Definition

1. Noun:

   • Traffic jam / congestion: A situation where vehicles are crowded together and move very slowly or are completely stopped on a road or highway.
   • Blockage / clog: A state of being blocked or obstructed, often causing a buildup or accumulation.

2. Adjective:

   • Congested / jammed: Describing a road, system, or passage that is severely blocked or overcrowded.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Ùn tắc giao thông ở thành phố này rất nghiêm trọng vào giờ cao điểm. (Traffic congestion in this city is very serious during rush hour.)
  • Có một vụ ùn tắc trên đường cao tốc. (There is a traffic jam on the highway.)

• Adjective:

  • Đường phố trở nên ùn tắc sau vụ tai nạn. (The streets became congested after the accident.)
  • Hệ thống thoát nước bị ùn tắc vì rác. (The drainage system is clogged with trash.)

Advanced Usage

• "ùn tắc cục bộ": localized congestion.

  • Chỉ có ùn tắc cục bộ ở ngã tư này. (There is only localized congestion at this intersection.)

• "giải tỏa ùn tắc": to ease congestion / to clear a jam.

  • Cảnh sát đang cố gắng giải tỏa ùn tắc. (The police are trying to ease the traffic jam.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kẹt xe (n): traffic jam (a more colloquial synonym, very common in Southern Vietnam).

  • Tôi bị kẹt xe trên đường về nhà. (I got stuck in a traffic jam on the way home.)

• Ách tắc (n): deadlock, complete blockage (can be used for traffic or abstract situations like negotiations).

  • Cuộc đàm phán rơi vào tình trạng ách tắc. (The negotiations reached a deadlock.)

Synonyms

• Traffic jam: a line of vehicles at a standstill.
• Congestion: the state of being overcrowded, especially with traffic.
• Gridlock: a situation where traffic is completely unable to move.
• Bottleneck: a point of congestion.

Related Idioms

• Ùn tắc như kiến cỏ: (lit. congested like ants on grass) used to describe an extremely crowded or jam-packed situation.
  • Chợ hoa Tết đông nghịt, ùn tắc như kiến cỏ. (The Tet flower market is packed, congested like ants on grass.)