1.
passerby; pedestrian; person passing through
A person walking along a street or path. Often used in news reports about incidents involving uninvolved bystanders or witnesses on the road.
通行人に道を聞いた。
I asked a passerby for directions.
事故の現場に多くの通行人が集まった。
Many passersby gathered at the accident scene.
倒れていた男性を通行人が助け、すぐに救急車を呼んだ。
A passerby helped the man who had collapsed and immediately called an ambulance.
Compound of 通行 (passing through) + 人 (person). Refers to people happening to be on a road or street at a given time — often appears in news, police reports, and witness contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 通行人に声をかける: to call out to a passerby
- 通行人に道を聞く: to ask a passerby for directions
- 通行人が助ける: a passerby helps
- 通行人役: extra (in TV/film, playing a passerby)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 歩行者: pedestrian — formal/legal term, used in traffic rules (歩行者天国)
- 道行く人: people walking the street — literary/descriptive
- 人通り: foot traffic — refers to the flow of people, not individuals