Inklingo

How to Say "congestion" in Spanish

The Spanish word forcongestionis retenciónB1 level.

English → SpanishB1
nounB1
slowing of flow
A long line of brightly colored cars stopped on a winding road.

Examples

Hay una retención de cinco kilómetros en la entrada de Madrid.

There is a five-kilometer traffic jam at the entrance to Madrid.

La lluvia causó varias retenciones en la autopista.

The rain caused several traffic delays on the highway.

Evita la zona centro por las retenciones debido a las obras.

Avoid the downtown area due to traffic congestion from the roadworks.

Distance vs. Time

Spanish speakers often describe traffic jams by their length (kilometers) rather than just time.

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