接着【jiēzhe】

接着 links two events with no gap between them: the second starts as the first ends. It goes at the start of the second clause or after its subject, and often has 就 or 又 nearby.

In a story, 接着 on its own, followed by a comma, moves to the next event: "next".

Carrying on

Before a verb, with no other event in between, 接着 means "go on doing" something that was interrupted.

接着 or 然后

然后 only orders events: this, then that, with any gap. 接着 says the second follows immediately or continues the first.

接着 or 继续

继续 also means "continue", and it can take a noun. 接着 needs a verb after it.

• × 我们接着昨天的讨论 → 我们继续昨天的讨论 / 我们接着讨论