How to say “Please call an ambulance” in Chinese
“Please call an ambulance” in Chinese is 请叫救护车。, written in pinyin as Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē.
请叫救护车。
Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē.
Please call an ambulance.
Word by word
What each part of 请叫救护车。 actually means.
- 请qǐngplease
- 叫jiàoto call
- 救护车jiùhùchēambulance
When you use it
- A medical emergency where somebody cannot get to hospital on their own.
- Say it to whoever is nearest. A clear instruction moves strangers to act far faster than a general cry for help.
Use 请叫救护车。 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.
快叫救护车！
Kuài jiào jiùhùchē!
Call an ambulance, quickly!
快 in front is what makes it urgent. This is the version to shout across a street.
打 120！
Dǎ yāo èr líng!
Call 120!
The number alone is an instruction. 120 is the ambulance line and everyone in China knows it.
有人受伤了。
Yǒu rén shòushāng le
Somebody is hurt.
Explains why you are asking, and gives whoever is listening something to act on.
What usually trips people up
- On the phone, 一 is read yāo and not yī. 120 is yāo-èr-líng, which is what makes the number clear over traffic noise.
- An ambulance in China is not free: the ride is charged for separately from the hospital bill. Cost should not decide anything in a real emergency, but it is worth knowing this is a paid service.
- If the person can walk, a taxi is usually faster. 医院在哪里 plus the nearest driver gets you there sooner than waiting for a crew, and the hospital 急诊 (emergency department) is open all night.
What you might hear back
- 在哪儿？Zài nǎr?Where are you?
- 马上派车。Mǎshàng pài chēWe are sending one now.
- 地址说一下。Dìzhǐ shuō yíxiàGive me the address.
Common questions
- How do you say "Please call an ambulance" in Chinese?
- "Please call an ambulance" in Chinese is 请叫救护车。 — written in pinyin as Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē. It is an emergency phrase you would use in China.
- What does 请叫救护车。 mean in Chinese?
- 请叫救护车。 (Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē) means "Please call an ambulance". Broken down word by word: 请 (qǐng) means "please"; 叫 (jiào) means "to call"; 救护车 (jiùhùchē) means "ambulance".
- When would you use "Please call an ambulance" in Chinese?
- A medical emergency where somebody cannot get to hospital on their own. Say it to whoever is nearest. A clear instruction moves strangers to act far faster than a general cry for help.
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