字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

continue, series, sequel

On’yomi ゾク、ショク、コウ、キョウ
Kun’yomi つづ.く、つづ.ける、つぐ.ない
Nanori つぐ

Origin

The character 続 is built from the thread radical 糸 on the left, which indicates the meaning has to do with strings or things connected together. The right component 売 serves as a sound hint, showing roughly how the character should be pronounced. When you have threads or strands connected one after another without breaking, that captures the idea of continuation or an unbroken series — which is why adding the thread classifier to this sound-hint component created a character meaning "to continue" or "sequel."

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).

続 13 strokes

Components

  • 糸 radical left
  • 売 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 永続 えいぞく permanence; continuation
  • 勤続 きんぞく continuous service
  • 継続 けいぞく continuation; continuance
  • 後続 こうぞく succeeding; following
  • 持続 じぞく continuation; persisting
  • 接続 せつぞく connection; attachment
  • 相続 そうぞく succession
  • 続く つづく to continue; to last

Related kanji

Same sound component 売
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
13
Kangxi radical
120
Grade
Grade 4 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#141 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+07D9A