to continue; to go on
HSK level
继续 is written with 21 strokes (继: 10, 续: 11). The animation replays automatically.
继续 (jìxù) is a verb meaning 'to continue,' 'to carry on,' or 'to go on doing something.'
It signals that an activity already underway keeps going, often after a pause or interruption: 继续工作 (continue working), 我们继续吧 (let's carry on). Grammatically it usually takes another verb or verb phrase as its object (继续 + verb), functioning much like English 'continue to / keep on.' It can also stand alone as a command — 继续! (carry on!
). Two points for English speakers: first, 继续 emphasizes resuming or sustaining an ongoing action, so for 'continue' meaning 'still exist' you may instead use 还是 or 仍然; second, unlike English 'continue,' 继续 is not typically used with a simple noun object — you say 继续比赛 (continue the match) but rarely 继续 + a static thing. Its opposite is 停止 (tíngzhǐ, to stop).
Character by character
Memory hook: 继 (carry on) + 续 (extend) — pick up the thread and keep going: continue.
我们休息一下再继续。
Wǒmen xiūxi yíxià zài jìxù.
Let's take a break and then continue.
spoken
请继续说，我在听。
Qǐng jìxù shuō, wǒ zài tīng.
Please go on, I'm listening.
neutral
他决定继续读研究生。
Tā juédìng jìxù dú yánjiūshēng.
He decided to continue on to graduate school.
neutral
比赛因下雨暂停，稍后继续。
Bǐsài yīn xià yǔ zàntíng, shāo hòu jìxù.
The match was suspended due to rain and will continue later.
written
持续 means 'to last / persist / be sustained' and describes a state or process enduring over time (持续下雨, the rain kept on). 继续 is about a person resuming or carrying on an action; 持续 is about something continuing on its own without a doer.
接着 means 'next / go on to' and links a following action right after a previous one (说完了，接着做). It stresses sequence; 继续 stresses sustaining the same activity. 接着 = then; 继续 = keep on.
继承 means 'to inherit' (property, tradition, a legacy). It shares 继 but is unrelated to carrying on an activity. Don't use it for 'continue an action.'
Acquire it by listening
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 继续 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.
