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持续 (chí xù) — to continue; to last; to persist

Definition

持续 describes a state that keeps going on its own (rain, growth, a meeting) — the focus is duration. 继续 means someone deliberately picks up where they left off; 坚持 is about willpower and not giving up.

verb
to continueto lastto persist

Examples

  • 持续。
    Zhè zhǒng gāo wēn tiān qì huì chí xù dào xià zhōu.
    This kind of hot weather will last until next week.
  • 持续。
    Gōng sī de lì rùn yǐ jīng chí xù zēng zhǎng le sān nián.
    The company's profits have been growing continuously for three years.
  • 持续。
    Tā men zhī jiān de duì huà chí xù le liǎng gè xiǎo shí.
    Their conversation lasted two hours.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

持chíkeep
续xùcontinue

持续 combines keep and continue to mean last or persist.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì持chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 持 →

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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