Word
持続
Meaning in Englishcontinuation, endurance
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
持続 means the ongoing maintenance or continuation of something over time. It denotes a state of being kept up or carried forward with stability, rather than a temporary condition.
Main meanings
- Continuation over time — jizoku
- Durability or persistence in processes or situations — jizokusei
- Sustainability or long-term viability in policies or systems — jizokukanousei
- As a base noun for 持続する, meaning to persist or endure — jizoku suru
How to use it
Primarily used as a noun in formal and written Japanese; forms verbs and compounds such as 持続する and 持続性, and appears in academic, policy, and environmental discourse to discuss continuity, endurance, or long-term viability.
Variants and close terms
- 持続性 — jizokusei
- 継続 — keizoku
- 連続 — renzoku
- 持続する — jizoku suru
- 持続可能性 — jizokukanousei
- Antonyms: 短命 — tannmei; 中断 — chuudan; 断絶 — danzetsu
Composition
- 持 — hold, possess, maintain
- 続 — continue, endure
Etymology
持続 combines 持 (to hold) and 続 (to continue), yielding the sense of keeping something going over time. The common on-reading is じぞく (jizoku).
Word class
noun (名詞); also the base for 持続する (to persist)