(とお)()ける

とおりぬける
verb-ichidan
to pass through; to cut through
1. to pass through; to cut through
To move through and come out the other side of a space, passage, or area. Used for physically traversing tunnels, crowds, forests, and similar spaces.
トンネルを(とお)()けた。
I passed through the tunnel.
人混(ひとご)みを(とお)()けるのに苦労(くろう)した。
I had a hard time getting through the crowd.
裏道(うらみち)(とお)()けると、(えき)まで五分(ごふん)()ける。
If you cut through the back street, you can reach the station in five minutes.

A compound verb formed from (とお)る (to pass) and ()ける (to come out, to exit). The ()ける component adds the sense of emerging on the other side. Ichidan conjugation.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • トンネルを(とお)()ける (to pass through a tunnel)
  • 人混(ひとご)みを(とお)()ける (to push through a crowd)
  • (もり)(とお)()ける (to go through a forest)
  • 路地(ろじ)(とお)()ける (to cut through an alley)

The particle を marks the space being traversed. Unlike (とお)る alone, (とお)()ける emphasizes coming out the other side, not just passing along.