通とおる

と

お

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

通る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	通とおる	通とおらない
Polite	通とおります	通とおりません
Past polite	通とおりました	通とおりませんでした
Past	通とおった	通とおらなかった
Te-form	通とおって	通とおらないで
Desire	通とおりたい	通とおりたくない
Potential	通とおれる	通とおれない
Passive	通とおられる	通とおられない
Causative	通とおらせる	通とおらせない
Causative passive	通とおらせられるalso 通とおらされる	通とおらせられないalso 通とおらされない
Volitional	通とおろう
Polite volitional	通とおりましょう
Imperative	通とおれ	通とおるな
Conditional	通とおれば	通とおらなければ
Tara conditional	通とおったら	通とおらなかったら

Pairs with通す

Meanings

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.

駅えきへ行いくには、この道みちを通とおる。
To get to the station, you take this road.
台たい風ふうは九きゅう州しゅうの南みなみを通とおった。
The typhoon passed south of Kyushu.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

run; operate; connect

Used of buses, trains, rail lines, roads, and similar services or routes that run through or connect places.

この町まちには空くう港こう行いきのバスが通とおっている。
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.

どうぞ中なかへお通とおりください。
Please come inside.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

penetrate; pierce; go through

Describes something physically passing through a material or obstacle, such as a bullet, needle, or skewer.

弾だん丸がんは厚あつい板いたを通とおった。
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.

煮に物ものに味あじがよく通とおっている。
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.

彼かの女じょの声こえは広ひろいホールでもよく通とおる。
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.

追つい加かの注ちゅう文もんがまだ厨ちゅう房ぼうに通とおっていない。
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.

彼かれは難むずかしい試し験けんに通とおった。
He passed a difficult exam.
その法ほう案あんは委い員いん会かいを通とおった。
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.

彼かれはこの町まちで腕うでのいい医い者しゃとして通とおっている。
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.

その説せつ明めいは筋すじが通とおっている。
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にほん語ごが通とおる。
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.

この偽にせ物ものは一いっ見けんすると本ほん物もので通とおる。
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.

この板いたは木もく目めがまっすぐ通とおっている。
The grain of this board runs straight.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

be well-informed; be wise

archaic

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.

古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「通とおった人ひと」が物もの事ごとによく通つうじた賢かしこい人ひとを指さすことがある。
In old writing, 通った人 can refer to a wise person well versed in things.

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

do completely; do thoroughly

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.

湖みずうみの水みずは底そこまで澄すみ通とおっていた。
The lake water was clear all the way to the bottom.

See all 452 example sentences ›

Usage patterns· 8

〈場ば所しょ〉を通とおるto go along/through a place
この道みちを通とおると近ちか道みちです。
If you go along this street, it's a shortcut.
〈物もの〉が〈場ば所しょ〉を通とおるfor a bus/train/road to run through a place
このバスは駅えき前まえを通とおります。
This bus runs past the station.
声こえが通とおるfor a voice to carry well
彼かれの声こえはよく通とおる。
His voice carries very well.
話はなしが通とおるfor a story/explanation to make sense
彼かれの話はなしはどこか通とおらない。
Something about his story doesn't add up.
試し験けんに通とおるto pass an exam
彼かれは難むずかしい試し験けんに通とおった。
He passed the difficult exam.

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〜として通とおっているto be known as ...
彼かれは天てん才さいとして通とおっている。
He is known as a genius.
〈事こと〉が〈人ひと〉に通とおるfor an order/instruction to be conveyed to someone
彼かれの指し示じが全ぜん員いんに通とおった。
His instructions got through to everyone.
〈人ひと〉は〈事こと〉で通とおるto pass for/come across as being a certain way
彼かれは若わかく見みえるので20代だいで通とおる。
He looks young enough to pass for someone in his twenties.

Expressions· 24

筋すじが通とおるmake sense; be logical; be consistent
この通とおりlike this; in this way; as you see
その通とおりexactly; just like that; I agree · that street
元もとの通とおりas it was before; back to the original state
右みぎの通とおりas stated above; as mentioned above

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名なが通とおるbe well-known; be famous
喉のどを通とおるcan eat; can swallow; go down one's throat
左さの通とおりas follows; as stated below

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Kanji

通traffic, pass through, avenue
透transparent, permeate, filter
徹penetrate, clear, pierce

Transitive / intransitive

通とおすN3sense 1
通す is the transitive partner of 通る: 通す means to let something/someone through or push something through, while 通る means it goes through by itself.

Related words· 6

通つうじるN3sense 11
通る and 通じる both cover being understood or connected, but 通じる is the more common choice for language comprehension and for routes or systems being linked.
過すぎるN4sense 1
通る implies moving along or through a route, while 過ぎる simply means to go past a point in time or space without any sense of a route or approval.
通つう過かN3
通る is the everyday verb for passing through or being accepted, while 通過 is the more formal Sino-Japanese noun/suru-verb used in reports on transport, procedures, and stages.
経へるN1
通る means to physically pass through a place, while 経る can describe passing through abstract stages or processes as well as physical space.

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受うかるN3
通る is a casual, colloquial way to say you passed an exam, very close in feel to 受かる but slightly more informal and spoken.
通とおり過すぎるN3
通る is the general verb for passing through or along a route, whereas 通り過ぎる specifically highlights moving past a fixed point without stopping there.

Opposites

落おちるN4sense 8
試験に通る means to pass an exam, while 試験に落ちる means to fail it.
詰つまるN2
通る means something passes through freely, the opposite of 詰まる, which means it is blocked and cannot pass.

Don't confuse with

通かようN4sense 1
通る (とおる) means to pass through or along a route once, whereas 通う (かよう) means to go back and forth regularly, like commuting to school or work.
通とおりN3
通る is the verb meaning 'to pass through or go along,' whereas 通り is the noun referring to a street, flow, or the fixed expression 'as ~'.
凍こおるN3
凍る (こおる, 'to freeze') and 通る (とおる, 'to pass through') sound very similar to learners but have completely unrelated meanings.

Word family· 78

通とおりN3
street; road; avenue · traffic; coming and going · flow; passage; transmission · reputation; popularity; favor · understanding; comprehensibility; clarity · as; in the same way as; according to · counter for sets, methods, ways, kinds
文も字じ通どおりN1
literally; to the letter · literal
思おもい通どおり
as one wants; as one likes; to one's satisfaction
大おお通どおりN2
main street; avenue; boulevard
通とおりすがり
passing by; just passing through

Show 25 more

通とおり抜ぬけ
passing through; through passage
元もと通どおり
as before; as it was originally; back to normal
通とおり魔ま
random attacker; slasher; street assailant · passing demon; demon that brings misfortune to passersby
通とおり過すぎるN3
pass by; go past
通とおり道みち
passage; path; route; one's way
素す通どおり
passing through without stopping; passing by
通とおり抜ぬける
go through; pass through; get through; cut across
人ひと通どおりN2
pedestrian traffic; passersby; foot traffic
裏うら通どおりN1
back street; side street; alley
透すき通とおるN2
be transparent; be see-through; be clear · be clear (voice/sound)
まかり通とおる
go unpunished; be tolerated; get away with
中なか通どおり
intermediate street; middle street
中ちゅう通どおり
medium quality; middling; average
通とおりがかり
passing by; happening to pass
通とおり名な
alias; assumed name; nickname · house name; family name used publicly · street name; avenue name
表おもて通どおりN1
main street; high street
本ほん通どおり
main street; boulevard
通とおり掛かかるN3
happen to pass by; come along
通とおり雨あめ
passing shower; brief rain
一ひと通とおりN2
generally; roughly; briefly · everything; all parts; the whole process · ordinary; usual; average · one method
駅えき前まえ通どおり
street in front of the station
目め通どおり
audience with a superior · diameter at breast height
型かた通どおり
formal; conventional; stereotypical; by the book
目め抜ぬき通どおり
main street; principal street; thoroughfare
予よ定てい通どおりN2
as planned; according to plan

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Written forms

通とおるUsage95%
Standard, high-frequency spelling for the broad verb meaning to pass, go through, be accepted, make sense, and related uses.
とおるUsage5%
透とおるUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare attested kanji form. When encountered, it tends to suggest passing through, permeating, carrying clearly, or clarity in compound-like uses; 通る is the normal spelling.
徹とおるUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare attested kanji form. It suggests penetration, going through thoroughly, or thoroughness; 通る is the normal spelling in ordinary writing.

Etymology

A native Japanese verb read とおる. The kanji 通 is conventionally associated with passage, circulation, and communication; the exact historical derivation is not specified.