Skip to content
fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

つづける

続ける

to keep going, to continue

  • #212 most used
  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI keep going
NegativeI don’t keep going

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI kept going
NegativeI didn’t keep going

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formkeeping going, and…
Doing now (て います)I am keeping going
Please (て ください)please keep going

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can keep going
NegativeI can’t keep going

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to keep going
NegativeI don’t want to keep going

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s keep going

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I keep going
  2. If, when (たら) if I keep going

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) keep going (do it)
  2. Plain command keep going!
  3. Please don’t please don’t keep going

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am kept going
CausativeI make someone keep going

How to use つづける

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    むり しないで、 すこし ずつ つづけます。

    I'll keep at it little by little, without overdoing it.

  2. Past

    ベン は さんねんかん にほんご を つづけた。

    Ben kept up his Japanese for three years.

  3. Te-form

    やめないで、 そのまま つづけて ください。

    Don't stop, please keep going just like that.

  4. Potential

    この しごと なら、 ながく つづけられます。

    This job I can keep up for a long time.

  5. Want to

    けっこん して も、 しごと は つづけたい。

    Even after marrying, I want to keep working.

  6. Volitional

    じゃあ、 きのう の はなし を つづけよう。

    Right then, let's carry on with yesterday's conversation.

  7. Conditional

    まいにち つづければ、 かならず じょうず に なる。

    If you keep at it every day, you'll surely get good.

  8. Commands and requests

    はじめた こと は、 さいご まで つづけなさい。

    What you start, keep going to the end.

  9. Passive and causative

    この まつり は えどじだい から つづけられて います。

    This festival has been kept going since the Edo period.

Good to know

  • つづける is to keep something going; つづく is for what goes on by itself: あめ が つづく.
  • After a verb stem it means to keep doing: はなしつづける, はしりつづける.

Where you hear つづける

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Intermediate Level 2

  • にほんご の べんきょう は まいにち つづけて いる。 I keep up my Japanese every day.
  • よる まで しごと を つづけた。 I kept working until night.
  • らいねん も バイト を つづける。 I'll keep the job next year too.
2
Sota's First Day

Intermediate Level 2 · つづける · じゃ、 つづける の？

Free 13
Obon

Intermediate Level 2 · つづけた

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).