How to say "traffic" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 交通こうつうnoun, suru verbThe everyday word for traffic — vehicles and people moving on roads — and for transportation more broadly; usually the word you want for traffic in ordinary contexts.
- nounThe loanword; in practice it turns up mainly in technical contexts, especially the flow of data or network traffic, rather than everyday road traffic.
- 通行つうこうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers the passage of people or vehicles through or along a place — the act of passing, not traffic in general; often seen in rules and notices about whether a road may be used.
- 往来おうらいnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbDescribes the coming and going of people and vehicles along a road; as 'traffic' it paints that back-and-forth movement itself, and it is seldom the word for traffic conditions or jams.
- 往還おうかんnoun, suru verb, transitive verbChiefly 'coming and going' or a highway itself; as a way to say 'traffic' it is marginal — for traffic in the ordinary sense you almost always want 交通 instead.
Use 交通 for traffic and transportation generally, 「トラフィック」 for technical senses such as data flow, 通行 for the passage of people or vehicles, and 往来 or 往還 for coming and going, with 往還 also meaning a highway.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
