんごの勉強べんきょうを続つづけます — 続つづける is transitive, so the thing continued takes を and the person is the one doing it.

2. Say "The rain continues." The rain continues by itself.

Show answer

雨あめが続つづいています — no one is acting, so you use the intransitive 続つづく with が. This is the pair to question 1.

3. What is wrong with 勉強べんきょうを続つづいています?

Show answer

続つづく cannot take を. A learner "continues" something on purpose, so it should be 勉強べんきょうを続つづけています.

4. Say "He kept waiting." Use the 〜続つづける pattern with 待まつ.

Show answer

彼かれは待まち続つづけた — take the stem of 待まちます (待まち) and add 続つづけた. The stem, not the dictionary form, goes in front.

5. Say "Please continue your story." Choose between 続つづける and 続つづく.

Show answer

話はなしを続つづけてください — you are asking someone to do the continuing, and 話はなし takes を, so it is 続つづける.

6. How do you write the text at the end of an anime episode that means "to be continued"?

Show answer

つづく — the story continues on its own, so the verb is the intransitive 続つづく, not 続つづける.

7. Fix this sentence: 走はしる続つづけた。 (He kept running.)

Show answer

走はしり続つづけた — 続つづける attaches to the verb stem (走はしり), not to the dictionary form 走はしる.

8. You are writing a business email and want to say "I look forward to continuing to work with you." Which opening word do you use?

Show answer

引き続ひきつづき — 引き続ひきつづきよろしくお願ねがいいたします is the fixed closing for "as before, going forward."

9. You want to say "I would like to continue the contract" in a formal setting. Which verb fits better than 続つづける?

Show answer

継続けいぞくする — 契約けいやくを継続けいぞくしたいです. 継続けいぞく is the formal, contract-and-service word, while 続つづける is the everyday one.

10. A friend is about to quit a game. Give a casual, natural way to say "Don't stop!"

Show answer

やめないで — in conversation, "continue!" is often expressed as a negative request. 続つづけて also works, but やめないで is the more natural emotional push.

It is 続つづける when you keep something going and 続つづく when it just goes on, so in a trial lesson, talk about a habit you are maintaining and a rainy spell.

FAQ

Is the standalone 続つづける the same as the 続つづける in 〜続つづける? They are the same word with different jobs. By itself 続つづける takes an object with を (勉強べんきょうを続つづける). Attached to a verb stem, it adds the meaning "keep doing" (勉強べんきょうし続つづける, 走はしり続つづける).

Can I say 勉強べんきょうし続つづける? Yes. する-verbs work in the same way: 勉強べんきょうする → 勉強べんきょうし続つづける ("keep studying"). Use the し stem, the same as in 勉強べんきょうします.

Is 続つづけて different from 続つづけてください? The meaning is the same, "continue," but 続つづけて alone is casual and 続つづけてください is polite. 続つづけて can also mean "in a row": 続つづけて二回にかい見みた, "I watched it twice in a row," which is a separate use worth knowing.

What is the difference between 続つづける and 続つづく when the subject is a person? When a person is the subject of 続つづく, it describes the person's situation, not their action: 彼かれの苦労くろうは続つづいている means "his troubles are continuing." If the person is choosing to continue, use 続つづける.

How do I say "continue to" in Japanese, like "continue to improve"? Use 〜続つづける: 上達じょうたつし続つづける, "keep improving." In business, add 引き続ひきつづき at the front for "continue to" in the sense of "as before."

Does 継続けいぞく sound unfriendly? Not unfriendly, only formal. It is perfect for contracts, subscriptions, and announcements; it feels stiff in casual speech, where 続つづける is the right choice.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab, and the two columns land in Front / Back.

続ける	つづける — to continue, to keep (something) going
続く	つづく — to continue, to go on (by itself)
続き	つづき — continuation, the rest
継続する	けいぞくする — to continue (formal)
引き続き	ひきつづき — continuing on, as before (business)
そのまま	そのまま — as it is, unchanged
やめる	やめる — to stop, to quit
走る	はしる — to run
待つ	まつ — to wait
次回	じかい — next time, next episode
契約	けいやく — contract
雨	あめ — rain

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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