渋滞
jūtai[d͡ʑɨːta̠i]
In Japanese, the phrase for traffic jam is 渋滞 (jūtai). If unsure, use 渋滞. Wiktionary also lists 交通渋滞 (kōtsū jūtai).
Meaning: situation in which all road traffic is stationary or very slow (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 渋滞 | jūtai | [d͡ʑɨːta̠i] (narrow) |
| 交通渋滞 | kōtsū jūtai | [ko̞ːt͡sɨː d͡ʑɨːta̠i] (narrow) |
The term is used to describe a situation where road traffic is stationary or moving very slowly. You can use the phrase 渋滞に巻き込まれる to naturally express the idea of being caught or stuck in a traffic jam.
Which one should you use?
While 渋滞 is the common way to say traffic jam, 交通渋滞 is a more specific, formal or technical term often used in news reports or official documents to emphasize congestion caused by transportation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the current state of traffic being jammed, you should use the verb form 渋滞している.
How do you pronounce it?
jūtai
Did you know?
- The character 渋 in 渋滞 originally refers to the astringent, puckering taste of a persimmon. It evolved to describe a 'bottleneck' or something that does not flow smoothly.
- The word 渋滞 is frequently used in Japanese to describe 'congestion' in non-traffic contexts, such as a backlog of unprocessed emails or a data bottleneck in computing.
- While English speakers might say 'bumper-to-bumper', Japanese speakers use 車の列 ('kuruma no retsu'), meaning 'a line of cars', to describe the visual state of 渋滞.
Examples in context
- 渋滞はないです。There's no traffic jam.This sentence shows how to say there is no traffic jam using 渋滞.Tatoeba #11044950 by small_snow, translation #6707149 by AlanF_US
- 渋滞で遅れました。I was delayed by a traffic jam.This sentence demonstrates being delayed by a traffic jam using 渋滞.Tatoeba #147991 by bunbuku, translation #266568 by CK
- 渋滞で会議に遅れた。I was late to the meeting because of a traffic jam.This sentence explains being late to a meeting due to a traffic jam using 渋滞.Tatoeba #988136 by bunbuku, translation #1168559 by Chrikaru
- 渋滞にはまってしまいましたI got stuck in a traffic jam.
- 交通渋滞のため遅れていますI am running late due to traffic congestion.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are in a car together on the highway.
- 陽太 Yotaひどい渋滞ですね。Hidoi jūtai desu ne.It's a terrible traffic jam, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yui本当ですね。全然動きません。Hontō desu ne. Zenzen ugokimasen.You're right. It's not moving at all.
- 陽太 Yota事故があったのかもしれません。Jiko ga atta no kamoshiremasen.Maybe there was an accident.
- 結衣 Yui目的地に遅くなりそうですね。Mokutekichi ni osoku narisō desu ne.It looks like we'll be late to our destination.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic jam” translations and entries 渋滞, 交通渋滞, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
