続ける
tsuzukeru
/tsɯzɯˈkeɾɯ/
Definition
To continue doing something; to keep going without stopping.
Example
毎日日本語を勉強し続けることが大切です。
Show translation
It is important to keep studying Japanese every day.
Etymology
From 続く (tsuzuku, "to continue, to be continuous"), itself from Old Japanese *tuzuku, likely related to the idea of things being connected in sequence. The transitive form 続ける adds the causative-transitive suffix -eru, making it "to cause something to continue."
Cultural note
続ける carries deep resonance in Japanese culture, closely tied to the value of 継続は力なり (keizoku wa chikara nari) — "Continuity is power," a well-known proverb. The concept of sticking with a practice, craft, or discipline over years (even a lifetime) is central to traditional arts like calligraphy, martial arts, and tea ceremony. As a grammar pattern, 〜し続ける (verb stem + shi tsuzukeru) is extremely productive and one of the first compound verb patterns learners should master.