continúa

Continúa is a Spanish verb form derived from continuar. It functions as the third-person singular present indicative tense, meaning "he/she/you (formal) continue," and it also serves as the affirmative tú command, meaning "(you) continue." In both uses the spelling includes an accent on the ú to indicate the correct stress.

Etymology and morphology: continuar comes from Latin continuare, itself from continuus, meaning unbroken or uninterrupted. In present tense, continuar follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern with a stress shift that produces forms such as continúo, continúas, continúa, continuamos, continuáis, continúan. The gerund is continuing and the past participle is continuado, while the imperfect and other tenses have their respective forms.

Usage and examples: Continúa is commonly used to express persistence or to urge someone to proceed. Examples include: "Continúa leyendo hasta el final" (Keep reading to the end) and "Ella continúa trabajando a pesar de las dificultades" (She continues working despite the difficulties). As a command, "Continúa" directs the listener to keep going: "Continúa con tu plan" (Continue with your plan). It is important to include the accent mark to avoid confusion with other forms of the same spelling.

Related terms: continue and continuation are English equivalents; synonyms in Spanish include proseguir, seguir adelante, and persistir. Related verb forms include continúo (yo), continúas (tú), continúa (él/usted), continuamos (nosotros), continuáis (vosotros), continúan (ellos). The form continúe appears in the present subjunctive and in formal commands.

See also: continuar, proseguir, persistir, seguir.