GRAMMAR DETAIL
続ける
Follows the verb stem to indicate that the same action continues over a period of time.
Examples
彼女は強い雨の中を一人で歩き続けた。
She kept walking alone through the heavy rain.
Words used
雨が止んでも、風は吹き続けている。
Even when the rain stops, the wind keeps blowing.
Words used
選手たちは暗くなるまで走り続けた。
The athletes kept running until it grew dark.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: A verb's
ますstem takes続ける. - Basic usage:
歩き続けたindicates that the walking continued.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Intention and phenomena
風は吹き続けているdescribes the wind continuing to blow. The addition of続けるdoes not make every event an intentional human action.
- Continuation and tense
走り続けるand走り続けたdiffer in tense through the final inflection.続けるemphasizes continuation, while走っているcan focus on an action in progress in context.