継ぐ
つぐ
godan verb, transitive
to succeed, to inherit, to follow
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 継ぐ | 継がない |
| Present polite | 継ぎます | 継ぎません |
| Past | 継いだ | 継がなかった |
| Past polite | 継ぎました | 継ぎませんでした |
| て form | 継いで | 継がなくて |
| ている present | 継いでいる | 継いでいない |
| ている polite | 継いでいます | 継いでいません |
| ている past | 継いでいた | 継いでいなかった |
| ている past polite | 継いでいました | 継いでいませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 継げば | 継がなければ |
| Conditional たら | 継いだら | 継がなかったら |
| Volitional | 継ごう | — |
| Volitional polite | 継ぎましょう | — |
| Potential | 継げる | 継げない |
| Passive | 継がれる | 継がれない |
| Causative | 継がせる | 継がせない |
| Imperative | 継げ | 継ぐな |
1.
to succeed, to inherit
To take over a position, business, or tradition.
継ぐ means to succeed or take over something from a predecessor.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 他動詞 (transitive)
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 家業を継ぐ: to take over the family business
- 後を継ぐ: to succeed someone
- 跡を継ぐ: to inherit a position/legacy
- 王位を継ぐ: to succeed to the throne
KANJI DISTINCTION:
- 継ぐ: to succeed, inherit
- 注ぐ: to pour (liquid)
- 接ぐ: to join, graft, splice
- 次ぐ: to rank next to
RELATED:
- 後継者: successor
- 継承: succession, inheritance
ASPECT (ている):
- 継いでいる: has taken over / has inherited (resultative state)
- Note: 継ぐ is punctual — it refers to the moment of succession or inheritance. 継いでいる describes the resulting state: the person now runs the business, holds the position, or carries on the tradition. 息子が店を継いでいる means "the son has taken over the shop (and now runs it)," not "is in the process of taking over."