What does 通 mean in Japanese?
通 is built around continuous movement through a channel. The verb 通る (tooru) means to pass through a space; the verb 通う (kayou) means to travel back and forth regularly, the way a commuter or student travels the same route every day. Both readings come from the same kanji.
In compounds, 通 appears in words about commuting (通勤, 通学), traffic (交通), streets (通り), and notifications (通知). Learning to recognise 通 unlocks a wide spread of practical everyday vocabulary.
Reading
On’yomi: ツウ (tsuu), ツ (tsu)
Kun’yomi: とお-る (too-ru), とお-す (too-su), かよ-う (kayo-u)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 通 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | pass through, commute, street |
| Stroke Count | 10 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
通る (intransitive): the subject passes through a place. 通す (transitive): you let something pass through or see something through to the end. 通う (kayou) is specifically repeated back-and-forth travel — commuting, attending classes, going to hospital regularly. This distinction between a single pass (通る) and ongoing repeated travel (通う) is a point learners often miss.
Common Words
- 通る（とおる / tooru） — to pass through, to go along
- 通う（かよう / kayou） — to commute, to attend regularly
- 通勤（つうきん / tsuukin） — commuting to work
- 交通（こうつう / koutsuu） — traffic, transportation
- 通り（とおり / toori） — street, road, avenue
- 通知（つうち / tsuuchi） — notification, notice
Example Sentences
-
この道を通って駅まで行けます。
このみちをとおってえきまでいけます。 / Kono michi o tootte eki made ikemasu.
You can get to the station by going along this road.
-
毎日電車で通勤しています。
まいにちでんしゃでつうきんしています。 / Mainichi densha de tsuukin shite imasu.
I commute by train every day.
-
スマホの通知をオフにしてください。
スマホのつうちをオフにしてください。 / Sumaho no tsuuchi o ofu ni shite kudasai.
Please turn off your smartphone notifications.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The key confusion with 通 is 通る vs 通う. 通る describes passing through a place once: バスがここを通る (the bus passes through here). 通う describes habitual back-and-forth travel: 学校に通う (attend school regularly), 病院に通う (go to the hospital on an ongoing basis). The difference is single trip vs. repeated routine.
通り (toori) as a noun means a street or avenue and appears in Japanese addresses and place names: 青山通り, 明治通り. In directions: この通りをまっすぐ (go straight along this street).
普通 (futsuu, ordinary/regular) is built on 通 — something that passes through without special treatment. 普通電車 (local train, the one that stops at every station) vs 急行 (express). Understanding 通 inside 普通 makes the word feel logical rather than arbitrary.
Summary
通 means passing through or commuting and builds key words including 通る (pass through), 通う (commute), 通勤 (commute to work), 交通 (traffic), 通り (street), and 通知 (notification).