Continuer

Continuer is a French verb meaning to continue, to go on, to carry on, or to resume an action. It can be used both intransitively (to keep going) and transitively (to continue something). As a regular -er verb, it follows the standard conjugation pattern for first-group verbs.

Etymology and range of meaning: The verb derives from Latin continuare, from continuus meaning uninterrupted. In French, continuer covers a wide range of contexts—continuing an activity, a journey, a discussion, a process, or a state—and it is common in both everyday speech and formal writing.

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense, its forms are je continue, tu continues, il continue, nous continuons, vous continuez, ils continuent. Its past tenses include j’ai continué (passé composé) and je continuais (imparfait). The future simple is je continuerai, and the conditional is je continuerais. The subjunctive present is que je continue, que tu continues, qu’il continue, que nous continuions, que vous continuiez, qu’ils continuent. The imperative forms are continue, continuons, and continuez. As with many French verbs, continuer can be followed by an infinitive to express ongoing actions: continuer à faire quelque chose is the standard construction, while continuer de faire quelque chose is also used in some contexts.

Usage notes: continuer à + infinitive is common to indicate continuing an activity, as in Nous continuerons à étudier. continuer de + infinitive appears in more register or nuanced contexts. The phrase continuer sur sa lancée (to keep up one’s momentum) and continuer jusqu’à un point is frequently used with time or distance markers.

See also: similar verbs such as poursuivre (to pursue) and prolonger (to prolong).