Posted inN3 Grammar

Mastering を通じて / を通して (wo tsuujite / wo tooshite): Your Guide to “Through” and “Throughout”

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Expresses the idea of “through,” “via,” “by means of,” or “throughout” a period of time or a process.

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate the medium, channel, or duration through which an action is performed or a state exists.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + を通じて (wo tsuujite) Noun + を通して (wo tōshite)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used in formal speeches, academic writing, and business contexts.

😊 Informal Situations

Less common in casual, everyday conversation compared to simpler alternatives, but still used.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written Japanese, including articles, reports, and formal communication.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used in spoken Japanese, particularly in more structured or formal conversations.

💡 Common Applications

Expressing the method or medium
Indicates the way or channel through which something is done or transmitted.
Example: インターネットを通じて、世界中の情報が得られる。(Internetto o tsuujite, sekaijū no jōhō gaえられる。) – Through the internet, you can obtain information from all over the world.
Indicating a person or organization as an intermediary
Shows that someone or something acts as a go-between or connection.
Example: 友人を通して、彼と知り合いました。(Yūjin o tōshite, kare to shiri aimashita.) – I got to know him through a friend.
Expressing a duration of time
Means “throughout” or “over” a specific period of time.
Example: 一年間を通して、この地域では雨が多い。(Ichinenkan o tōshite, kono chiiki de wa ame ga ōi.) – Throughout the year, there is a lot of rain in this region.
📊
Frequency
Commonly used in various contexts, especially in written and formal Japanese.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (N3). Understanding the nuances between を通じて and を通して requires careful attention.
Example Sentences
テレビを通して、世界のニュースを知ることができます。
Through television, you can learn about world news.
彼は仕事を通じて、多くの人々と交流している。
He is interacting with many people through his work.
学生生活三年を通して、日本語が上達した。
My Japanese improved throughout three years of student life.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Particle を is essential
Always use the particle を before 通じて/通して. It indicates the noun is the channel, medium, or duration.
Example: インターネット\_を通じて (correct)\nインターネット\_でを通じて (incorrect)
Noun phrase
The phrase Noun + を通じて/を通して functions like an adverbial phrase modifying the following verb or sentence.
Example: テレビを通して、世界のニュースを知る。(テレビを通して modifies 知る)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Confusing it with で (de)
✅ Use を通じて/を通して when the noun is the *channel* or *medium*, especially abstract ones or periods of time. Use で when it indicates the *tool* or *method* in a broader sense.
While both can express means, を通じて/を通して highlights the idea of passing *through* something or someone, or covering an entire duration. で is more general for “by means of” or “with”.
❌ Incorrect particle
✅ Always use を.
Using other particles like で or に is incorrect in this pattern.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Generally neutral to slightly formal. Appropriate for most situations where expressing a channel or duration is needed.
Social Situations: Used in business, academic, news reporting, and general descriptive contexts.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in the usage of this pattern.

🔍 Subtle Differences

を通じて vs. を通して
を通じて often emphasizes the medium or channel used for communication or action, and is frequently used for expressing “throughout” a specific time period. を通して also indicates a medium or channel, but can sometimes feel more concrete (passing *through* something physically or abstractly). を通して is perhaps slightly more common for indicating a person as an intermediary. Both can be interchangeable in many contexts.
When to use: Use を通じて when emphasizing the channel or “throughout” a period. Use を通して when indicating a channel or a person as an intermediary, or for more concrete “passing through”. In many cases, either can be used.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

This is a particle pattern used with nouns. There is no conjugation involved with 通じて or 通して themselves in this grammatical structure.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

をつうじて (o tsuujite) and をとおして (o tōshite). Pay attention to the long “o” sound in とおして.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of “通” (tsū/tōru) meaning “to pass through”. を通じて/を通して literally means “passing through” the noun.

Practice Exercises
インターネット＿＿世界中の人とコミュニケーションができる。
をとおして
にとおして
がとおして
でとおして
この一年間＿＿、様々な新しいことに挑戦した。
をもって
につれて
をとおして
にしたがって
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