交通
The Cantonese word for traffic is 交通.
Traffic refers to pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air.
Meaning: pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air (noun)
Did you know?
- When complaining about a traffic jam, a speaker might say 塞到死, meaning 'blocked until death', a common hyperbole in Cantonese.
- In ancient Chinese texts, 交通 referred to the meeting of the heavens and the earth or the merging of rivers.
- In Cantonese, if you want to speak specifically about 'traffic jams', you would rarely use 交通 alone and instead use the term 塞車, which literally means 'plugging the car'.
Examples in context
- 塞車真係好煩，我遲咗返工。The traffic jam is so annoying, I'm late for work.
- 呢度嘅交通好擠塞。ni1 dou6 ge3 gaau1 tung1 hou2 zat1 saai3.The traffic here is very congested.
- 我哋要留意交通安全。ngo5 dei6 jiu3 lau4 ji6 gaau1 tung1 on1 cyun4.We need to pay attention to traffic safety.
- 呢條路嘅交通流量好大。ni1 tiu4 lou6 ge3 gaau1 tung1 liu4 loeng6 hou2 daai6.The traffic volume on this road is very high.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their commute to a meeting.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung子健，你快到未？zi2 gin6, nei5 faai3 dou3 mei6?Zi Jian, are you almost here?
- 子健 Tsz Kin對唔住，交通好混亂。deoi3 m4 zyu6, gaau1 tung1 hou2 wan6 lyun6.Sorry, the traffic is very chaotic.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係唔係有意外？hai6 m4 hai6 jau5 ji6 ngoi6?Is there an accident?
- 子健 Tsz Kin唔知，但我而家唔郁。m4 zi1, daan6 ngo5 ji4 gaa1 m4 juk1.I don't know, but I'm not moving right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
