congestione

congestion

noun kon-jeh-STYOH-neh Rare

Origin: From Latin congestio, from congerere, 'to heap together'.

Usage Note

Congestione refers both to traffic congestion (congestione del traffico) and to medical congestion such as nasal or pulmonary congestion (congestione nasale). In Italian a common belief holds that swimming after eating causes congestione (a dangerous internal congestion), which is why parents traditionally forbid children from entering the water too soon after meals.

Examples

"La congestione del traffico ha bloccato il centro città."

Natural Translation

Traffic congestion blocked the city centre.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local

Order coffee in Italy like a local: say un caffè (not espresso), pay at the cassa first, drink al banco, and skip the latte trap. Phrases inside.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Adjective Agreement & Placement Made Simple

Italian adjectives agree in gender and number and usually sit after the noun. Master the -o/-a/-i/-e endings, the BAGS rule, and meaning-shifting pairs.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read