〜を通じて: 'Through / By Means Of' & 'Throughout'
Meaning 1: through a channel or medium
〜を通じて marks the medium, channel, or intermediary through which something happens or is obtained.
インターネットを通じて、世界中の人と繋がれる。
インターネットを つうじて、せかいじゅうの ひとと つながれる。
Through the internet, you can connect with people all over the world.
The internet is the medium connecting people.
やったんはSNSを通じて、もちと友達になった。
やったんは エスエヌエスを つうじて、もちと ともだちに なった。
Yattan became friends with Mochi through social media.
SNS is the channel that led to the friendship.
Meaning 2: throughout a period of time
Attached to a time expression, 〜を通じて means the statement holds continuously across that entire span.
一年を通じて、この地域は温暖だ。
いちねんを つうじて、この ちいきは おんだんだ。
Throughout the year, this region is mild.
温暖 holds continuously across all four seasons, not just one.
Form
| Meaning | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Medium/channel | Noun(手段) + を通じて | 友人を通じて情報を得た |
| Continuous period | Noun(期間) + を通じて | 一年を通じて温暖だ |
やったんは友人を通じて、その情報を得た。
やったんは ゆうじんを つうじて、その じょうほうを えた。
Yattan obtained that information through a friend.
A person can also serve as the 'channel' in this pattern.
Nuance: を通じて vs を通して
The two overlap heavily and are often interchangeable. 〜を通して leans slightly toward a concrete, deliberate action carried out through a direct means (窓を通して見る, "looking through the window"), while 〜を通じて leans toward indirect channels (media, people, networks) and continuous time spans. In most sentences, native speakers accept either.
The short version
- 〜を通じて = "through / by means of [a channel]" or "throughout [a period]"
- Attaches to: Noun(手段/期間) + を通じて
- Nuance/register: neutral, common in both speech and writing
- Don't confuse with: を通して (near-synonym; slightly more concrete/direct means, largely interchangeable)
Practice it
Choose を通じて for a channel/medium or a continuous span of time.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、世界中の人と繋がれる。
Where 〜を通じて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- を · N5 — を marks the direct object of a verb (パンを食べる), the path you move along (道を歩く), and the place you leave (家を出る). Learn all three uses with examples.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜につき — につき has two separate uses: attached to a noun of quantity it means 'per' (１ダースにつき３ドル), while attached to a reason noun in formal notices it means 'due to / because of' (本日休業につき).
- 〜ほど — 〜ほど expresses degree or extent — 'to the point that,' as in 目の玉が飛び出るほど高い ('so expensive your eyes pop out'). It measures how far something goes by describing a vivid consequence or comparison.
- 〜に比べて — 〜に比べて attaches to a noun and means 'compared to / in comparison with,' setting up a baseline before stating how something differs from it: 去年に比べて、今年は暑い ('compared to last year, this year is hot').
- 〜というより — 〜というより means 'rather than say [X], it's more accurate to say...' — it corrects or refines a description someone might expect. Often used to swap a first impression for a more precise word.
- 〜限り — 〜限り marks the outer limit of something — 'as long as / as far as ~ is concerned' when attached to a clause with に関する限り(では), or 'every last bit of' in set phrases like あらん限り. Both readings trace back to 限る, 'to be limited to.'
- 〜ては — 〜ては attaches to the て-form and links to a following verb to describe a repeating back-and-forth cycle — 食べては寝る生活 ('a life of eating then sleeping, over and over'). It can also mark an undesirable 'if X, then Y' consequence.