Learn Hardcore Japanese: eki wo toorisugite simatta node, tugi no singou de hikikaesimasita. - I passed the station by mistake, so I turned back at the next traffic light.

駅えき　を　通とおり過すぎて　しまった　ので、　次つぎ　の　信号しんごう　で　引ひき返かえしました。eki o toorisugite shimatta node, tsugi no shingou de hikikaeshimashita.

I passed the station by mistake, so I turned back at the next traffic light.

Breakdown of eki o toorisugite shimatta node, tsugi no shingou de hikikaeshimashita.

をo

direct object particle

のno

possessive case particle

Questions & Answers about eki o toorisugite shimatta node, tsugi no shingou de hikikaeshimashita.

Why does 駅 take the particle を in 駅を通り過ぎてしまった? I thought を marked a direct object.

That is a very common question. In this sentence, を is not marking a typical direct object in the English sense. With movement verbs, を can mark a place that someone moves through, along, or past.

So in 駅を通り過ぎる, 駅を means something like:

past the station
by the station

It is similar to how 道を歩く means walk along the road.

So here, 駅を通り過ぎてしまった means (I) went past the station / passed the station.

What does 通り過ぎてしまった mean exactly?

It is made of two parts:

通り過ぎる = to go past, to pass by
〜てしまう = to finish doing something, or to do something completely; often it also adds a nuance of regret, accident, or something unintended

So:

通り過ぎた = passed by
通り過ぎてしまった = ended up passing by / accidentally passed by / passed it and that was unfortunate

In this sentence, 〜てしまった strongly suggests that passing the station was not intentional. It has a slight oops feeling.

Why is it 通り過ぎてしまった and not 通り過ぎましたしまった or something similar?