通 (Pass Through) vs. 週 (Week) vs. 進 (Advance) vs. 送 (Send): Road Radical Lookalikes
All four of these ultra-common N4 kanjis wrap the 辶 (Road) radical around a compact inner passenger. Learn how to tell 通 (Commute/Pass), 週 (Week), 進 (Advance), and 送 (Send) apart in 3 seconds.
Between 通 (Pass Through / Commute) and 週 (Week), both have a tall rectangular frame riding on the 辶 (Road) radical. And between 進 (Advance) and 送 (Send), both are everyday action verbs on the road.
Quick Comparison: 通 (Pass Through) vs. 週 (Week) vs. 進 (Advance) vs. 送 (Send)
Compare the passenger radical inside each of these four characters:
| Kanji & Meaning | Primary Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Hook | Common Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 通 — Pass Through | On: つう Kun: とお, かよ |
辶 (Road) + 甬 (a tunnel tube with Use 用 at the bottom) = PASS THROUGH / COMMUTE (tōru / kayou / tsū). | 通る (とおる) — to go through |
| 週 — Week | On: しゅう Kun: — |
辶 (Road) + 周 (Circumference/Lap around a box) = completing a 7-day lap = WEEK (shū). | 毎週 (まいしゅう) — every week |
| 進 — Advance | On: しん Kun: すす |
辶 (Road) + 隹 (Short-tailed Bird, 4 horizontal bars) = a bird flying forward = ADVANCE (susumu / shin). | 進む (すすむ) — to make progress |
| 送 — Send | On: そう Kun: おく |
辶 (Road) + 关 (person waving arms with horns) = escorting a package down the road = SEND (okuru / sō). | 送る (おくる) — to send |
Side-by-Side Illustrated Kanji Flashcards (Tap Readings for Audio)
Compare the custom Shibashi artwork for 通 (Pass Through) and 週 (Week) below. Notice how each illustration embeds both the English meaning and the primary Japanese reading directly into the scene, and tap any reading to hear native pronunciation:
Step-by-Step Visual Breakdown & Radical Rules
Look closely at the inner component sitting above the 辶 road:
1. 通 (Pass Through) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: つう | Kun'yomi: とお, かよ
Shibashi Visual Story: “The boy is just passing through, totally (とお) unaware of the tsunami (つう) and a coyote (かよ) in the background...” Key visual distinction: 辶 (Road) + 甬 (a tunnel tube with Use 用 at the bottom) = PASS THROUGH / COMMUTE (tōru / kayou / tsū).
2. 週 (Week) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: しゅう | Kun'yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “At the end of each week, grandpa puts on his best shoes (しゅう) and rides to church.” Key visual distinction: 辶 (Road) + 周 (Circumference/Lap around a box) = completing a 7-day lap = WEEK (shū).
- 毎週 (まいしゅう): every week
- 来週 (らいしゅう): next week
- 先週 (せんしゅう): last week
3. 進 (Advance) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: しん | Kun'yomi: すす
Shibashi Visual Story: “If birds get shin (しん) guards they will be able to ride scooters to the soup supermarket (すす) and advance in the world...” Key visual distinction: 辶 (Road) + 隹 (Short-tailed Bird, 4 horizontal bars) = a bird flying forward = ADVANCE (susumu / shin).
- 進む (すすむ): to make progress
- 前進 (ぜんしん): advance, drive, progress
- 進める (すすめる): to advance, to promote, to hasten
4. 送 (Send) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: そう | Kun'yomi: おく
Shibashi Visual Story: “If you want to make a soulful (そう) little boy happy, send him a scooter. The only cool (おく) gift!!” Key visual distinction: 辶 (Road) + 关 (person waving arms with horns) = escorting a package down the road = SEND (okuru / sō).
- 送る (おくる): to send
- 見送り (みおくり): seeing one off, farewell, escort
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Using 通 / 週 / 進 / 送
Once you can recognize 通 (Pass Through) and 週 (Week) and 進 (Advance) individually, lock them into your active reading vocabulary with these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 通る | とおる | to go through | JLPT |
| 交通 | こうつう | traffic, transportation | JLPT |
| 通う | かよう | to commute | JLPT |
| 毎週 | まいしゅう | every week | JLPT |
| 来週 | らいしゅう | next week | JLPT |
| 先週 | せんしゅう | last week | JLPT |
| 進む | すすむ | to make progress | JLPT |
| 前進 | ぜんしん | advance, drive, progress | JLPT |
5-Second Memory Summary: How to Never Mix Up 通 & 週 & 進 Again
通 vs. 週: open bottom legs (用) = 通 (Pass through a tunnel); closed bottom mouth box (口 inside 周) = 週 (Week). 進 vs. 送: 4-bar Bird (隹) = 進 (Advance forward); person waving (关) = 送 (Send off)!
