ùn tắc
Definition
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.
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.)