To Visit Regularly
To Commute, To Go Back And Forth
intransitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. You've already learned another verb for the pass through kanji — 通る (to pass through) — but this one has a slightly different meaning: to visit regularly. To visit somewhere regularly, you probably have to pass through the same area over and over, right?
通う refers to regular, habitual attendance to the same place. It can also mean to commute to work or to attend school, since both require you to go back and forth between home and the same place on a regular basis.
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use one of the kun'yomi readings. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
At your home, what has begun to visit regularly? Coyotes (かよ). You're something of a coyote whisperer and you've befriended all the local coyotes, so now they visit your house on a regular basis, just to hang out. Lately, you've even started to commute to work by coyote — you sort of flop across the backs of several of them, and they carry you off to your workplace. It's very eco-friendly.
病院に通う
to make regular hospital visits, to be seeing a doctor
レッスンに通う
to attend lessons
学校に通う
to commute to school, to attend a school
えっ、東京から九州まで毎日通ってるの？
Wait — you go back and forth between Tokyo and Kyushu every day?
コウイチは、会社までハーレーで通っています。
Koichi commutes to work by Harley.
うちの子は三才のころからピアノ教室に通っています。
My child has been attending piano lessons since the age of three.
私の妹は、四月からトーフグ学園に通うことになります。
My younger sister will attend Tofugu Academy starting in April.