Short printable card with top Italian emergency phrases
Here is a short printable card with top Italian emergency phrases essential for quick use:
Italian Emergency Phrases
- Aiuto! — Help!
- È un’emergenza — It’s an emergency
- Chiamate un’ambulanza! — Call an ambulance!
- Chiamate la polizia! — Call the police!
- Ho bisogno di un medico — I need a doctor
- Dov’è l’ospedale più vicino? — Where is the nearest hospital?
- Sto male — I feel sick
- Mi sono perso/a — I am lost (male/female)
- Ho perso il mio passaporto — I have lost my passport
- C’è stato un incidente — There has been an accident
- Può aiutarmi, per favore? — Can you help me, please?
- Fate presto, per favore! — Please hurry!
- Ho dolore al petto — I have chest pain
- Penso di avere un attacco di cuore — I think I’m having a heart attack
How to use these phrases
In an emergency, short and direct sentences are easier to say and easier to understand. Italian emergency language often relies on the imperative and simple present tense, so these phrases are practical even with limited grammar.
A few pronunciation notes make the card more useful in real situations:
- Aiuto is pronounced roughly ah-YOO-toh.
- Emergenza has the stress on -GEN-: eh-mer-JEN-tsa.
- Ambulanza is pronounced ahm-boo-LAHN-tsa.
- Polizia is pronounced poh-lee-TSEE-ah.
- Dov’è means “where is,” and the stress falls on the last syllable: doh-VEH.
Two small form choices matter:
- Mi sono perso is used by a man.
- Mi sono persa is used by a woman.
For politeness, per favore and può aiutarmi are useful in calm situations, but in a serious emergency, speed matters more than full sentences. A clear Aiuto! or Chiamate un’ambulanza! is often the fastest way to get attention.
Emergency Numbers in Italy
- 112 (general emergency)
- 118 (medical emergency)
- 115 (fire brigade)
- 113 (police)
Italy uses 112 as the main emergency number, which routes calls for many urgent situations. The older specialist numbers such as 118 for medical help are still widely known, especially in practical language cards and local signage.
Quick situation guide
The most useful phrase depends on the problem:
- Medical problem: Ho bisogno di un medico or Chiamate un’ambulanza!
- Chest pain or possible heart attack: Ho dolore al petto or Penso di avere un attacco di cuore
- Lost or separated: Mi sono perso/a
- Police needed: Chiamate la polizia!
- Accident: C’è stato un incidente
- Lost passport: Ho perso il mio passaporto
If the situation is unclear, È un’emergenza is a strong general phrase that signals urgency immediately.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few phrases are easy to mix up under stress:
- Sto male means “I feel sick” or “I am not well,” not “I am bad.”
- Mi sono perso/a refers to being lost, not to losing an object.
- Ho perso il mio passaporto is for a lost passport or other object.
- Può aiutarmi, per favore? is polite and useful, but it is slower than Aiuto! when immediate attention is needed.
For learners, emergency phrases are best memorized as fixed chunks rather than word-by-word grammar exercises. Speaking them aloud helps build automatic recall, and short conversation practice is especially effective for making urgent phrases come out quickly under pressure.
Mini printable version
- Aiuto!
- È un’emergenza
- Chiamate un’ambulanza!
- Chiamate la polizia!
- Ho bisogno di un medico
- Dov’è l’ospedale più vicino?
- Sto male
- Mi sono perso/a
- Ho perso il mio passaporto
- C’è stato un incidente
- Può aiutarmi, per favore?
- Fate presto, per favore!
- Ho dolore al petto
- Penso di avere un attacco di cuore
This card covers the core phrases used in urgent medical, police, and travel-related emergencies in Italy, with the most important numbers and the most common words needed for immediate help.