French Phrase
Ce matin, le trafic était pourri.
Meaning
Literally, 'This morning, the traffic was rotten.' In everyday French it means the traffic was terrible, slow, or chaotic. The adjective "pourri" adds a strong, informal tone.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to complain about a bad traffic jam you experienced earlier in the day, especially in casual conversation with friends or colleagues.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cematin,letraficétaitpourri.
Ce matin
A fixed time expression meaning 'this morning'; placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Imparfait (était)
Used to describe a past state or condition that was ongoing; here it sets the scene for the traffic situation.
Pourri (adjective)
Colloquial adjective meaning 'terrible, rotten'. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Article le + noun
Definite article 'le' specifies a particular traffic situation, here the traffic in general.
🗨In Conversation
Ce matin, le trafic était pourri.
This morning, the traffic was terrible.
Oui, je suis resté bloqué pendant une heure !
Yes, I was stuck for an hour!
✕Common Mistakes
Ce matin, le trafic a été pourri.
Using the passé composé (a été) would imply a completed event, not the ongoing state that imparfait conveys.
Ce matin, le trafic était pourrir.
"Pourrir" is the verb 'to rot'; you need the adjective "pourri" to describe the traffic.
Ce matin, le trafic était pourrie.
The adjective must agree with the masculine noun "trafic"; "pourri" stays masculine.
↔Alternatives
Ce matin, la circulation était horrible.
This morning, the traffic was horrible.
Ce matin, le trafic était épouvantable.
This morning, the traffic was dreadful.
Ce matin, le trafic était nul.
This morning, the traffic was lousy.
Cultural Tip
In French, "pourri" is a slangy way to say something is bad or messed up. It’s perfectly fine among friends, but avoid it in formal contexts or with people you don’t know well. Also, note that "trafic" is used in France, while "circulation" is more common in Canada.