Translation guide
The English word 'crowded' describes a place with many people, often uncomfortably so. In Japanese, the most common equivalents are 混んでいる (konde iru) for general crowdedness and 満員 (man'in) for 'full house' situations. The choice depends on what is crowded and the nuance you want to convey.
To say a place is crowded with people, like a street, store, or event.
The most common and versatile way to say a place is crowded. It implies a bustling, sometimes uncomfortable density of people.
This store is always crowded.
The station was really crowded.
A slightly more formal version of 混んでいる, often used in announcements or written descriptions. It emphasizes congestion.
The roads are congested.
Literally 'full of people', this is a casual, emphatic way to say a place is packed.
The park was packed with people.
Describes a chaotic, jumbled crowd, like a busy festival or scramble crossing. Stronger than 混んでいる.
The festival venue was swarming with people.
To say a vehicle or venue is full to capacity, often with no room to move.
Means 'full house' or 'packed to capacity'. Commonly used for trains, buses, and events. Often appears as 満員電車 (packed train).
The train was so crowded I couldn't get on.
Literally 'packed like sushi', this vividly describes a space where people are squeezed tightly together, like a rush-hour train.
Specifically means 'all seats taken', used for restaurants, theaters, or planes.
To emphasize that a place is excessively crowded, often uncomfortably so.
混んでいる is a general state of being crowded. 満員 means 'at full capacity' and is often used for enclosed spaces like trains or rooms. You can say 電車が混んでいる (the train is crowded) but 満員電車 emphasizes it's packed to the limit.
English uses 'crowded with [things/people]', but Japanese usually uses でいっぱい (full of) or が多い (there are many). For example, 'streets crowded with tourists' is 観光客でいっぱいの通り, not a direct translation of 'crowded'.
The train was so crowded I couldn't move.
Is the restaurant crowded on weekends?
The movie theater was full.
通勤電車はすし詰め状態だ。
The commuter train is jam-packed.
レストランは満席でした。
The restaurant was fully booked (all seats taken).
problems of overcrowded cities