The character 继续 is formed by combining two separate characters, each with a related core idea of succession. The first character, 继 (jì), originally depicted silken threads being connected end-to-end, conveying the concept of continuing or carrying on. The second, 续 (xù), similarly contains the silk radical and emphasizes the idea of extending, joining, or adding to something. Together, they form a compound where the meanings reinforce each other, visually and conceptually representing the unbroken extension of an action or state, like threads woven into a continuous line.