The phrases you hope you’ll never need — but absolutely must know. Bookmark this page before any trip to a Spanish-speaking country. In a real emergency, every second counts.
Spain: 112 (all emergencies)
Mexico: 911
Argentina: 911 (Buenos Aires), 101 (police)
Colombia: 123
Chile: 133 (police), 131 (ambulance), 132 (fire)
Peru: 105 (police), 106 (ambulance), 116 (fire)
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Ayuda! | ah-YOO-dah | Help! |
| ¡Socorro! | soh-KOH-roh | Help! (urgent) |
| Necesito ayuda | neh-seh-SEE-toh ah-YOO-dah | I need help |
| Es una emergencia | es OO-nah eh-mair-HEN-see-ah | It's an emergency |
| Llame a la policía | YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah | Call the police |
| Llame a una ambulancia | YAH-meh ah OO-nah am-boo-LAN-see-ah | Call an ambulance |
| Llame a los bomberos | YAH-meh ah los bom-BEH-ros | Call the firefighters |
| ¿Habla inglés? | AH-blah een-GLEHS | Do you speak English? |
| Necesito un traductor | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon trah-dook-TOR | I need a translator |
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Necesito un médico | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh | I need a doctor |
| ¿Dónde está el hospital más cercano? | DON-deh es-TAH el os-pee-TAHL mas ser-KAH-noh | Where is the nearest hospital? |
| ¿Dónde está la farmacia? | DON-deh es-TAH lah far-MAH-see-ah | Where is the pharmacy? |
| Estoy enfermo/enferma | es-TOY en-FER-moh / en-FER-mah | I am sick (m/f) |
| Me duele la cabeza | meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah | I have a headache |
| Me duele el estómago | meh DWEH-leh el es-TOH-mah-goh | I have a stomachache |
| Me duele el pecho | meh DWEH-leh el PEH-choh | I have chest pain |
| No puedo respirar | noh PWEH-doh res-pee-RAR | I can't breathe |
| Tengo fiebre | TEN-goh fee-EH-breh | I have a fever |
| Soy alérgico/alérgica a... | soy ah-LAIR-hee-koh / ah-LAIR-hee-kah ah | I'm allergic to... (m/f) |
| Necesito mi medicamento | neh-seh-SEE-toh mee meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh | I need my medication |
| Estoy embarazada | es-TOY em-bah-rah-SAH-dah | I'm pregnant |
| Me mordió un perro | meh mor-dee-OH oon PEH-roh | A dog bit me |
| Ha habido un accidente | ah ah-BEE-doh oon ak-see-DEN-teh | There's been an accident |
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Me han robado | meh an roh-BAH-doh | I've been robbed |
| Me robaron el pasaporte | meh roh-BAH-ron el pah-sah-POR-teh | They stole my passport |
| Perdí mi cartera/billetera | pair-DEE mee kar-TEH-rah / bee-yeh-TEH-rah | I lost my wallet |
| Perdí mi teléfono | pair-DEE mee teh-LEH-foh-noh | I lost my phone |
| ¿Dónde está la comisaría? | DON-deh es-TAH lah koh-mee-sah-REE-ah | Where is the police station? |
| Quiero denunciar un robo | kee-EH-roh deh-noon-see-AR oon ROH-boh | I want to report a theft |
| Necesito una copia del informe | neh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah KOH-pee-ah del een-FOR-meh | I need a copy of the report |
| Llame a mi embajada | YAH-meh ah mee em-bah-HAH-dah | Call my embassy |
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Cuidado! | kwee-DAH-doh | Watch out! / Careful! |
| ¡Peligro! | peh-LEE-groh | Danger! |
| ¡Fuego! | FWEH-goh | Fire! |
| ¡Al ladrón! | al lah-DRON | Stop, thief! |
| Déjeme en paz | DEH-heh-meh en pas | Leave me alone |
| ¿Es seguro aquí? | es seh-GOO-roh ah-KEE | Is it safe here? |
| Tengo miedo | TEN-goh mee-EH-doh | I'm afraid |
| Me siento mal | meh see-EN-toh mal | I don't feel well |
• Save emergency numbers in your phone BEFORE you travel. When something goes wrong, you won’t have time to look them up.
• Know your embassy address and phone number. Your embassy can help replace a stolen passport, contact family, or recommend local doctors who speak English.
• Keep a photo of your passport on your phone (and a paper copy separate from the original). If stolen, this speeds up replacement.
• “112” works throughout most of Europe. It’s the universal EU emergency number and connects to police, ambulance, and fire services.
• Travel insurance is worth it. A good policy covers medical evacuation, stolen items, and trip cancellation — usually for $50–100 per trip.
• Speak slowly and clearly. In a panic, people often speed up or mumble. Slow down, breathe, use simple phrases. Emergency operators are trained to handle non-native speakers.