Translation guide
The English phrase 'keep up' has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common uses for learners: maintaining pace, continuing an action, staying informed, and preventing someone from sleeping.
〜についていく
keep up with someone/something (pace)
いい仕事を続けてください
keep up the good work
To not fall behind in pace, progress, or standards.
Literally 'go attached', this is the most common way to say 'keep up with' someone or something in terms of speed or progress.
彼の歩くのが速すぎて、ついていけなかった。
He walked so fast I couldn't keep up.
授業についていくのが大変だ。
It's hard to keep up with the class.
Emphasizes not falling behind. Often used when the pace is challenging.
どうにか遅れずについていっています。
I'm managing to keep up (without falling behind).
Means 'catch up' rather than 'keep up'. Use when you have fallen behind and need to reach the same level.
This is 'catch up', not 'keep up'. Only use when you are behind.
遅れた分を取り戻して、みんなに追いついた。
I made up for lost time and caught up with everyone.
To persist in an action or maintain a habit.
The standard verb for 'continue'. Attach to the masu-stem of another verb to mean 'keep doing'.
いい仕事を続けてください。
Keep up the good work.
毎日練習を続けている。
I keep up my practice every day.
Verb stem + 続ける explicitly means 'keep doing' the action. More emphatic than plain 続ける.
雨が降り続けている。
It keeps on raining.
Specifically for 'keep up the effort' or 'keep trying hard'.
これからも頑張り続けます。
I'll keep up the effort from now on too.
To remain updated on news, trends, or developments.
Formal phrase meaning 'grasp the latest information'. Common in business contexts.
業界の動向を常に把握しておく必要がある。
We need to keep up with industry trends.
Same as 'keep up with' pace, but used metaphorically for information or trends.
テクノロジーの進歩についていくのは難しい。
It's hard to keep up with advances in technology.
Idiom meaning 'put up an antenna', i.e., stay alert and gather information. Casual.
常にアンテナを張って、新しい情報をキャッチしている。
I always keep my antenna up and catch new information.
To cause someone to stay awake, often unintentionally.
Causative-negative of 寝る (to sleep). Means 'not let someone sleep'.
赤ちゃんが夜泣きして、一晩中寝かせてもらえなかった。
The baby cried all night and kept me up.
Literally 'keep (someone) awake/up'. Used when you intentionally or unintentionally cause someone to stay awake.
遅くまで友達と話していて、起こしておいてしまった。
I talked with my friend until late and kept them up.
More literal 'cause to be unable to sleep'. A bit wordy but clear.
心配事が彼を眠れなくさせた。
Worries kept him up at night.
ついていく means to keep up without falling behind. 追いつく means to catch up after falling behind. Don't confuse them.
Directly translating 'keep' and 'up' as 保つ (たもつ) and 上 (うえ) makes no sense in Japanese. Always use the appropriate phrase for the meaning.