Translation guide
Describes a place or space that is full of people, often uncomfortably so. Japanese uses different words depending on whether the focus is on the crowd itself, the resulting congestion, or the feeling of being packed.
電車が混んでいます。
The train is crowded.
満員だ！
It's packed!
To say a place is crowded with people, like a station, street, or event.
The most common and neutral way to say a place is crowded. Used for trains, shops, streets, etc.
駅が混んでいます。
The station is crowded.
この店はいつも混んでいる。
This shop is always crowded.
Literally 'full of people'. Emphasizes that the space is filled to capacity.
会場は人でいっぱいだった。
The venue was packed with people.
Implies a lively, bustling crowd, often with a positive nuance. Used for festivals, shopping streets, etc.
祭りで町が賑わっている。
The town is bustling with the festival.
To emphasize that a place is so crowded it's hard to move, like a rush-hour train.
Means 'full house' or 'packed to capacity'. Often used for trains, buses, elevators.
電車が満員で乗れなかった。
The train was so crowded I couldn't get on.
Onomatopoeic word describing a tightly packed, squeezed situation. Very vivid and casual.
Literally 'packed like sushi'. Describes people packed tightly together, often in a confined space.
To describe a situation where movement is hindered due to many people or vehicles.
Primarily used for traffic jams, but can also refer to congestion of people in a passageway.
道路が渋滞している。
The road is congested.
通路が人で渋滞している。
The corridor is congested with people.
A more formal term for congestion, often used in announcements or written descriptions. Can refer to both people and traffic.
駅構内が混雑しています。
The station premises are congested.
混んでいる is the general term for crowded. 満員 emphasizes that capacity is reached (e.g., a train). 賑わっている implies a lively, bustling atmosphere, often positive.
For vehicle congestion, use 渋滞している. 混んでいる can be used for places where people gather, but not for cars on a road.
通勤ラッシュの電車はぎゅうぎゅうだ。
The rush hour train is jam-packed.
会場はすし詰め状態だった。
The venue was packed like sardines.