In an emergency abroad, communication can be the difference between life and death. Here are the most essential emergency phrases in 20 languages.
The 5 Critical Phrases
These are the phrases that matter most in emergencies:
1. **"Help!"**
2. **"I need a doctor."**
3. **"Call the police."**
4. **"Where is the hospital?"**
5. **"I'm allergic to [X]."**
Save this page offline or screenshot the languages relevant to your travels.
🇪🇸 Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda! |
| I need a doctor. | Necesito un médico. |
| Call the police. | Llame a la policía. |
| Where is the hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital? |
| I'm allergic to... | Soy alérgico/a a... |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇫🇷 French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours! |
| I need a doctor. | J'ai besoin d'un médecin. |
| Call the police. | Appelez la police. |
| Where is the hospital? | Où est l'hôpital? |
| I'm allergic to... | Je suis allergique à... |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| Help! | 救命! (Jiùmìng!) |
| I need a doctor. | 我需要医生 (Wǒ xūyào yīshēng) |
| Call the police. | 报警 (Bàojǐng) |
| Where is the hospital? | 医院在哪里? (Yīyuàn zài nǎlǐ?) |
| Emergency number | 120 |
🇦🇪 Arabic
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| Help! | ساعدني! (Sā'idnī!) |
| I need a doctor. | أحتاج طبيب (Aḥtāj ṭabīb) |
| Where is the hospital? | أين المستشفى؟ (Ayna al-mustashfā?) |
| Emergency number | 999 |
🇹🇭 Thai
| English | Thai |
|---|---|
| Help! | ช่วยด้วย! (Chuây duai!) |
| I need a doctor. | ต้องการหมอ (Tŏngkǎn mŏr) |
| Emergency number | 191 (police), 1669 (ambulance) |
🇻🇳 Vietnamese
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Help! | Cứu với! |
| I need a doctor. | Tôi cần bác sĩ |
| Where is the hospital? | Bệnh viện ở đâu? |
| Emergency number | 113 (police), 115 (ambulance) |
🇮🇳 Hindi
| English | Hindi |
|---|---|
| Help! | मदद! (Madad!) |
| I need a doctor. | मुझे डॉक्टर चाहिए (Mujhe doctor chahiye) |
| Emergency number | 100 (police), 108 (ambulance) |
🇯🇵 Japanese
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Help! | 助けて! (Tasukete!) |
| I need a doctor. | 医者を呼んでください (Isha o yonde kudasai) |
| Where is the hospital? | 病院はどこですか? (Byōin wa doko desu ka?) |
| Emergency number | 110 (police), 119 (ambulance) |
🇹🇷 Turkish
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Help! | İmdat! |
| I need a doctor. | Doktora ihtiyacım var |
| Where is the hospital? | Hastane nerede? |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇵🇹 Portuguese
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Help! | Socorro! |
| I need a doctor. | Preciso de um médico |
| Where is the hospital? | Onde fica o hospital? |
| Emergency number | 192 (ambulance), 190 (police) |
🇷🇺 Russian
| English | Russian |
|---|---|
| Help! | Помогите! (Pomogite!) |
| I need a doctor. | Мне нужен врач (Mne nuzhen vrach) |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇮🇹 Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| I need a doctor. | Ho bisogno di un medico |
| Where is the hospital? | Dov'è l'ospedale? |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇩🇪 German
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Help! | Hilfe! |
| I need a doctor. | Ich brauche einen Arzt |
| Where is the hospital? | Wo ist das Krankenhaus? |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇰🇷 Korean
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Help! | 도와주세요! (Dowajuseyo!) |
| Emergency number | 119 |
🇮🇩 Indonesian
| English | Indonesian |
|---|---|
| Help! | Tolong! |
| I need a doctor. | Saya butuh dokter |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇲🇾 Malay
| English | Malay |
|---|---|
| Help! | Tolong! |
| Emergency number | 999 |
🇵🇱 Polish
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Help! | Pomocy! |
| I need a doctor. | Potrzebuję lekarza |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇳🇱 Dutch
| English | Dutch |
|---|---|
| Help! | Help! |
| I need a doctor. | Ik heb een dokter nodig |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇬🇷 Greek
| English | Greek |
|---|---|
| Help! | Βοήθεια! (Voítheia!) |
| I need a doctor. | Χρειάζομαι γιατρό (Chreiazomai giatro) |
| Emergency number | 112 |
🇸🇪 Swedish
| English | Swedish |
|---|---|
| Help! | Hjälp! |
| I need a doctor. | Jag behöver en läkare |
| Emergency number | 112 |
Pro Tips
1. **Save emergency numbers in your phone** before traveling — see our [emergency numbers tool](/tools/emergency-numbers)
2. **Learn the local word for your allergies** — this can save your life
3. **Carry a medical info card** in the local language listing allergies, blood type, and conditions
4. **Download Google Translate offline** for your destination language
5. **Show this article on your phone** to a local if you need help in an emergency
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Read next: [Road Safety Abroad — The #1 Travel Risk](/en/blog/road-safety-abroad)