続く
tsu-zu-ku
A road continues the same way a story does
The picture One thing links to the next, and the next, without a break. Time, road, or people: the same line. 続く has the line carry on to the next; 終わる cuts that line off right there.
Where the picture shows up in 続く
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Days running on unbroken
雨が三日続いています。
ame ga mikka tsuzuite imasu
It has been raining for three days.
The rain days fill the calendar side by side — the day before, yesterday, today — with no blank between them.
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A road running on unbroken
この道はまっすぐ駅まで続いています。
kono michi wa massugu eki made tsuzuite imasu
This road runs straight to the station.
A road starting at your feet runs as one unbroken line all the way to the station.
The same line is used for space, not just time.
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Carrying over to the next round
話は来週も続きます。
hanashi wa raishū mo tsuzuki-masu
The talk continues next week too.
Today's talk breaks off, and next week's talk joins onto the same line at that break.
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Following on behind
私の後に続いてください。
watashi no ato ni tsuzuite kudasai
Please follow along behind me.
Your foot comes right behind the heel in front of you and becomes the next link in the same line.
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People strung out in a line
後ろに長い列が続いています。
ushiro ni nagai retsu ga tsuzuite imasu
There is a long queue stretching out behind.
Behind you, one person joins on after another until the line runs long with no break.
All of it in one picture
続く is one line that links to the next with no break. Rain days standing side by side with no blank and it has kept raining; a road running as one line to the station and it goes all the way there; next week joining onto today's break and the talk continues; your foot landing behind the heel in front and you are following; person after person joining on behind and the queue stretches. Days, roads, people — from where you stand it is always the same picture: one line with no empty slot in it.