embouteillage
/ɑ̃.bu.tɛ.jaʒ/masculine
In French, the phrase for traffic jam is embouteillage. Wiktionary also lists bouchon.
Meaning: situation in which all road traffic is stationary or very slow (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| embouteillage | /ɑ̃.bu.tɛ.jaʒ/ /ɑ̃.bu.te.jaʒ/ |
masculine |
| bouchon | /bu.ʃɔ̃/ (Europe) /bu.ˈʃɔ̃ŋ/ (France, Southern) |
masculine |
The term refers to a situation where road traffic is stationary or moving very slowly. A common way to express that traffic is heavy or that a jam is occurring is to use the informal phrase Ça bouchonne.
What does it mean word for word?
The word embouteillage is derived from bouteille (bottle), literally referring to a bottleneck. The word bouchon literally means a cork or a stopper.
Which one should you use?
bouchon is used to describe a traffic jam in everyday spoken French.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, the variation Embarras de circulation is used to describe traffic congestion.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both embouteillage and bouchon are masculine nouns. A common way to say you are stuck in a traffic jam is to use the phrase être coincé dans un bouchon.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃.bu.tɛ.jaʒ/
Did you know?
- In a French restaurant, a bouchon is not a traffic jam, but a specific type of traditional, convivial eatery found in the city of Lyon.
- The word bouchon used for a traffic jam shares the exact same linguistic ancestor as the English word 'bush'.
- Because bouchon also means a cork, if you say un bouchon de champagne, you are talking about a celebratory moment rather than a transport problem.
Examples in context
- Il y avait un embouteillage.There was a traffic jam.This sentence shows how to state the existence of an embouteillage.Tatoeba #6212786 by TRANG, translation #5746107 by CM
- Il n'y a pas d'embouteillage.There's no traffic jam.This sentence shows how to negate the existence of an embouteillage.Tatoeba #7110126 by Micsmithel, translation #6707149 by AlanF_US
- J'ai été retardé par un bouchon.I was delayed by a traffic jam.This sentence shows how to use the word bouchon to explain a delay.Tatoeba #1350628 by sacredceltic, translation #266568 by CK
- Je vais arriver en retard, il y a un énorme bouchon sur la route.I'll be late, there's a huge traffic jam on the road.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is calling Nathan because she is late for their meeting.
- EmmaJe suis désolée, je suis coincée dans un embouteillage.I'm sorry, I'm stuck in a traffic jam.
- NathanCe n'est pas grave, Emma. Prends ton temps.It's okay, Emma. Take your time.
- EmmaL'embouteillage est énorme sur l'autoroute.The traffic jam is huge on the highway.
- NathanD'accord, Nathan t'attendra au café.Alright, Nathan will wait for you at the cafe.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic jam” translations and entries embouteillage, bouchon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bouchon, embouteillage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
