รถติด
rót-dtìt/rot̚˦˥.tit̚˨˩/
รถติด (rót-dtìt) is the Thai phrase for traffic jam.
รถติด is the standard way to express the concept of a traffic jam in both spoken and written Thai.
Meaning: situation in which all road traffic is stationary or very slow (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun รถ (car/vehicle) and the verb ติด (to be stuck/to be congested), meaning 'car stuck'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say the traffic is very heavy or very bad, you can add the adverb มาก after the phrase. To emphasize that the state of being stuck in traffic is currently happening, you can add the word อยู่ after รถติด.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is rót-dtìt. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word รถ (rót), meaning 'car' or 'vehicle', shares an unexpected linguistic ancestor with the English word 'chariot'.
- The word ติด (dtìt) is also used in Thai to describe being 'addicted' to something, such as being 'addicted to games'.
- When facing a severe รถติด, many Thai drivers will use the 'motorcycle taxi' system to weave through stationary cars to reach their destination.
Examples in context
- สะพานตากสินมีรถติดสาหัสTaksin Bridge has a severe traffic jam.The first example shows the use of รถติด to describe a severe traffic jam on Taksin Bridge.
- ผมรถติดอยู่แยกอโศกมาสองชั่วโมงแล้วMy car has been stuck (in the traffic jam) at the Asok Intersection for two hours already. (male speaker)The second example shows how a male speaker uses รถติด to say he has been stuck in a traffic jam at the Asok Intersection for two hours.
- วันนี้รถติดมากเลยwan ni rot tit mak loeiThe traffic is very heavy today.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone about being late.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatขอโทษทีนะ ผมกำลังไปkho thot thi na phom kamlang paiI'm sorry, I'm on my way.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinเป็นอะไรหรือเปล่าคะpen arai rue plao khaIs something wrong?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatพอดีรถติดน่ะครับpho di rot tit na khrapIt's just that there is a traffic jam.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinไม่เป็นไรค่ะ ค่อยๆ มานะmai pen rai kha khoi khoi ma naThat's okay, take your time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “traffic jam” translations and entries รถติด, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries รถติด, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
