circulation
/siʁ.ky.la.sjɔ̃/feminine
In French, the word for traffic is circulation. If unsure, use circulation. Wiktionary also lists trafic.
Meaning: pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| circulation | /siʁ.ky.la.sjɔ̃/ | feminine |
| trafic | /tʁa.fik/ | masculine |
The term refers to pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air.
Which one should you use?
circulation is the standard term used to describe the flow or movement of vehicles on roads. In contrast, trafic is more commonly associated with the movement of goods or specifically with illegal activities, such as drug trafficking.
How does it change in a sentence?
circulation is a feminine noun, while trafic is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/siʁ.ky.la.sjɔ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers frequently mistakenly use le trafic to refer to road traffic. However, in standard French, la circulation is the more natural way to describe the flow of cars on a street.
Did you know?
- If a French person tells you there is du trafic on the highway, they are likely using a regionalism from Quebec, where the word is used for road congestion as it is in English.
- When French speakers talk about 'heavy traffic', they often use the word dense to describe the circulation rather than the word 'heavy'.
- The English word 'traffic' actually has roots in the Old French word traffic, which originally meant 'commerce' or 'trade'.
Examples in context
- Il y a beaucoup de trafic.There's a lot of traffic.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of trafic.Tatoeba #7115811 by Micsmithel, translation #5058081 by CK
- La circulation s'arrêta net.The traffic ground to a halt.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of circulation.Tatoeba #545454 by sacredceltic, translation #518098 by darinmex
- La circulation était faible.Traffic was light.Tatoeba #992830 by sacredceltic, translation #240367 by Dejo
- Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous me dire comment éviter la circulation?Excuse me, could you tell me how to avoid the traffic?
- Il y a des embouteillages sur la route principale.There are traffic jams on the main road.
- Le trafic est vraiment dense en ce moment.The traffic is really heavy at the moment.
- Attention, il y a des bouchons à cette heure-ci.Watch out, there are traffic jams at this time.
- 135 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are checking the news on their phones.
- LucasLa circulation est très dense ce matin.The traffic is very heavy this morning.
- EmmaC'est à cause de l'accident sur l'autoroute.It is because of the accident on the highway.
- LucasTu vas arriver en retard au travail ?Are you going to be late to work?
- EmmaOui, je vais prendre le métro à la place.Yes, I will take the metro instead.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic” translations and entries circulation, trafic, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries circulation, trafic, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
