持续
chíxù · HSK 3
persist
⏳ 持 = hold + 续 = continue: holding on, continuing on
持 means to hold/grasp; 续 means to continue or extend. Together they mean to keep something going — to persist or carry on. Think of it as hold-plus-continue: an action that keeps holding on.
持 — hand 扌 + temple 寺 (phonetic)
持 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning 'to hold' or 'grasp', while 寺 supplies the sound (it once read close to chí). Originally depicting a hand holding something firmly, it broadened to mean 'maintain', 'support', or 'keep' over time.
续 — silk radical 糹+ 賣 (sell, phonetic)
续 is the simplified form of 續. The silk radical 糹 signals the original meaning of joining threads end-to-end, while 賣 served as the phonetic component. From 'splicing silk' the meaning broadened to 'continue, connect, extend' in general use.