继 meaning and stroke order
To continue; to follow after; to go on with
How to write 继, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
Meaning of 继
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to continue
- to follow after
- to go on with
- to succeed
- to inherit
- then
How 继 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 米 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 继
继 has the silk radical 纟 (thread) on the left and 米 (mǐ) on the right, wrapped in a frame. Picture tying a new thread onto the end of an old one so the line can continue.
继 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in words like 继续 (jìxù, to continue) and 继承 (jìchéng, to inherit). Example: 我们继续上课吧。 (Wǒmen jìxù shàngkè ba.) Let's continue the class.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 继 with 断 (duàn, to break), because the right side looks similar, but the meanings are opposite. Another slip is reading 米 as a sound hint and saying mǐ. The character is read jì, with a falling fourth tone.
Common words with 继
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 继续 | jìxù | to continue; to proceed with; to go on with | HSK 3 |
| 继承 | jìchéng | to inherit; to succeed to (the throne etc) | HSK 5 |
| 继父 | jìfù | stepfather | HSK 7-9 |
| 继母 | jìmǔ | stepmother | HSK 7-9 |
| 夜以继日 | yèyǐjìrì | night and day (idiom); continuous strenuous effort | HSK 7-9 |
| 相继 | xiāngjì | in succession; following closely | HSK 7-9 |
| 继而 | jì'ér | then; afterwards | HSK 7-9 |
| 前赴后继 | qiánfù-hòujì | to advance dauntlessly in wave upon wave (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 继承人 | jìchéngrén | heir; successor | |
| 继承权 | jìchéngquán | right of inheritance | |
| 继任者 | jìrènzhě | successor | |
| 继承者 | jìchéngzhě | successor | |
| 继女 | jìnǚ | stepdaughter | |
| 继任 | jìrèn | to succeed sb in a job; successor |
继 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 继
How many strokes are in 继?
继 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 继 mean?
继 (jì) means to continue; to follow after; to go on with. A common word with it is 继续 (jìxù), meaning "to continue; to proceed with; to go on with".
How do you pronounce 继?
继 is pronounced jì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 继?
The radical of 继 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 继 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 继?
The traditional form of 继 is 繼. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 继 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 继 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 继 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 继续 and 连续?
继续 (jìxù) means to go on with something, often after a pause. 连续 (liánxù) means happening in an unbroken series, like 连续三天 (three days in a row).
Why does 继 appear in words for stepparents?
继 carries the sense of following after or succeeding someone. So 继父 (jìfù) and 继母 (jìmǔ) are the father or mother who comes after, meaning stepfather and stepmother.