Chinese Emergency Phrases: Help, Police & Ambulance

Emergency language has one job: get the right help to the right place quickly. Learn the short phrases below, but treat them as a backup. Before you travel, save the local emergency numbers, a written address and any important medical information in Chinese on an offline card or note.

Find the local emergency number first

Emergency numbers differ by country and region. Do not assume that the number you use at home works elsewhere. The examples below are common public numbers, but you should confirm the current official number for the exact place you are visiting before you travel.

写下来的地址比口头说更可靠。把酒店名称、街道地址或地图定位保存在手机里，同时准备一张离线截图，因为网络、电量或漫游都可能失效。

Core calls for help

These are the shortest useful sentences. Say the phrase, then give your location and what happened.

救命 is for a serious, life-threatening situation. For a non-urgent problem, 帮帮我 or 请帮个忙 is more appropriate. Using urgent language for a minor issue can slow down real emergencies for other people.

Explaining what happened

Keep it short and factual: what happened, who is hurt and where you are. Do not try to explain the whole story in Chinese if you are not able to.

• 这里有人晕倒了。Someone here has fainted.
• 我朋友受伤了。My friend is injured.
• 我迷路了。I am lost.
• 我的包被偷了。My bag was stolen.
• 我的护照丢了。I lost my passport.
• 出车祸了。There has been a car accident.

丢 (lost) and 被偷 (stolen) are different. 我的护照丢了 means you lost it; 我的护照被偷了 means it was stolen. Police reports usually need the second one if theft is involved.

Medical information that may be needed

If you have a medical condition, allergy or regular medication, have the key facts written in Chinese before an emergency. A responder may need to know what you take and what you cannot take.

• 我对青霉素过敏。I am allergic to penicillin.
• 我对花生过敏。I am allergic to peanuts.
• 我在吃这个药。I take this medication.
• 我有哮喘。I have asthma.
• 我是糖尿病患者。I have diabetes.
• 我需要医生。I need a doctor.

These sentences describe a condition; they are not a diagnosis and cannot replace professional care. If you cannot speak clearly, show the written card or medication packaging and let responders take over.

Giving your location

Location is often the most important information in a call. Say the address, then add a landmark if you have one: 我在…… (I am at …). If you cannot pronounce the address, show the map pin or send the written address.

• 我在这里。I am here. — used while pointing at a map
• 我的地址是……My address is …
• 我在酒店附近。I am near the hotel.
• 我在火车站。I am at the train station.
• 请到这个位置。Please come to this location.

Asking other people for help

Bystanders can help you call, translate or guide responders. These phrases work when you need someone nearby to act on your behalf.

• 可以借我用一下电话吗？Can I borrow your phone?
• 请帮我打这个号码。Please call this number for me.
• 你会说英语吗？Do you speak English?
• 我需要翻译。I need an interpreter.
• 请带我去医院。Please take me to the hospital.

If someone offers to help, confirm the destination and who they are calling before you go anywhere with them. In an emergency, staying in a public place and waiting for official help is usually safer than accepting an unclear offer of transport.

What not to rely on

A translation app, a memorised sentence or this page cannot replace local emergency services. Network coverage, battery, dialect and background noise can all break communication at the worst moment.

• Do not wait to find the perfect sentence before calling for help.
• Do not use 救命 for a minor inconvenience.
• Do not assume the local emergency number matches your home country.
• Do not rely on a phone that may be out of battery or data.
• Do not give medical advice to others; hand the situation to professionals.

This page teaches vocabulary for emergencies. It is not medical, legal or security advice. For any real emergency, contact the official local service immediately.