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连续 (lián xù) — continuous; consecutive; in succession

Definition

Means 'continuous / in a row / in succession' — emphasizes events repeating one after another with no gap. Pairs naturally with time nouns (三天、五年); 接连 is similar but leans adverbial ('one after another'), while 不断 stresses unbroken continuation.

verb
continuousconsecutivein succession

Examples

  • 连续。
    Zuì jìn lián xù xià le sān tiān yǔ.
    It's been raining for three consecutive days recently.
  • 连续。
    Tā lián xù wǔ nián huò dé yōu xiù yuán gōng jiǎng.
    He won the excellent employee award for five consecutive years.
  • 连续。
    Zhè ge wèn tí yǐ jīng lián xù chū xiàn sān cì le.
    This problem has already appeared three times in a row.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

连liánconnect
续xùcontinue

连 and 续 both suggest joining without a break.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 連; 连 is its simplified writing.

  • 辶辵chuòto walk
  • 車車jūchariot

The traditional form 連 joins 辶 (walk) and 車 (chariot) to show a man-drawn carriage; this note is about 連, not the simplified 连.

Open 连 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 續; 续 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧶠
𧶠𧶠續xù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 續 pairs 糸 (rope) with 𧶠 as the sound part; the simplified 续 is a later abbreviation.

Open 续 →
Appears in
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