Emergency

32 phrases · Hebrew with romanization, English and audio

  1. עֶזְרָה!

    Ezra!

    Help!

    Usage

    Shouted in emergencies. "Hatsilu!" (save us/rescue!) is another urgent cry for help.

    Grammar Note

    Root '-z-r of "ezra" means to help. The biblical name "Ezra" (עזרא) shares this root, meaning "God helps."

  2. קִרְאוּ לְאַמְבּוּלַנְס, בְּבַקָּשָׁה

    Kiru leambulans, bevakasha

    Please call an ambulance

    Usage

    Used in medical emergencies. Israel's EMS is "Magen David Adom" (Red Star of David).

    Grammar Note

    Emergency numbers in Israel: Police "100," Ambulance (MDA) "101," Fire "102." Memorize these for safety.

  3. קִרְאוּ לַמִּשְׁטָרָה

    Kiru lamishtara

    Call the police

    Usage

    Used to ask bystanders to call the police in case of crime or accident.

    Grammar Note

    Root sh-t-r of "mishtara" means ruler/scribe. "Shoter" (police officer) shares this root. You can also shout "shoter, bevakasha!"

  4. אֲנִי חוֹלֶה

    Ani khole

    I am sick (male)

    Usage

    Male form. Female: "ani khola." Used when seeking medical attention.

    Grammar Note

    "Khole" functions as both adjective (sick) and noun (patient). "Beit kholim" (hospital) literally means "house of the sick."

  5. כּוֹאֵב לִי כַּאן

    Koev li kan

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Used while pointing to the painful area. Helpful when communicating with a doctor or paramedic.

    Grammar Note

    Hebrew expresses "I am in pain" as "ko'ev li" (it hurts to/for me). The pain is the subject; the experiencer is dative.

  6. גָּנְבוּ לִי אֶת הָאַרְנָק

    Ganvu li et haarnak

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Used to report theft to police or accommodation staff.

    Grammar Note

    "Ganvu li" means "they stole from me." Using the dative "li" marks the victim. Hebrew often uses active plural to express passive theft.

  7. אֲנִי צָרִיךְ רוֹפֵא

    Ani tsarikh rofe

    I need a doctor (male)

    Usage

    Male form. Female: "ani tsrikha rofe." Used to urgently request medical help.

    Grammar Note

    Root r-p-' of "rofe" means to heal. Related words: "refu'a" (medicine/healing) and "marpe" (cure/treatment).

  8. אֲנִי אָלֶרְגִי לְ...

    Ani alergi le...

    I am allergic to...

    Usage

    Fill in the allergen: "penitsilin" (penicillin), "egozim" (nuts), "beytsim" (eggs), etc.

    Grammar Note

    "Ragish" (sensitive) is also used medically. "Ani ragish le-penitsilin" is a synonym for allergic to penicillin.

  9. הִתְרַסַּקְתִּי בָּאוֹפַנַּיִם

    Hitrasakti baofanayim

    I fell off my bicycle

    Usage

    Used to report an accident. "Napalti" (I fell) is a simpler alternative.

    Grammar Note

    "Ofanayim" (bicycle) ends in the dual suffix "-ayim," meaning "two wheels." It is always plural in form.

  10. אֵיפֹה בֵּית הַחוֹלִים הַקָּרוֹב?

    Eifo beit hakholim hakarov?

    Where is the nearest hospital?

    Usage

    Used to find the nearest hospital in a medical emergency.

    Grammar Note

    "Beit kholim" is a construct phrase: "beit" (house) + "kholim" (sick people). Hebrew uses this compound for "hospital" rather than a single word.

  11. תפסיק

    tafsik

    Stop it

    Usage

    Shut down persistent touts, overcharging, or unwanted attention. It is blunt on purpose — the point is to be firm without having to raise your voice

    Grammar Note

    Masculine imperative; to a woman, "tafsiki". For something stronger, "dai!" (enough!)

  12. אל תיגע בי

    al tiga bi

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    For when someone puts hands on you. It is deliberately unsoftened; ambiguity is the dangerous option here

    Grammar Note

    Negative imperative to a man; to a woman, "al tig'i bi". Hebrew forms prohibitions with "al" plus the future tense

  13. הלכתי לאיבוד

    halakhti le'ibud

    I am lost

    Usage

    Show this to a passer-by or shopkeeper when you are lost; the same wording works if a child has gone missing

    Grammar Note

    First-person past tense, which does not inflect for gender — the same form works for any speaker

  14. שריפה

    srefa

    Fire

    Usage

    An uncontrolled fire; the element fire itself is the separate word esh

  15. גנב

    ganav

    Thief

    Usage

    Names the person who steals; the same spelling is also the verb "stole"

  16. שוד

    shod

    Robbery

    Usage

    The crime of taking property by force; the offender is a shoded

  17. חטיפת ארנק

    khatifat arnak

    Snatching

    Usage

    Snatching a wallet or bag; kidnapping a person is khatifa on its own

  18. כייס

    kayas

    Pickpocket

    Usage

    The person who picks pockets; the act itself is kayasut

  19. חטיפה

    khatifa

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Taking a person away by force or deception; the same word also covers hijacking

  20. רצח

    retsakh

    Murder

    Usage

    The crime of deliberate killing; manslaughter is the separate word harigah

  21. מהומה

    mehuma

    Riot

    Usage

    Violent disorder by a crowd; newspapers usually use the plural mehumot

  22. פצצה

    ptsatsa

    Bomb

    Usage

    Shown to report a suspicious package or an explosive; colloquially it also means something amazing

  23. איפה תחנת המשטרה?

    eifo takhanat hamishtara?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Asking where the police station is, to file a report after a theft or an accident

    Grammar Note

    The "eifo takhanat ha…?" frame ("where is the … station?") with "mishtara" (police) filled in. "Takhanat" is the construct (smikhut) form of "takhana", used when it is bound to a following noun.

  24. אנא קרא לכבאית

    ana kra lekabait

    Please call a fire engine

    Usage

    Asking bystanders to call a fire engine when you have found a fire; this is the form addressed to a man

    Grammar Note

    The "ana kra le…" frame ("please call …") with "kabait" (fire engine) filled in. "Ana" is a courteous "please", "kra" is the masculine imperative of "likro" (to call), and the preposition "le-" is read "le".

  25. האם מישהו מדבר יפנית?

    haim mishehu medaber yapanit?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Used at a hospital or a police station to look for a Japanese speaker when you cannot explain yourself

    Grammar Note

    Putting "haim" in front of a statement turns it into a yes/no question. "Medaber + language" means "speaks (that language)". "Yapanit" is the feminine of "yapani" (Japanese person); Hebrew names languages with the feminine form.

  26. זהירות!

    zehirut!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Shouted to warn someone of immediate danger; the same word heads road signs and warning notices

    Grammar Note

    The same word as "bezehirut" ("carefully"), used on its own as an interjection without the preposition. As a noun it means "care, caution".

  27. אנא בוא עכשיו

    ana bo akhshav

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Used on the phone or on the spot to ask someone to come immediately; this is the form addressed to a man, "ana boi akhshav" to a woman

    Grammar Note

    The polite "ana" is a courteous "please". "Bo" is the masculine imperative of "to come"; to a woman it becomes "boi". "Akhshav" means "now, right away".

  28. בבקשה קח אותי לבית החולים

    bevakasha kakh oti lebeit hakholim

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Asking a taxi driver or a bystander to take you to a hospital when you cannot get there yourself; this is the form addressed to a man, "kkhi oti" to a woman

    Grammar Note

    A "bevakasha + imperative + oti + place" sentence. "Kakh" is the masculine imperative of lakakhat (to take, to bring along); to a woman it becomes "kekhi". "Beit hakholim" means hospital.

  29. זה מקרה חירום

    ze mikre kherum

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Said on the phone or at a reception desk to make clear that this cannot wait

    Grammar Note

    The "ze + predicate" frame ("this is …") with "mikre kherum" (emergency case) filled in. Hebrew has no present-tense copula, so nothing corresponds to "is". "Kherum" often forms a bound phrase, as in "yetsiʾat kherum" (emergency exit).

  30. שכחתי משהו

    shakhakhti mashehu

    I forgot something

    Usage

    Said first to staff when you have left something behind in a shop or a vehicle; the verb form is the same for a man and a woman

    Grammar Note

    The first-person past "shakhakhti" of shakhakh (to forget), followed by "mashehu" ("something"). The first-person past ending "-ti" is the same for men and women.

  31. הייתה תאונת דרכים

    hayta te'unat drakhim

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Tell the police line or the people around you that a road accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    "Te'unat drakhim" means "traffic accident" (construct form "te'unat" + "drakhim", roads). Note: "te'una" is feminine, so the past existential is "hayta".

  32. אני רוצה לדווח על גניבה

    ani rotse ledave'akh al gneva

    I want to report a theft

    Usage

    Said at a police station counter when you want to file a report of a theft; this is the form a man uses

    Grammar Note

    The "ani rotse ledave'akh al …" ("I want to report …") frame with "gneva" (theft) filled in. "Gneva" is the action noun of the root g-n-b, seen in "ganav" (thief) and "ganvu li et haarnak" (my wallet was stolen).

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