godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
go along; pass by; go through; take a route
Used for a person, vehicle, route, or movement passing along or through a place. The place passed through is often marked with を.
駅へ行くには、この道を通る。
To get to the station, you take this road.
台
The typhoon passed south of Kyushu.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
Used of buses, trains, rail lines, roads, and similar services or routes that run through or connect places.
この町には空港行きのバスが通っている。
A bus to the airport runs through this town.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
go indoors; come in; be admitted
Used for entering or being allowed into a room or interior; common in polite invitations such as お通りください.
どうぞ中へお通りください。
Please come inside.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
Describes something physically passing through a material or obstacle, such as a bullet, needle, or skewer.
弾丸は厚い板を通った。
The bullet went through the thick board.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
permeate; soak in; spread throughout
Used when flavor, moisture, heat, color, or a similar quality reaches into or throughout something.
煮物に味がよく通っている。
The flavor has soaked well into the simmered dish.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
carry; reach far
Especially common of a voice or sound that carries clearly over distance.
彼女の声は広いホールでもよく通る。
Her voice carries well even in a large hall.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be relayed; be passed on; be conveyed
Used when an order, request, instruction, or message has been passed along to the relevant person or place.
追加の注文がまだ厨房に通っていない。
The additional order has not been passed on to the kitchen yet.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
pass; be approved; be accepted
Used for passing an examination, proposal, bill, screening, or other formal or informal process.
彼は難しい試験に通った。
He passed a difficult exam.
その法案は委員会を通った。
The bill passed the committee.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be known as; have a reputation as; go by
Often appears as 〜として通っている or 〜で通っている, meaning that someone or something is generally known or accepted in that way.
彼はこの町で腕のいい医者として通っている。
He is known in this town as a skilled doctor.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
make sense; be logical; be coherent
Common in expressions such as 筋が通る, 理屈が通る, and 話が通る, where an explanation or argument is internally reasonable.
その説明は筋が通っている。
That explanation is logical.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be understood; get across
Used when words, a language, or what someone is trying to say is understood by the other side.
このホテルでは日本語が通る。
Japanese is understood at this hotel.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
pass for; come across as; seem like
Used with 〜で通る to say that something can be taken or accepted as being a certain kind of thing.
この偽物は一見すると本物で通る。
At first glance, this fake passes for the real thing.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be straight; run straight
A specialized descriptive use for grain, lines, or similar patterns that run straight through a material.
この板は木目がまっすぐ通っている。
The grain of this board runs straight.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be well-informed; be wise
Archaic use. In modern Japanese, meanings like being knowledgeable are normally expressed with words such as 通じている or 詳しい rather than standalone 通る.
古い文章では、「通った人」が物事によく通じた賢い人を指すことがある。
In old writing, 通った人 can refer to a wise person well versed in things.
suffix, godan verb (-ru)
Suffix-like use after the masu-stem of another verb, often in established compounds such as 澄み通る or 響き通る, adding a sense of thoroughness or reaching all the way through.
湖の水は底まで澄み通っていた。
The lake water was clear all the way to the bottom.