渋滞
じゅうたい · juutai · JLPT N3 · noun
gram
🚗🚦 渋滞 = 渋 (reluctant, sluggish) + 滞 (stagnate): flow that balks and stalls
渋 means astringent or reluctant, as in 渋い; 滞 means to stagnate, as in 滞在 (a stay). Together: movement that goes sluggish and then stops. Sound hook: juutai is close to 'due to tie-up', which is why the traffic is late.