を通（つう）じて / を通（とお）して (o tsuujite / o tooshite)
～を通じて／～を通して — through ～ / throughout ～
Pattern
-
名詞（人・媒体）＋を通じて／を通してthrough a person or medium (友だちを通して) -
名詞（期間・範囲）＋を通じて／を通してthroughout a period (一年を通じて)
Means or intermediary
As in 彼を通じて社長と知り合った or 友だちを通して仕事を紹介してもらった, a person or thing stands in between and you do or get something that way. The key point is that it is not direct; someone or something is in between. It also works with newspapers, the internet and experience.
Throughout a period or range
As in 一年を通じて暖かい, a state continues over the whole of a period (a year, the four seasons, a lifetime). The second half is a continuing state or habit, not a one-off event. Both 通じて and 通して are fine, though 通じて is more common for periods.
Examples
-
彼（かれ）を通（つう）じて、社長（しゃちょう）と知（し）り合（あ）った。
Kare o tsūjite, shachō to shiriatta.
I got to know the president through him.
He was the go-between.
-
一年（いちねん）を通（つう）じて、この島（しま）は暖（あたた）かい。
Ichinen o tsūjite, kono shima wa atatakai.
This island is warm throughout the year.
Throughout the whole period.
-
友（とも）だちを通（とお）して、その仕事（しごと）を紹介（しょうかい）してもらった。
Tomodachi o tōshite, sono shigoto o shōkai shite moratta.
I got that job introduced to me through a friend.
通して has the same meaning as 通じて here.
Common mistakes
- The means use implies someone or something in between. Do not use it for direct contact.
- In the period use, do not follow it with a one-off event: × 一年を通じて、旅行した.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
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