通り
Meanings
A public road in a town or city, often with buildings along it.
Many shops line this street.
Movement of people or vehicles; often used in phrases like 人の通り (pedestrian traffic).
There is little pedestrian traffic on this road.
Movement of fluids, air, sound, etc. through a space or medium. Sense 4 (sound transmission) is a natural extension.
This room has good airflow.
The voice doesn't carry well; it can't be heard in the back seats.
How well-known or well-regarded someone or something is. Often used with 世間 (public) or in set phrases.
He has a good reputation with the public.
understanding; comprehensibility; clarity
How easy something is to understand; often used in the negative form 通りが悪い (hard to understand).
His explanation is hard to follow.
as; in the same way as; according to
Used as a suffix or in the pattern ～通り (に) to mean 'as stated/expected'. Very common in daily speech.
Please assemble it according to the instructions.
That's exactly right.
counter for sets, methods, ways, kinds
Counts types, ways, or sets. Sense 8 (sets) and sense 9 (methods) are closely related and often interchangeable.
There are three ways to solve this problem.
Please submit two sets of documents.
Usage patterns
- 通りに出るto go out onto the street
I left the house and came out onto the street.
- 〈物〉の通りが多いthere is heavy traffic of ~
There's a lot of car traffic on this road.
- 〈物〉の通りがいい(a sound) carries well
She's a singer whose voice carries well.
- 〈事〉の通りが悪いto be hard to follow or understand
His explanation is hard to follow.
- 〈事〉の通りに〈動詞〉to do (something) exactly as ~
I assembled it exactly as the instructions said.
- 〈数〉通りの〈物〉~ different kinds/ways of ~
There are three different ways to solve this problem.