How to say "congestion" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 混雑こんざつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCongestion of places and traffic: streets, stations and shops packed with people, or roads jammed with vehicles. For a traffic jam or a crowded train, this is the word to use.その道は車で混雑している。↗The roads are jammed with cars.
- 充血じゅうけつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbStrictly medical: congestion of blood, hyperemia, as in bloodshot eyes. It never refers to traffic or crowds, so it is only the answer when 'congestion' is a medical term.
- 過密かみつnoun, na-adjectiveCongestion in the sense of overcrowding: too many people concentrated in a city or region, the overpopulation side of urban problems. Not the word for a crowded train or a traffic jam.
- 停滞ていたいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCongestion as a standstill or tie-up: traffic that has stopped moving, or stagnation in business or the economy. The emphasis is on things failing to move rather than on crowds.
- 雑踏ざっとうsuru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectiveNames the hustle and bustle of a crowded street or the throng itself — the bustling scene rather than the condition of congestion. For congestion as a problem or state, 混雑 is the usual choice.
Use 混雑 for crowded places and traffic jams, 充血 only for medical congestion of blood, 過密 for overcrowding of regions, 停滞 for standstills or stagnation, and 雑踏 for a bustling throng.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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