Emergency Phrases in 10 Languages — Say These to Get Help Abroad
In a medical emergency, the language barrier becomes one of the hardest obstacles you'll face. You know what you need — you just don't know how to say it. Five key phrases, learned before you land, can change everything.
This guide covers the five most critical emergency phrases in ten of the world's most widely spoken languages — with phonetic pronunciation guides so you can actually use them under pressure. You don't need to be fluent. You just need to be understood.
How to use this guide
- → Find your destination language below
- → Screenshot the phrase table for offline access
- → Save the top 2 phrases to your phone notes app
- → Use our Saved Numbers feature to store your emergency card alongside these phrases
- → Google Translate's offline mode can supplement — but pre-learned phrases work faster under stress
French
Spoken in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and 29 African countries
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | Aidez-moi ! | Ay-day mwah |
| Call an ambulance! | Appelez une ambulance ! | Ah-play oon ahm-boo-lahnce |
| I need a doctor. | J'ai besoin d'un médecin. | Zhay buh-zwan dun may-duh-san |
| There is a fire! | Il y a un incendie ! | Eel ee ah un an-sahn-dee |
| Where is the hospital? | Où est l'hôpital ? | Oo ay loh-pee-tahl |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Spanish
Spoken across Spain, Latin America, and parts of the US — 500+ million speakers
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | ¡Ayúdame! | Ah-yoo-dah-may |
| Call an ambulance! | ¡Llame a una ambulancia! | Yah-may ah oo-nah ahm-boo-lahn-see-ah |
| I need a doctor. | Necesito un médico. | Neh-seh-see-toh oon may-dee-koh |
| There is a fire! | ¡Hay un incendio! | Eye oon een-sen-dee-oh |
| Where is the hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital? | Don-day es-tah el os-pee-tahl |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
German
Spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | Helfen Sie mir! | Hel-fen zee meer |
| Call an ambulance! | Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! | Roo-fen zee eye-nen Kran-ken-vah-gen |
| I need a doctor. | Ich brauche einen Arzt. | Ikh brow-khuh eye-nen artst |
| There is a fire! | Es brennt! | Es brent |
| Where is the hospital? | Wo ist das Krankenhaus? | Voh ist das Kran-ken-hows |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Italian
Spoken in Italy, parts of Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | Aiuto! | Ah-yoo-toh |
| Call an ambulance! | Chiamate un'ambulanza! | Kyah-mah-teh oon ahm-boo-lahn-tsah |
| I need a doctor. | Ho bisogno di un medico. | Oh bee-zon-yoh dee oon meh-dee-koh |
| There is a fire! | C'è un incendio! | Cheh oon een-chen-dyoh |
| Where is the hospital? | Dov'è l'ospedale? | Doh-veh lohs-peh-dah-leh |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Japanese
Spoken in Japan — emergency number 119 (ambulance), 110 (police)
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | 助けてください！(Tasukete kudasai!) | Tah-soo-keh-teh koo-dah-sai |
| Call an ambulance! | 救急車を呼んでください！(Kyuukyuusha wo yonde kudasai!) | Kyoo-kyoo-sha woh yon-deh koo-dah-sai |
| I need a doctor. | 医者が必要です。(Isha ga hitsuyou desu.) | Ee-sha gah hit-soo-yoh des |
| There is a fire! | 火事です！(Kaji desu!) | Kah-jee des |
| Where is the hospital? | 病院はどこですか？(Byouin wa doko desu ka?) | Byoh-een wah doh-koh des kah |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Thai
Spoken in Thailand — emergency number 1669 (ambulance), 191 (police)
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | ช่วยด้วย! (Chuay duay!) | Chuay doo-ay |
| Call an ambulance! | โทรเรียกรถพยาบาล! (Tho riak rot phayaban!) | Toh ree-ak rot pay-ah-bahn |
| I need a doctor. | ฉันต้องการหมอ (Chan tong kan mor) | Chan tong kahn mor |
| There is a fire! | ไฟไหม้! (Fai mai!) | Fai my |
| Where is the hospital? | โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหน? (Rong phayaban yu thi nai?) | Rong pay-ah-bahn yoo tee nai |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Arabic
Spoken across the Middle East and North Africa — 25+ countries
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | ساعدني! (Saa'idni!) | Sah-id-nee |
| Call an ambulance! | اتصل بالإسعاف! (Ittasil bil is'af!) | It-ta-sil bil is-aaf |
| I need a doctor. | أحتاج طبيباً (Ahtaj tabeeba) | Ah-taj tah-bee-bah |
| There is a fire! | هناك حريق! (Hunaka hariq!) | Hoo-nah-kah hah-reek |
| Where is the hospital? | أين المستشفى؟ (Ayna al-mustashfa?) | Ay-nah al-mus-tash-fah |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Hindi
Spoken across India — emergency number 112 (unified national)
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | मदद करो! (Madad karo!) | Mah-dad kah-roh |
| Call an ambulance! | एम्बुलेंस बुलाओ! (Ambulance bulao!) | Am-boo-lence boo-lao |
| I need a doctor. | मुझे डॉक्टर चाहिए (Mujhe doctor chahiye) | Moo-jheh doctor chah-hee-yeh |
| There is a fire! | आग लगी है! (Aag lagi hai!) | Ahg lah-gee hai |
| Where is the hospital? | अस्पताल कहाँ है? (Aspatal kahan hai?) | As-pah-tahl kah-hahn hai |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Portuguese
Spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and 9 African countries — 260+ million speakers
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | Socorro! | Soh-koh-hoh |
| Call an ambulance! | Chame uma ambulância! | Shah-meh oo-mah ahm-boo-lahn-see-ah |
| I need a doctor. | Preciso de um médico. | Preh-see-zoo djee oom meh-djee-koo |
| There is a fire! | Há um incêndio! | Ah oom een-sen-jyoo |
| Where is the hospital? | Onde fica o hospital? | On-djee fee-kah oo os-pee-tahl |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Korean
Spoken in South Korea — emergency number 119 (ambulance/fire), 112 (police)
| English | Phrase | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Help me! | 도와주세요! (Dowa juseyo!) | Doh-wah joo-seh-yoh |
| Call an ambulance! | 구급차를 불러주세요! (Gugeupcha reul bulleo juseyo!) | Goo-geup-chah reul bool-luh joo-seh-yoh |
| I need a doctor. | 의사가 필요해요 (Uisa ga pilyohaeyo) | Ee-sah gah peel-yoh-heh-yoh |
| There is a fire! | 불이 났어요! (Buri nasseoyo!) | Boo-ree nah-suh-yoh |
| Where is the hospital? | 병원이 어디예요? (Byeongwoni eodiyeyo?) | Byung-won-ee uh-dee-yeh-yoh |
Row highlighted in red = most important phrase to remember.
Practical Tips for Using Emergency Phrases
Volume and urgency carry the message
Even with imperfect pronunciation, speaking loudly, clearly, and with visible urgency conveys distress across language barriers. People respond to tone as much as words.
Show the written phrase if speech fails
If you can't make yourself understood verbally, hold up your phone with the phrase on screen. Literate speakers of the language will understand it even if your pronunciation is off.
Combine phrases with gestures
Point at the person who needs help, mime calling a phone, point in the direction of a hospital. Language + gesture together is more effective than either alone.
Pair with the local emergency number
Phrases help with bystanders — but calling the correct local emergency number reaches trained responders immediately. Before every trip, look up and save the emergency number for your destination at allemergencynumbers.com. See our guide on how to call emergency services abroad.
Download Google Translate offline as backup
For phrases beyond these five, Google Translate with offline language packs handles most situations. But pre-learned phrases are faster when seconds matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important phrase to know in any language during an emergency?
'Help me!' is the single most important phrase. It immediately signals distress to anyone nearby and will prompt locals to assist or call emergency services on your behalf. In most languages it's a short, simple phrase that can be learned in under a minute. Even a rough approximation of the pronunciation will be understood in context.
Do I need to speak the local language to get emergency help abroad?
No — but knowing even five key phrases significantly improves your ability to get help faster. Emergency services in most countries are trained to respond to callers regardless of language, and operators often have access to interpreter services. However, being able to say 'Call an ambulance' or 'I need a doctor' in the local language can save critical minutes, especially in smaller cities or rural areas.
What should I do if I can't pronounce the emergency phrase correctly?
Don't worry about perfect pronunciation — context carries enormous weight in emergencies. Your visible distress, urgency of tone, and the words themselves (even imperfectly pronounced) will communicate your need. If pronunciation is a concern, use Google Translate's speak function to hear the correct pronunciation before traveling, or show the written phrase on your phone screen to a local or emergency responder.
Is it better to call emergency services or use phrases with bystanders?
Both simultaneously if possible. Call the local emergency number (or 112 as a fallback) while also engaging nearby people for immediate help. Bystanders who speak the language can serve as live interpreters with the dispatcher, direct you to the nearest hospital, and provide immediate physical assistance while you wait for emergency services to arrive.
Should I memorize these phrases or is it enough to have them on my phone?
Both approaches have value. Having phrases saved on your phone (in a notes app, offline) is practical for most situations. However, memorizing two or three key phrases — especially 'Help!' and 'Call an ambulance' — means you can use them even if your phone is lost, dead, or inaccessible. A reasonable approach: memorize the top two phrases, screenshot the rest.
Know the Emergency Number Too
Phrases get attention. The right number gets help. Find both before you land.
Search Emergency Numbers →