JLPT N3Spoken and written

通とおすright through, start to finish

Someone keeps one thing up from start to finish, without stopping or changing partway: silent for a whole meeting, a book read to the last page.

彼かれは三さん時じ間かんの会かい議ぎ中ちゅう、黙だまり通とおした。

He didn't say a word through the whole three-hour meeting.

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + 通とおす

読よみます → 読よみ通とおす. 通とおす takes the endings: 読よみ通とおした, 読よみ通とおします. Only certain verbs take it.

Before it: Something a person can keep up: やる, 読よむ, 歩あるく, 守まもる, 黙だまる, 隠かくす.
Often with: How long it lasted or where it ended: 三さん時じ間かん, 最さい後ごまで, 卒そつ業ぎょうの日ひまで.
Tone: Praise for sticking with it (やり通とおす), or a remark on stubbornness (黙だまり通とおす). Either way, they never let up.
Where you'll meet it: Talk and writing, mostly when telling what someone did.

The ones people say

Most are set words. With any other verb, 最さい後ごまで and the plain verb is the safe way to say "to the end".

やり通とおすstick with it to the end

自じ分ぶんで決きめたことだから、最さい後ごまでやり通とおしたい。

I decided this myself, so I want to stick with it to the end.

読よみ通とおすread from start to finish

難むずかしい本ほんだったが、最さい後ごまで読よみ通とおした。

It was a hard book, but I read it through to the end.

守まもり通とおすkeep (a promise, a rule) to the end

店みせは閉へい店てんの日ひまで同おなじ価か格かくを守まもり通とおした。

The shop kept its prices the same until the day it closed.

隠かくし通とおすkeep hidden the whole time

卒そつ業ぎょうの日ひまで、二人ふたりはその秘ひ密みつを隠かくし通とおした。

The two of them kept the secret all the way to graduation day.

通とおす alone is "let through"

With no verb stem before it, 通とおす is to let something through. You will hear this on a crowded train:

すみません、通とおしてください。

Excuse me, could I get through?

Close neighbours

ぬくN3

Getting through something hard. 通とおす is about keeping the same thing up from start to finish, without stopping or changing. With やる and 守まもる both are said, with little between them.

住じゅう民みんたちは限かぎられた食しょく料りょうで厳きびしい冬ふゆを耐たえ抜ぬいた。

The residents got through the harsh winter on limited food.

続つづけるN4

It goes on, and that is all: no end has to be in view. 通とおす is the whole of a stretch that has an end.

これからも日本にほん語ごを勉べん強きょうし続つづけます。

I will keep studying Japanese.

を通とおしてN3

After a noun, a different thing: "through" a person or an experience.

友ゆう人じんを通とおして今いまの会かい社しゃを紹しょう介かいしてもらった。

I was introduced to my current company through a friend.

Check yourself

1What happened?

弟おとうとは四よん十じゅう二にキロを最さい後ごまで走はしり通とおした。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this mean?

受うけ付つけの人ひとが会かい議ぎ室しつに通とおしてくれた。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

The stem makes a noun for "non-stop": 働はたらき通どおし, 立たち通どおし.

今日きょうは朝あさから立たち通どおしで、足あしが痛いたい。

I've been on my feet since this morning, and my legs hurt.

More sentences

山さん頂ちょうまで五ご時じ間かん歩あるき通とおした。

I walked for five hours, the whole way to the summit.

ゴールまで一いち度ども休やすまず走はしり通とおした。

I ran all the way to the finish without stopping once.

どんな批ひ判はんを受うけても、監かん督とくは任にん期きの最さい後ごまで自じ分ぶんの方ほう針しんを貫つらぬき通とおした。

Whatever criticism he received, the manager stuck to his own policy until the end of his term.

彼かれは無む実じつが証しょう明めいされる日ひまで、自じ分ぶんは犯はん人にんではないと言いい通とおした。

Until the day he was proven innocent, he kept insisting that he was not the culprit.