不ふ通つう

ふ

つ

う

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

Refers to a service, communication, or transport being down or cut off, often due to an accident, disaster, or technical issue. Commonly used in compound nouns like 交通不通 (traffic stoppage) or 電話不通 (phone line down).

大おお雪ゆきで鉄

てつ

道どう

が

不ふ

通つう

に

なっ

た

。

The railway was suspended due to heavy snow.

地じ震しんの後あと、電でん話わが不ふ通つうになった。

After the earthquake, the phone lines went down.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が不ふ通つうになるfor a service or connection to become suspended
大おお雪ゆきで電でん車しゃが不ふ通つうになった。
The trains were suspended due to heavy snow.
〈場ば所しょ〉との連れん絡らくが不ふ通つうになるfor communication with a place to be cut off
地じ震しんで被ひ災さい地ちとの連れん絡らくが不ふ通つうになった。
The earthquake cut off communication with the disaster area.
不ふ通つうが続つづくfor a suspension or outage to continue
この区く間かんは今いまも不ふ通つうが続つづいている。
This section of the line is still out of service.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
通traffic, pass through, avenue

Related words

停てい止しN3
停止 is a general word for stopping something (machines, movement, services), whereas 不通 specifically means a connection or route has become impassable.
中ちゅう断だんN2
中断 implies an interruption that is expected to resume, while 不通 focuses on the state of a line or connection being cut off.

Opposites

開かい通つうN2
不通 means a line or connection is cut off, while 開通 means it opens up and becomes usable.

Don't confuse with

普ふ通つうN4
不通 (suspension, connection cut off) and 普通 (ordinary, usual) share the same reading ふつう but have completely unrelated meanings.

Word family

一いち文もん不ふ通つう
total illiteracy
不ふ通つう箇か所しょ
blocked section; impassable spot
音おん信しん不ふ通つう
no communication; out of touch; not hearing from someone

Etymology

Compound of 不 (fu, 'not') and 通 (tsū, 'pass through, communicate'). The reading ふつう is a regular on'yomi combination.