Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 6: 9/20

を通(つう)じてThrough, Via, Throughout

Used when something has been done not directly, but by a proxy/some means/tool/etc.

Structure

Noun + を通(とお)して
Noun + を通(つう)じて

Details

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About を通じて・を通して

を通(つう)じて and を通(とお)して are two grammar patterns in Japanese that have very similar meanings to each other, and are used in many overlapping situations. Primarily, they can be thought of as meaning 'through (A), (B)', or 'via (A), (B)'. This 'through' may either indicate a method, or a location.

通(つう)じる 'to flow', or 'to go through' and 通(とお)す 'to make a path', only differ in that the former is intransitive, while the latter is transitive. Because of this, 通(つう)じる will be seen more often in regard to information or communication where (A) is the connection through which (B) occurs. 通(とお)す on the other hand more often refers to direct locations through which something is transferred or relocated. As this expression begins with を, it will appear after nouns, before expressing in the (B) part of the sentence exactly what was done 'through' (A).

Caution

The primary difference between を通(つう)じて and を通(とお)して lies in the intransitive and transitive nature of the verbs themselves. Due to this, things that are being done 'intentionally', or 'by use of (A)' will tend to use を通(とお)して. を通(つう)じて is more common when something is being done 'throughout (A)'.

  • ロシアには年間(ねんかん)を通(つう)じて寒(さむ)い村(むら)があるらしい。
    I heard that there is a town in Russia that is cold throughout the year. (Natural Japanese)
  • 事故(じこ)にあった際(さい)には弁護士(べんごし)を通(つう)じて相手(あいて)に連絡(れんらく)をするようにしてください。
    If you are involved in an accident, you should contact the other party through your attorney. (Unnatural Japanese)
  • 事故(じこ)にあった際(さい)には弁護士(べんごし)を通(とお)して相手(あいて)に連絡(れんらく)をするようにしてください。
    If you are involved in an accident, you should contact the other party through your attorney. (Natural Japanese)
  • ロシアには年間(ねんかん)を通(とお)して寒(さむ)い村(むら)があるらしい。
    I heard that there is a town in Russia that is cold throughout the year. (Unnatural Japanese)

Examples

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    このプロジェクトを通(つう)じて多(おお)くのことを学(まな)んだ。

    I have learned a lot through participating in this project.

    看病(かんびょう)を通(とお)して人(ひと)の愛(あい)を知(し)りました。

    Through nursing a patient, I came to know human affection.

    叔父(おじ)さんを通(とお)して仕事(しごと)の依頼(いらい)がきた。

    Through my uncle, I got a job commision.

    打合(うちあわ)せを通(とお)して新(あら)たな発見(はっけん)をすることもよくある。

    There are many new discoveries made through business meetings.

    植木(うえき)を通(とお)して自然(しぜん)の尊(とうと)さを学(まな)びました。

    I learned the nobility of nature through planting.

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を通じて・を通して – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (4 in total)

  • Fuga

    Fuga

    Hey @eccol !

    Although を通して and を通じて can be used interchangeably, they do have a slight difference in the nuance because the plain forms of を通して and を通じて is 通す and 通じる, and have different meanings. 通す means ‘to make an object pass through another object’ and 通じる means ‘to connect’. Due to these differences in their meanings, を通して has a volitional nuance, and を通じて has a passive nuance.

    を通して does not work with 今の奥さんは友達を ____ 出会った, because he did not go out of his way to meet his wife, he met his wife through coincidence of having a friend that was friends with his current wife. Also, because the definition for 通じてる is ‘to connect’, を通じて sounds a lot more natural.

    を通して sounds more natural for 植木 _____ 自然の尊さを学びました, because the speaker went out of their way to plant trees to learn nobility of nature.
    We hope that this answers your question!

  • Melanthe

    Melanthe

    For future reference, I think this grammar point could do with splitting:

  • Zoular

    Zoular

    Matt on Game Gengo made a video on this grammar

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