traffico
/ˈtraf.fi.ko/masculine
Traffic in Italian is traffico. If unsure, use traffico. Wiktionary also lists viabilità.
Meaning: pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| traffico | /ˈtraf.fi.ko/ | masculine |
| viabilità | /vi.a.bi.liˈta/ | feminine |
The term traffico is the most common translation for traffic, referring to pedestrians or vehicles on roads or in the air. To say you are 'in traffic', such as being stuck, use the prepositional phrase nel traffico. If you specifically want to refer to a traffic jam or a blockage, you can use the word ingorgo.
Which one should you use?
While traffico refers to the volume of vehicles, viabilità is a more technical or administrative term used to describe the state or capacity of the road network and traffic flow.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈtraf.fi.ko/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While traffico usually means vehicles on a road, it is also the standard word for 'trafficking' in illegal trade, such as traffico di droga.
- The word traffico may actually have Arabic roots in the term tafrīq, meaning 'distribution' or 'dispersion', rather than stemming from Latin.
- In Italian, the word ingorgo for a traffic jam comes from the verb ingorgare, which means 'to choke' or 'to clog'.
Examples in context
- Il traffico era leggero.Traffic was light.Tatoeba #11444103 by Guybrush88, translation #240367 by Dejo
- Non mi piace il traffico.I don't like the traffic.Tatoeba #7579645 by Guybrush88, translation #240349 by CK
- Ero bloccato nel traffico.I was stuck in traffic.Tatoeba #5981711 by Guybrush88, translation #5126500 by Barra
- Sono rimasto bloccato in un ingorgo per ore a causa di un incidente sulla statale.I got stuck in a traffic jam for hours due to an accident on the state road.
- Aiutami a trovare una strada alternativa, queste code non si muovono.Help me find an alternative route, these traffic jams are not moving.
- Non riesco ad attraversare la città senza rimanere bloccato nel traffico.I can't cross the city without getting stuck in traffic.
- 119 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are talking on the phone while driving.
- FrancescoCiao Chiara, quanto tempo per arrivare?Hi Chiara, how long to get here?
- ChiaraC'è troppo traffico, arriverò in ritardo.There is too much traffic, I will arrive late.
- FrancescoCapisco, non preoccuparti troppo.I understand, don't worry too much.
- ChiaraGrazie, spero che il traffico diminuisca presto.Thanks, I hope the traffic decreases soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic” translations and entries traffico, viabilità, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries traffico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
