Quick answer
¡Llame a una ambulancia, por favor!
Call an ambulance, please! In an emergency Spanish stays with the polite usted form to strangers, so llame, not llama.
The words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la emergencia | the emergency |
| la ayuda | the help |
| la ambulancia | the ambulance |
| los bomberos | the fire brigade |
| la policía | the police |
| el accidente | the accident |
| el incendio | the fire |
| el herido | the injured person |
| la denuncia | the police report |
| el robo | the theft |
| la salida de emergencia | the emergency exit |
| el seguro | the insurance |
| llamar | to call |
| socorrer | to help someone in danger |
| avisar | to alert |
The phrases you will actually say
Worth knowing
The single number to memorise is 112: it works across Spain and the whole EU, is free from any phone including one with no credit, and connects you to police, ambulance and fire together, with English-speaking operators available. Say where you are first, because the operator needs the location before the story. If your phone or wallet is stolen you must poner una denuncia at a comisaría or online with the Policía Nacional, since insurers will not pay without that document. Two distinctions matter: el incendio is a destructive fire while el fuego is just fire in general, and the shout for help is ¡socorro! or ¡auxilio!, not the everyday word ayuda. Note also that la Guardia Civil handles rural areas and motorways, while the Policía Nacional handles cities.
Practice
Practise your emergencies words
0/8 matched — tap a Spanish word, then its translation
Check yourself
Which number do you call in an emergency in Spain?