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Emergency medical phrases

What to say — and show — to a doctor, a pharmacist or an ambulance crew.

Checked 29 Jun 2026 2 min read Written by the YOLO HAPPY team
How we keep this accurateEvery fact here was checked against official sources on the date above. Rules change — if you spot something out of date, tell us and we'll fix it within a day.

This card does only one thing: when you are panicking, in severe pain, or unable to use your phone, ask someone nearby to help you. How to use it: point with your finger to the sentences below and show them to a passerby or medical staff, or read the pinyin aloud. For detailed communication, a translation app is more suitable. Tip: save a screenshot on your phone + print one copy to carry with you, and keep it somewhere easy to see.

Emergency 120 | Police 110 | Fire 119 💡 On the phone, the number 1 is pronounced yāo, so 120 is pronounced "yāo-èr-líng", and 110 is pronounced "yāo-yāo-líng".

1🆘 请帮我 (Please Help Me)

救命！这是紧急情况，请帮我打 120。 Jiùmìng! Zhè shì jǐnjí qíngkuàng, qǐng bāng wǒ dǎ yāo-èr-líng. Help! This is an emergency — please call 120 (ambulance).

我是外国人，中文不好，请帮我。 Wǒ shì wàiguórén, Zhōngwén bù hǎo, qǐng bāng wǒ. I am a foreigner and I do not speak Chinese well. Please help me.

请联系我的紧急联系人。 Qǐng liánxì wǒ de jǐnjí liánxìrén. Please contact my emergency contact.

请帮我打电话报警 110。 Qǐng bāng wǒ dǎ diànhuà bàojǐng yāo-yāo-líng. Please call the police at 110.

请带我去最近的医院。 Qǐng dài wǒ qù zuìjìn de yīyuàn. Please take me to the nearest hospital.

这里有人会说英语吗？ Zhèlǐ yǒu rén huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? Does anyone here speak English?

我有旅行保险，请帮我联系翻译。 Wǒ yǒu lǚxíng bǎoxiǎn, qǐng bāng wǒ liánxì fānyì. I have travel insurance. Please help me contact an interpreter.

2Notes

  • This card only includes phrases for asking someone to help you. For your medical history, allergies, blood type, medicines, and other personal information, see Health Preparation Before Travel: Emergency Card and Prescription Medicines and prepare it yourself to show medical staff.
  • For situations that require detailed explanation, such as describing symptoms to a doctor or communicating when buying medicine, a translation app will be more accurate and flexible.

3See Also