How do you say "I need help" in Chinese?

"I need help" in Chinese is 我需要帮助。 — written in pinyin as Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù. It is an emergency phrase you would use in China.

What does 我需要帮助。 mean in Chinese?

我需要帮助。 (Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù) means "I need help". Broken down word by word: 我 (wǒ) means "I / me"; 需要 (xūyào) means "to need"; 帮助 (bāngzhù) means "help".

When would you use "I need help" in Chinese?

When something has genuinely gone wrong: a lost passport, a stolen bag, or a phone that has died before you have anywhere to stay. Say it to staff rather than to a passer-by. Hotel front desks, station service counters and shop assistants can make calls and check records, which strangers cannot.

How to say “I need help” in Chinese

“I need help” in Chinese is 我需要帮助。, written in pinyin as Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù.

我需要帮助。

Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù.

I need help.

Word by word

What each part of 我需要帮助。 actually means.

我wǒI / me
需要xūyàoto need
帮助bāngzhùhelp

When you use it

When something has genuinely gone wrong: a lost passport, a stolen bag, or a phone that has died before you have anywhere to stay.
Say it to staff rather than to a passer-by. Hotel front desks, station service counters and shop assistants can make calls and check records, which strangers cannot.

Use 我需要帮助。 in emergency situations. Get help fast: police, doctor, lost and allergies.

Other ways people say it

The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.

你能帮我吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?
Can you help me?
The direct question form. Works well straight after 不好意思 when you are already talking to somebody.
请帮我一下。
Qǐng bāng wǒ yíxià
Please give me a hand.
Much lighter, for a small immediate favour such as reading a sign or lifting a bag.
我需要看医生。
Wǒ xūyào kàn yīshēng
I need to see a doctor.
The same 我需要 frame carries any need: 我需要充电器 (a charger), 我需要一张地图 (a map).

What usually trips people up

Do not reach for 救命 here. 救命 means somebody's life is in danger, and spending it on a lost phone empties the word for the moment it is really needed.
Name the person you need if you can. 前台 is the hotel front desk and 服务台 is the service counter in a station or a mall, so pointing at it plus 我需要帮助 covers the gap when the sentence runs out.
帮助 is the written and formal word. In speech people say 帮我, which is why 请帮我一下 sounds far more natural at a shop counter.

What you might hear back

怎么了？Zěnme le?What is wrong?
我帮你。Wǒ bāng nǐI will help you.
请稍等，我找个人。Qǐng shāoděng, wǒ zhǎo gè rénOne moment, let me find someone.

Common questions

How do you say "I need help" in Chinese?: "I need help" in Chinese is 我需要帮助。 — written in pinyin as Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù. It is an emergency phrase you would use in China.
What does 我需要帮助。 mean in Chinese?: 我需要帮助。 (Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù) means "I need help". Broken down word by word: 我 (wǒ) means "I / me"; 需要 (xūyào) means "to need"; 帮助 (bāngzhù) means "help".
When would you use "I need help" in Chinese?: When something has genuinely gone wrong: a lost passport, a stolen bag, or a phone that has died before you have anywhere to stay. Say it to staff rather than to a passer-by. Hotel front desks, station service counters and shop assistants can make calls and check records, which strangers cannot.

More Emergency phrases

Learn all 18 Emergency phrases

Start learning