Emergency

42 phrases · Taiwanese (Min Nan) with romanization, English and audio

  1. 救人啊！

    Kiù-lâng--ah!

    Help! Someone help!

    Usage

    Cry out for help in an emergency situation

    Grammar Note

    "--Ah" is an exclamatory particle in Taiwanese expressing urgency or strong emotion

  2. 叫救護車

    Kiò kiù-hōo-tshia

    Call an ambulance

    Usage

    Ask someone to call an ambulance in a medical emergency

    Grammar Note

    Taiwan's emergency number is 119. "Kiù-hōo-tshia" literally means "rescue-protection vehicle"

  3. 報警

    Pò-kíng

    Call the police

    Usage

    Ask someone to contact the police in a criminal or dangerous situation

    Grammar Note

    Taiwan's police number is 110. "Pò-kíng" means to report to the police

  4. 我的護照去予人偷走

    Guá ê hōo-tsiàu khì hōo-lâng thau-tsáu

    My passport was stolen

    Usage

    Report a stolen passport to police or the embassy

    Grammar Note

    "Hōo-lâng" means "by someone" and creates a passive construction in Taiwanese

  5. 我傷著

    Guá siong-tio̍h

    I am injured

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or bystander that you are injured

    Grammar Note

    "Tio̍h" after a verb indicates a resultative complement — an action that has been completed

  6. 我欲去醫院

    Guá beh khì i-īnn

    I need to go to the hospital

    Usage

    Request to be taken to a hospital when medical attention is needed

    Grammar Note

    "Beh khì" means want to go or need to go. Add "kín-kip" (urgent) for emergencies

  7. 我對這个藥過敏

    Guá tuì tsit-ê io̍h kuè-bín

    I am allergic to this medicine

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or pharmacist about a drug allergy

    Grammar Note

    "Tuì…kuè-bín" works for both food and medicine allergies

  8. 失火啊！

    Sit-hué--ah!

    Fire!

    Usage

    Alert people of a fire emergency

    Grammar Note

    "Sit-hué" means loss of fire control. Fire emergency number in Taiwan is 119

  9. 我的皮包去予人搶去

    Guá ê phî-pau khì hōo-lâng tshiúnn-khì

    My bag was snatched

    Usage

    Report a bag snatching to the police

    Grammar Note

    "Tshiúnn" means to snatch or rob. "Khì hōo-lâng" is the passive voice construction

  10. 我迷路矣

    Guá bê-lōo--ah

    I am lost

    Usage

    Tell someone you are lost and need help finding your way

    Grammar Note

    "--Ah" (矣) indicates a change of state or completed action in Taiwanese

  11. 莫閣來矣！

    Mài koh lâi--ah!

    Stop it

    Usage

    Show it firmly without raising your voice, against persistent touts or a threat

  12. 莫摸我！

    Mài bong guá!

    Do not touch me

    Usage

    Show it silently when someone touches you

  13. 我的物件予人偷提去矣

    Guá ê mi̍h-kiānn hōo-lâng thau the̍h--khì--ah

    It was stolen

    Usage

    Point at it when reporting a theft to the police

  14. 賊仔

    Tsha̍t-á

    Thief

    Usage

    The word for someone who steals; point at it when reporting a theft

  15. 強盜

    Kiông-tō

    Robbery

    Usage

    A robber who takes property by force; the act itself is "tshiúnn-kiap"

  16. 剪綹仔

    Tsián-liú-á

    Pickpocket

    Usage

    Someone who lifts valuables off people in public places; "sann-ki-tshiú" means the same

  17. 綁票

    Páng-phiò

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Seizing a hostage by force in order to demand money

  18. 殺人

    Sat-jîn

    Murder

    Usage

    Killing a person; a word shared by Taiwanese and Mandarin, read "sat-jîn"

  19. 暴動

    Pō-tōng

    Riot

    Usage

    A crowd disturbing order by violence; a word shared by Taiwanese and Mandarin, read "pō-tōng"

  20. 炸彈

    Tsà-tuânn

    Bomb

    Usage

    A shell packed with explosives; point at it when reporting a suspicious object

  21. 失火啊！緊走！

    Sit-hué--ah! Kín tsáu!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Used to alert people to a fire and tell them to get out

    Grammar Note

    失火啊！ means "fire!". 緊 (kín) means "quick, rapid" or urges someone to hurry up. 走 (tsáu) means "to run, to flee", rather than "to walk" as in Mandarin.

  22. 賊仔！請共我掠伊！

    Tsha̍t-á! Tshiánn kā guá lia̍h i!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shout it at the scene of a theft to ask bystanders to stop the thief

    Grammar Note

    The "請共我…" request of "請共我換房間" (please change my room) uses "賊仔" and "掠" (lia̍h, to catch, to seize). "伊" is the third-person pronoun.

  23. 請共我叫拍火車

    Tshiánn kā guá kiò phah-hué-tshia

    Please call a fire engine

    Usage

    Used to ask someone to call the fire brigade

    Grammar Note

    Same "請共我叫…" frame as "請共我叫救護車。" (please call an ambulance), with "拍火車" (fire engine) as what is summoned.

  24. 警察局佇佗位？

    Kíng-tshat-kio̍k tī tó-uī?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Ask where the police station is, for example to file a report

    Grammar Note

    Same "…局佇佗位？" frame as "郵局佇佗位？" (where is the post office?), with "郵局" replaced by "警察局" (kíng-tshat-kio̍k).

  25. 請共我開報案三聯單

    Tshiánn kā guá khui pò-àn sann-liân-tuann

    Please issue a police report slip

    Usage

    Ask the police for the theft paperwork that insurers usually require. The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part

    Grammar Note

    The "請共我…" request of "請共我換房間". The "報案三聯單" is the triplicate slip Taiwanese police issue to acknowledge a reported crime; the mainland document is called "報案回執" instead.

  26. 有人會曉講日語無？

    Ū lâng ē-hiáu kóng Ji̍t-gí bô?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Used to look for a Japanese speaker when you cannot make yourself understood

    Grammar Note

    The "會曉講…無？" frame of "我會曉講一屑仔" (I speak a little) and "你會曉講英語無？" (do you speak English?), with the language changed to "日語". Sentence-final "無" forms a yes-no question.

  27. 救人啊！這个人昏去矣

    Kiù-lâng--ah! Tsit-ê lâng hūn--khì--ah

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Raise the alarm that a collapsed person is unresponsive

    Grammar Note

    救人啊！ means "help!". 昏 (hūn) means "to faint, to pass out". Final 矣 (--ah) marks a change of state.

  28. 救人啊！有人跋落水矣

    Kiù-lâng--ah! Ū lâng pua̍h lo̍h-tsuí--ah

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Raise the alarm that someone has fallen into the water

    Grammar Note

    救人啊！ means "help!". 跋 (pua̍h) means "to fall, to tumble", the same verb as in 跋倒矣 (I fell over).

  29. 我去予人拍

    Guá khì hōo-lâng phah

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Report to police or medical staff that you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    Same "去予人 + verb" passive as "我的護照去予人偷走" (my passport was stolen), with the verb changed to "拍" (phah, to hit with the hand, to fight). Taiwanese uses "拍" where Mandarin uses "打".

  30. 我去予人用刀仔刺著

    Guá khì hōo-lâng īng to-á tshiah--tio̍h

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Tell paramedics or police that you were stabbed with a blade

    Grammar Note

    Same "去予人 + verb" passive as "我的護照去予人偷走". "刀仔" means a small knife; "用" means "to use, to carry out". The resultative "著" is the same as in "我傷著" (I am injured).

  31. 我的房間去予人偷提物件

    Guá ê pâng-king khì hōo-lâng thau the̍h mi̍h-kiānn

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Report to police or hotel staff that your room was burgled while you were out

    Grammar Note

    Combines "去予人偷" from "我的護照去予人偷走" with "予人偷提" from "我的物件予人偷提去矣", placing the theft in "我的房間"; "房間" is read pâng-king.

  32. 犯人就是這个人

    Huān-lâng tō sī tsit-ê lâng

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Point out the offender to the police

    Grammar Note

    The "…是這个" pattern of "我的Line是這个" (this is my LINE), with "人" added. "犯人" (huān-lâng) means "a person who has committed a crime"; "就" (tō) marks emphatic confirmation.

  33. 我去予人騙

    Guá khì hōo-lâng phiàn

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Report to police or bystanders that you have been swindled

    Grammar Note

    Same "去予人 + verb" passive as "我的護照去予人偷走", with the verb changed to "騙" (phiàn, to defraud, to cheat).

  34. 我的皮包去予人偷提去

    Guá ê phî-pau khì hōo-lâng thau the̍h--khì

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Report a stolen wallet to police or hotel staff

    Grammar Note

    Reuses "我的皮包去予人" from "我的皮包去予人搶去" (my bag was snatched) and swaps in "偷提去" from "我的物件予人偷提去矣". "搶" is taking by force, "偷提" taking by stealth.

  35. 我的物件袂記得提

    Guá ê mi̍h-kiānn buē-kì-tit the̍h

    I left it behind

    Usage

    Tell staff that you left your belongings at a shop or on a vehicle

    Grammar Note

    Combines "我的物件" from "我的物件予人偷提去矣" with "袂記得" from "密碼袂記得矣" (I forgot the PIN) — for things you left behind yourself rather than had stolen.

  36. 我想欲報警，我去予車挵著

    Guá siūnn-beh pò-kíng, guá khì hōo tshia lòng--tio̍h

    I want to call the police. I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Report to the police that you were hit by a car

    Grammar Note

    The "我想欲…" frame of "我想欲參加藝術工作坊。" (I'd like to join the art workshop), filled with "報警", followed by the "去予…" passive of "我的護照去予人偷走". "挵" (lòng) means "to collide".

  37. 請對緊急出口走

    Tshiánn tuì kín-kip tshut-kháu tsáu

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Direct people to leave through the emergency exit in a fire or similar

    Grammar Note

    緊急出口 is the sign for an emergency exit. 對 (tuì) can mean "from, towards"; 走 (tsáu) can mean "to flee".

  38. 拜託，緊來。

    Pài-thok, kín lâi.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Ask someone on the phone or in person to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    The same "拜託，…" request as "拜託，較細膩咧。" (please be a little gentler). "緊來" (kín lâi) means 快來 "come quickly"; "緊" means "hurry up" and urges someone to act. Taiwanese "需要" does not take a clause as its object, so "我需要你…" is not used.

  39. 這是緊急的代誌

    Tse sī kín-kip ê tāi-tsì

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    State that this is an emergency when you are being kept waiting

    Grammar Note

    Reuses "緊急的" from "海底緊急的信號是啥物？" (what is the underwater emergency signal?). "代誌" (tāi-tsì) means "matter, affair".

  40. 請共我載去病院

    Tshiánn kā guá tsài khì pēnn-īnn

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Used when ill or injured to request transport to hospital

    Grammar Note

    The "請共我…" request of "請共我換房間", filled with "載" (tsài, to transport) and "病院" (pēnn-īnn).

  41. 拜託，較緊咧。

    Pài-thok, khah kín--leh.

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Ask a driver or a helper to hurry

    Grammar Note

    The same "拜託，較 + adjective + 咧" request as "拜託，較細膩咧。" (please be a little gentler), with "緊" (kín, quick) as the adjective; "較大力咧" uses the same "較…咧". An example is "較緊咧啦！欲開車矣。" (hurry up! we are about to drive off).

  42. 出交通事故矣

    Tshut kau-thong sū-kòo--ah

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Tell the police, paramedics or bystanders that a traffic accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    出…事故矣 is a pattern for saying an accident has occurred, also seen in 出事故矣——請叫滑雪巡邏隊。 交通 kau-thong means the movement of cars, ships and aircraft on land, water or in the air, and also occurs in 予交通警察擋落來. 事故 sū-kòo is shared by Taiwanese and Mandarin. 交通事故 means an unexpected event on the road involving traffic vehicles. The Tâi-lô spelling is kau-thong sū-kòo; the POJ spelling is Kau-thong sū-kò͘. A definition in POJ: sī tī tō-lō͘ kau-thong tiong, khan-sia̍p tio̍h kau-thong kang-khū ê chi̍t chióng ì-goā sū-kiāⁿ

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