stockender Verkehr
masculine
The English phrase 'congestion' can be translated into German as stockender Verkehr. Wiktionary also lists leichter Stau and leichter Verkehrsstau.
Meaning: excess of traffic (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| stockender Verkehr | masculine | |
| leichter Stau | /ˈlaɪ̯çtɐ ʃtaʊ̯/ (word by word) | masculine |
| leichter Verkehrsstau | /ˈlaɪ̯çtɐ fɛrˈkeːrsˌʃtaʊ̯/ (word by word) | masculine |
In everyday German, if you want to say 'there is congestion', you would most naturally say Es gibt einen Stau.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase stockender Verkehr literally translates to 'stalling traffic', where stockend comes from the verb stocken (to stall or cease to flow).
Which one should you use?
While stockender Verkehr describes the state of traffic, the single word Stau is the most common way to refer to a traffic jam or congestion. Stau is a more direct and common noun for a traffic jam, whereas stockender Verkehr is a more descriptive, slightly more formal way to describe the flow of traffic being interrupted.
Did you know?
- The noun Stau originally referred to a weir or a dam used to hold back water. This connection to a physical blockage of water flow is why the word is used for traffic today.
- German speakers use Stau for more than just cars. You can have a Stau of unpaid bills or a Stau of emails in an inbox.
- While Stau is a noun, the verb stocken used in stockender Verkehr is also used to describe a voice that falters or stops due to emotion.
Examples in context
- Es gibt einen massiven Verkehrsstau auf der Autobahn.There is a massive traffic jam on the highway.
- Aufgrund des Staus komme ich leider zu spät zur Arbeit.Unfortunately, I'm running late for work due to the traffic jam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congestion” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Leichter, Stau, Verkehrsstau) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Stau, Verkehr, Verkehrsstau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
