～続ける

～続ける（つづける）attaches to the ます-stem of a verb and means that the action keeps going without stopping. The two verbs fuse into one compound: 走る (to run) → 走り続ける (to keep running).

It corresponds to English “keep doing” or “continue to do”. While ～ている says an action is in progress at some moment, ～続ける emphasizes its duration. It goes on and on over a stretch of time.

Marking continuation of an action

Use ～続ける when the point of the sentence is that the action did not stop. It often appears with duration words like ずっと (“the whole time”) or 三時間 (“three hours”).

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + 続ける

• 走る（はしる）= to run → 走り続ける（はしりつづける）= to keep running
• 話す（はなす）= to talk → 話し続ける（はなしつづける）= to keep talking
• 待つ（まつ）= to wait → 待ち続ける（まちつづける）= to keep waiting

Key idea

～続ける expresses that an action keeps going over time. It emphasizes the continuation or persistence of the action rather than simply stating that it happens.