通う

• Reading: かよう
• Romaji: kayou
• Kanji breakdown: 通 (tsuu/too/kayo) — pass through, commute, communicate
• Pronunciation: /ka.jo.ɯ/

Meaning

To commute; to go to and from. Making regular trips between two places.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugating with the う row. Used for regular attendance: 学校に通う (attend school), 病院に通う (regularly visit a hospital), ジムに通う (go to the gym regularly). Implies repeated, habitual travel rather than a single trip.

Examples

1. 毎日自転車で学校に通っています。 I commute to school by bicycle every day.
2. 姉は駅前のジムに通い始めた。 My older sister started going to the gym near the station.
3. この病院には半年くらい通いました。 I went to this hospital regularly for about half a year.

Usage Guide

Context: commuting, school, health

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 通 (tsuu/too/kayo) meaning pass through and commute. The same kanji is used in 通る (tooru), but 通う specifically emphasises repeated, habitual journeying.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal