通(とお)す (toosu)
~通す — “do ~ all the way through”
Pattern
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動詞ます形の語幹 + 通すmasu-stem + 通す (言い通す, 読み通す, やり通す)
Meaning and connection
Remove ます and add 通す: 言う → 言い通す, 読む → 読み通す, やる → やり通す. 通す originally means “to pass through,” so the action is carried through from one end to the other.
Two nuances
With opinions and attitudes, it means holding firm despite pressure: 意見を言い通す. With long tasks, it means finishing from start to end: 最後まで読み通す. Both stress stamina and will.
Common words
Frequent combinations include やり通す, 言い通す, 読み通す, 守り通す, 走り通す, 貫き通す. It is a fixed set; do not attach it freely to any verb.
Examples
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彼(かれ)は自分(じぶん)の意見(いけん)を最後(さいご)まで言(い)い通(とお)した。
Kare wa jibun no iken o saigo made iitōshita.
He stuck to his opinion all the way to the end.
-
最後(さいご)まで読(よ)み通(とお)すのに、一週間(いっしゅうかん)かかった。
Saigo made yomitōsu no ni, isshūkan kakatta.
It took a week to read it all the way through.
-
一度(いちど)決(き)めたことは、最後(さいご)までやり通(とお)す性格(せいかく)だ。
Ichido kimeta koto wa, saigo made yaritōsu seikaku da.
Once I decide something, I'm the type to see it through to the very end.
Common mistakes
- Attach to the masu-stem, not the dictionary form: 読み通す, not 読む通す.
- It is a limited set of combinations. For others, use 最後まで〜続ける.
More grammar points
- 上(あ)げる ~上げる — to finish ~ completely
- 合(あ)う ~合う — do ~ to each other; to fit, to suit
- だらけ ~だらけ — covered in ~, full of ~ (something bad)
- がち ~がち — tends to ~ (usually undesirable)
- がたい ~がたい — hard to ~
- 気味(ぎみ) ~気味 — a touch of ~
- かける ~かける — half-done, in the middle of ~
- 切(き)れない ~切れない — cannot finish, cannot fully ~
- 切(き)る ~切る — do ~ completely, to the end
- 込(こ)む ~込む — into, crowded, deeply ~
- 向(む)け ~向け — intended for ~, aimed at ~
- 向(む)き ~向き — suited to ~, facing ~
- 直(なお)す ~直す — do ~ over again
- っぱなし ~っぱなし — leaving ~ as it is
- っぽい ~っぽい — ~-ish / tends to be ~
- たて ~たて — “freshly ~ed / just done”
- 的(てき) ~的 — “-like / -al” (makes an adjective)
- あまり あまりの~に — so ~ that ~
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