continúan

Continúan is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb continuar. It translates to they continue, and in contexts using the pronoun ustedes, it can also mean you (plural) continue in many dialects. The form indicates ongoing action or persistence of a state or activity.

Etymology and form: continuar comes from the Spanish verb with the prefix continuo + -ar, tracing back to Latin continuare from continuus meaning uninterrupted. The accent on the ú in continúan marks the stress on the last syllable in this verb form.

Usage: continúan is used to describe actions or processes that are continuing at the present moment. It appears in a wide range of registers, from news reporting to everyday conversation. Examples include "Las obras continúan" (The works continue) and "Continúan con su plan" (They continue with their plan). It contrasts with completed actions (continuaron) or with forms referring to other persons (continúo, continúas, continúa, continuamos, continuáis).

Grammatical notes: as a finite verb form, continúan agrees with a third-person plural subject: ellos continúan, ellas continúan, ustedes continúan. In regions using the vosotras/vosotros form, the corresponding present form is continuáis, while continúan remains for ustedes. Related forms include the present indicative yo continúo, tú continúas, él continúa; the present participle continuando and the past participle continuado.

See also: continuar, conjugation of continuar, related tenses such as continuaron (preterite) and continuará (future).