継

音読おんよみ: ケイ

訓読くんよみ: つぐ

画数かくすう: 13

部首ぶしゅ: いとへん（糸）

Meaning

Inherit / Succeed / Continue / Follow.

  • 継つぐ — to succeed; to inherit; to continue
  • 受うけ継つぐ — to take over; to hand down
  • 継続けいぞく — continuation; to continue
  • 継承けいしょう — succession; inheritance (also tech “inheritance”)
  • 中継ちゅうけい — relay; live broadcast
  • 後継こうけい — successor
  • 継母ままはは — stepmother

The left side 糸 is “thread,” hinting at connection and things being tied together. Think of joining one thread to the next so the line continues — that’s the core idea of 継: to continue, inherit, or take over.

続

Pair it with 続 (to continue). Picture tying two threads so the line keeps going — 継 is the act of joining/handing over, while 続 is the state of continuing.

中
Relay

中継ちゅうけい — relay; live broadcast (signal passed along)

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