Japanese Grammar: 続ける (tsudzukeru)

Japanese Grammar: 続ける (tsudzukeru)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

To continue, to keep doing, or to carry on with an action or state.

🎯 Primary Function

Expresses the continuation of an action or a state over a period of time.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Verb Stem] 続ける / [Noun] を 続ける
[Adjective -i] くなり続ける
[Adjective -na] になり続ける
[Verb Stem] 続けない / を 続けない

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in business and formal speeches to discuss ongoing projects or efforts (e.g., 努力し続ける).

😊 Informal Situations

Commonly used in daily conversation to talk about things like hobbies, weather, or repetitive actions.

✍️ Written Language

Commonly found in news reports, literature, and essays to describe trends or historical continuities.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very frequent in spoken Japanese to emphasize the duration of an activity.

💡 Common Applications

Compound Verb Usage
When attached to the stem of another verb, it indicates that the action is performed continuously without stopping.
Example: 読み続ける (Keep reading)
Transitive Verb Usage
Used as a standard transitive verb with an object to show the continuation of a task or habit.
Example: 仕事を続ける (Continue work)
Expressing Habits
Used to describe long-term habits that the subject maintains over a period of time.
Example: 日記を書き続ける (Keep writing a diary)
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4
Example Sentences
Example #1
私は3年間、日本語を勉強し続けています。
Furigana: わたしはさんねんかん、にほんごをべんきょうしつづけています。
Romaji: Watashi wa sannenkan, nihongo o benkyou shi tsuzukete imasu.
English: I have been continuing to study Japanese for three years.
Example #2
朝方から雨が降り続けている。
Furigana: あさがたからあめがふりつづけている。
Romaji: Asagata kara ame ga furi tsuzukete iru.
English: It has been raining since this morning.
Example #3
彼は休まずに一時間走り続けた。
Furigana: かれはやすまずにいちじかんはしりつづけた。
Romaji: Kare wa yasumazu ni ichijikan hashiri tsuzuketa.
English: He kept running for an hour without resting.
Example #4
あなたの夢を追い続けてください。
Furigana: あなたのゆめをおいつづけてください。
Romaji: Anata no yume o oi tsuzukete kudasai.
English: Please keep following your dreams.
Example #5
赤ん坊が一晩中泣き続けた。
Furigana: あかちゃんがひとばんじゅうなきつづけた。
Romaji: Akanbou ga hitobanjuu naki tzuketa.
English: The baby kept crying all night.
Example #6
この町にずっと住み続けたいです。
Furigana: このまちにずっとすみつづけたいです。
Romaji: Kono machi ni zutto sumi tsuzuketai desu.
English: I want to keep living in this town forever.
Example #7
彼女は駅で彼を待ち続けた。
Furigana: かのじょはえきでかれをまちつづけた。
Romaji: Kanojo wa eki de kare o machi tsuzuketa.
English: She kept waiting for him at the station.
Example #8
大変でも、この仕事を続けます。
Furigana: たいへんでも、このしごとをつづけます。
Romaji: Taihen demo, kono shigoto o tsuzukemasu.
English: Even if it’s difficult, I will continue this work.
Example #9
物価が毎年上がり続けている。
Furigana: ぶっかがまいねんあがりつづけている。
Romaji: Bukka ga mainen agari tsuzukete iru.
English: Prices keep rising every year.
Example #10
彼は二時間しゃべり続けた。
Furigana: かれはにじかんしゃべりつづけた。
Romaji: Kare wa nijikan shaberi tsuzuketa.
English: He kept talking for two hours.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Masu-stem + 続ける
When used as a suffix, it attaches to the Masu-stem of the verb.
Example: 勉強し続ける (Benkyou-shi-tsuzukeru)
Transitive vs. Intransitive
‘Tsuzukeru’ is transitive (requires an actor or intentionality), while ‘Tsuzuku’ is intransitive (something continues on its own).
Example: 会議が続く (Intransitive) vs 会議を続ける (Transitive)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 雨が続く。 (to mean ‘It keeps raining’ in the moment)
✅ 雨が降り続けている。
‘Tsuzukeru’ is the transitive/active form used for actions. While ‘Tsuzukete iru’ is common for weather, beginners often confuse it with the intransitive ‘Tsuzuku’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral/Polite depending on the ending.
Social Situations: Often used when discussing persistence, which is a highly valued trait in Japanese culture (ganbaru/patience).
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~ている vs ~続ける
~ている simply states a current state or ongoing action, while ~続ける emphasizes the ‘persistence’ or the fact that the action hasn’t stopped over time.
When to use: Use ~続ける when you want to highlight that someone is ‘keeping at it’ or an action is ‘uninterrupted’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

続ける is an Ichidan (Group 2) verb. It conjugates as: 続けます (polite), 続けない (negative), 続ければ (conditional).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pay attention to the ‘tsu’ sound and the double ‘zu’ (often written as ‘du’ in some systems). The pitch usually drops after ‘tsu’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Tsuzukeru’ as the ‘active’ version of continuation. If you are doing the action yourself or it’s an ongoing process like rain, use this form to emphasize the ‘keeping on’ aspect.

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