What does 通る mean in this context?


This is an excerpt from a conversation with my language partner:

> 息子は明日から冬休みです。 絵画教室に **通っている** ので、冬休みの間は、[写実力強化講座]{しゃじつりょくきょうかこうざ} (realistic
> painting workshop) に行きます。

My attempt at translation:

> "From Sunday on, my sun has winter vacation. Because he passes through a
> drawing-class (course?), during the winter vacation, he goes to a 'realistic
> painting workshop intensifying course'."

This is a minor issue I have here. According to
[jisho.org](http://jisho.org/search/%E9%80%9A%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6), 通る means "to
pass through" and a lot more. I think to pass through fits the context best
because her son seems to partake in drawinglessons which further his skills in
drawing. However, I'm also a bit irritated by the use of 教室 and 強化 . I think
教室 refers to the regular lessons at obligatory school education here? That's
why I am a bit confused, because it sounds like these lessons in drawing are a
temporary thing at school for which he receives extra private lessons during
this winter vacation. Here in germany, we have drawing lessons from the
beginning to the end of our obligatory school education (although these
lessons are, to be honest, a joke^^). So there is nothing to "pass through"
since these lessons/classes are there the entire time of our school education
:D Thats why I wonder wether I interpreted 教室 correctly or not.^^




> 「 息子{むすこ}は明日{あす}から冬休{ふゆやす}みです。 絵画教室{かいがきょうしつ}に **通{かよ}って**
> いるので、冬休みの間{あいだ}は、写実力強化講座{しゃじつりょくきょうかこうざ} (realistic painting workshop)
> に行{い}きます。」

Your translation attempt is:

> "From Sunday on, my sun has wintervacation. Because he passes through a
> drawing-class (course?), during the wintervacation, he goes to a 'realistic
> painting workshop intensifying course'."

First of all, in this context,「通って」 is read 「かよって」 and not 「とおって」. That is
「通{かよ} **う** 」 vs. 「通{とお} **る** 」, **_two different verbs_**.

「～～に/へ通う」 means "to commute", "to attend (school)", "to go (someplace) on a
regular basis", etc. 「～～を通る」 means as you stated.

Next, 「教室」..

In the context of "regular" schools such as elementary, junior high, high
school and college, the word refers to each physical "classroom".

In this context, however, 「教室」 would refer to an after-school type of school
or perhaps a cram school for students wanting to get into an art college in
the future. (I, for example, attended the そろばん教室 (abacus school) and
書道{しょどう}教室 (brush calligraphy school) as a kid in addition to regular school,
that is.)

Thus, 「絵画教室」 is a drawing/painting school. For translation purposes, one could
use "class" or "course" as well.

「強化」 here would simply mean that the course is intensive in nature, which is
made possible during the long recesses at the "regular" school.

Finally, there is no "Sunday" mentioned in the original. It must have been a
mental mistake.




> 「 息子{むすこ}は明日{あす}から冬休{ふゆやす}みです。 絵画教室{かいがきょうしつ}に **通{かよ}って**
> いるので、冬休みの間{あいだ}は、写実力強化講座{しゃじつりょくきょうかこうざ} (realistic painting workshop)
> に行{い}きます。」

Your translation attempt is:

> "From Sunday on, my sun has wintervacation. Because he passes through a
> drawing-class (course?), during the wintervacation, he goes to a 'realistic
> painting workshop intensifying course'."

First of all, in this context,「通って」 is read 「かよって」 and not 「とおって」. That is
「通{かよ} **う** 」 vs. 「通{とお} **る** 」, **_two different verbs_**.

「～～に/へ通う」 means "to commute", "to attend (school)", "to go (someplace) on a
regular basis", etc. 「～～を通る」 means as you stated.

Next, 「教室」..

In the context of "regular" schools such as elementary, junior high, high
school and college, the word refers to each physical "classroom".

In this context, however, 「教室」 would refer to an after-school type of school
or perhaps a cram school for students wanting to get into an art college in
the future. (I, for example, attended the そろばん教室 (abacus school) and
書道{しょどう}教室 (brush calligraphy school) as a kid in addition to regular school,
that is.)

Thus, 「絵画教室」 is a drawing/painting school. For translation purposes, one could
use "class" or "course" as well.

「強化」 here would simply mean that the course is intensive in nature, which is
made possible during the long recesses at the "regular" school.

Finally, there is no "Sunday" mentioned in the original. It must have been a
mental mistake.

