Chinese for Travel
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Unit 10 · Help Lesson 53 6 min Free in the app

Asking for help and calling the police

Ask for urgent help, call the police, call an ambulance, explain danger, and ask someone to contact staff or emergency services. Late at night near Jiefangbei, Chongqing. A man has followed you for three streets, and your phone is dead. You step into a convenience store.

报警

Key phrases

The 6 phrases this lesson is built around, with the words that make them up. Tap ▶ to listen, or the turtle to hear it slowly.

  • 救命！

    Jiùmìng!

    Help!

  • 请帮帮我！

    Qǐng bāngbang wǒ!

    Please help me!

    • 请Qǐng
    • 帮帮bāngbang
    • 我wǒ

  • 请帮我报警。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ bàojǐng.

    Please help me call the police.

    • 请Qǐng
    • 帮bāng
    • 我wǒ
    • 报警bàojǐng

  • 请叫救护车。

    Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē.

    Please call an ambulance.

    • 请Qǐng
    • 叫jiào
    • 救护车jiùhùchē

  • 我觉得不安全。

    Wǒ juéde bù ānquán.

    I feel unsafe.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 觉得juéde
    • 不bù
    • 安全ānquán

  • 我的手机没电了。

    Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le.

    My phone is out of battery.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 的de
    • 手机shǒujī
    • 没méi
    • 电diàn
    • 了le

More phrases for this situation

Every other phrase from the lesson: 17 in all.

  • 我需要帮助。

    Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù.

    I need help.

  • 这是紧急情况。

    Zhè shì jǐnjí qíngkuàng.

    This is an emergency.

  • 请打110。

    Qǐng dǎ yāo yāo líng.

    Please call 110.

  • 请打120。

    Qǐng dǎ yāo èr líng.

    Please call 120.

  • 这里很危险。

    Zhèlǐ hěn wēixiǎn.

    It is dangerous here.

  • 有人受伤了。

    Yǒu rén shòushāng le.

    Someone is injured.

  • 我受伤了。

    Wǒ shòushāng le.

    I am injured.

  • 我需要医生。

    Wǒ xūyào yīshēng.

    I need a doctor.

  • 请联系工作人员。

    Qǐng liánxì gōngzuò rényuán.

    Please contact the staff.

  • 请带我去安全的地方。

    Qǐng dài wǒ qù ānquán de dìfang.

    Please take me to a safe place.

  • 我不会说中文。

    Wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    I cannot speak Chinese.

  • 可以帮我翻译吗？

    Kěyǐ bāng wǒ fānyì ma?

    Could you help me translate?

  • 可以帮我打电话吗？

    Kěyǐ bāng wǒ dǎ diànhuà ma?

    Could you help me make a phone call?

  • 请不要离开我。

    Qǐng bú yào líkāi wǒ.

    Please do not leave me.

  • 请告诉我现在该怎么办。

    Qǐng gàosu wǒ xiànzài gāi zěnme bàn.

    Please tell me what I should do now.

  • 请帮我写下来。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ xiě xiàlái.

    Please write it down for me.

  • 谢谢您的帮助。

    Xièxie nín de bāngzhù.

    Thank you for your help.

What you’ll hear, and how to answer

Staff won’t follow your script. These are things they are likely to say here, with a reply that works.

  1. Staff

    怎么了？您没事吧？

    Zěnme le? Nín méi shì ba?

    What's wrong? Are you all right?

    You

    我觉得不安全。

    Wǒ juéde bù ānquán.

    I feel unsafe.

  2. Staff

    警察马上就到。

    Jǐngchá mǎshàng jiù dào.

    The police will be here any minute.

    You

    请不要离开我。

    Qǐng bú yào líkāi wǒ.

    Please do not leave me.

Play the scene

Late at night near Jiefangbei, Chongqing. A man has followed you for three streets, and your phone is dead. You step into a convenience store.

重庆·解放碑 · Jiefangbei, Chongqing

  1. Staff

    怎么了？您没事吧？

    Zěnme le? Nín méi shì ba?

    What's wrong? Are you all right?

  2. You

    我觉得不安全。

    Wǒ juéde bù ānquán.

    I feel unsafe.

  3. Staff

    别怕，在店里等着。

    Bié pà, zài diàn lǐ děngzhe.

    Don't be afraid. Wait here in the shop.

  4. You

    请帮我报警。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ bàojǐng.

    Please help me call the police.

  5. Staff

    我帮您报警。

    Wǒ bāng nín bàojǐng.

    I'll call the police for you.

  6. You

    我的手机没电了。

    Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le.

    My phone is out of battery.

  7. Staff

    警察马上就到。

    Jǐngchá mǎshàng jiù dào.

    The police will be here any minute.

  8. You

    请不要离开我。

    Qǐng bú yào líkāi wǒ.

    Please do not leave me.

Culture tip

110 for police

Use 110 for police help in mainland China, such as theft, assault, danger, or serious disputes.

Which phrase asks someone to call the police?

Show the answer

请帮我报警。 — Please help me call the police.

Go deeper

Background for this situation: key words, what to expect and a few more short dialogues.

Key Emergency Terms

救命 Help! This is an urgent emergency call for help. Use it only when you are in real danger or need immediate help.

救命！ Jiùmìng! Help!

紧急情况 Emergency situation. Use this to clearly tell others that the problem is serious and urgent.

这是紧急情况。 Zhè shì jǐnjí qíngkuàng. This is an emergency.

报警 To report to the police or call the police. In mainland China, 110 is the common police emergency number.

请帮我报警。 Qǐng bāng wǒ bàojǐng. Please help me call the police.

救护车 Ambulance. In mainland China, 120 is commonly used for medical emergency services.

请叫救护车。 Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē. Please call an ambulance.

危险 / 不安全 Dangerous / unsafe. Use these words to explain that the place or situation does not feel safe.

我觉得不安全。 Wǒ juéde bù ānquán. I feel unsafe.

受伤 To be injured. Use 我受伤了 if you are injured, or 有人受伤了 if someone else is injured.

我受伤了。 Wǒ shòushāng le. I am injured.

Emergency Response Flow

Step 1: Get attention

If the situation is urgent, say 救命！ or 请帮帮我！ loudly and clearly.

Step 2: State that it is an emergency

Use 这是紧急情况 or 我需要帮助 so people understand the seriousness.

Step 3: Ask for the right service

For police, say 请帮我报警 or 请打110. For medical emergencies, say 请叫救护车 or 请打120.

Step 4: Explain the risk

Say whether it is dangerous, unsafe, someone is injured, or you are injured.

Step 5: Ask for communication help

If language or phone battery is a problem, say 我不会说中文, 可以帮我翻译吗？ or 可以帮我打电话吗？

Useful Emergency Patterns

请帮我…… Use this to ask someone to help you do something urgent.

请帮我报警。 Qǐng bāng wǒ bàojǐng. Please help me call the police.

请打…… Use this to ask someone to call an emergency number.

请打120。 Qǐng dǎ yāo èr líng. Please call 120.

我需要…… Use this to state what kind of help you need.

我需要医生。 Wǒ xūyào yīshēng. I need a doctor.

可以帮我……吗？ Use this for polite requests when you need help with translation, phone calls, or communication.

可以帮我翻译吗？ Kěyǐ bāng wǒ fānyì ma? Could you help me translate?

Emergency Numbers and Use

110 for police

Use 110 for police help in mainland China, such as theft, assault, danger, or serious disputes.

120 for ambulance

Use 120 for medical emergencies, serious illness, injury, fainting, severe pain, or urgent medical help.

Ask locals to call

If you cannot speak Chinese or your phone is unavailable, ask someone nearby to call for you.

Safety and Communication Tips

Move to a safe place

If the current place is unsafe, ask someone to take you to a safe place or contact staff.

Stay with someone

If you feel unsafe or injured, say 请不要离开我 so the person understands you need them to stay.

Ask what to do next

Use 请告诉我现在该怎么办 when you are confused and need clear instructions.

Interactive Scenarios

Calling police

  • Traveler这是紧急情况。

    Zhè shì jǐnjí qíngkuàng.

    This is an emergency.

  • Traveler请帮我报警。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ bàojǐng.

    Please help me call the police.

  • Traveler请打110。

    Qǐng dǎ yāo yāo líng.

    Please call 110.

Medical emergency

  • Traveler有人受伤了。

    Yǒu rén shòushāng le.

    Someone is injured.

  • Traveler请叫救护车。

    Qǐng jiào jiùhùchē.

    Please call an ambulance.

  • Traveler请打120。

    Qǐng dǎ yāo èr líng.

    Please call 120.

Language and phone problem

  • Traveler我不会说中文。

    Wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    I cannot speak Chinese.

  • Traveler可以帮我翻译吗？

    Kěyǐ bāng wǒ fānyì ma?

    Could you help me translate?

  • Traveler我的手机没电了。

    Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le.

    My phone is out of battery.

Mini Quiz

How do you say “Help!” in an emergency?
  • 救命！ ✓ Answer
  • 谢谢！
  • 你好！
Which phrase asks someone to call the police?
  • 请帮我报警。 ✓ Answer
  • 请帮我拍照。
  • 请帮我买票。
How do you ask someone to call an ambulance?
  • 请叫救护车。 ✓ Answer
  • 请叫出租车。
  • 请叫服务员。
Which phrase means “I cannot speak Chinese”?
  • 我不会说中文。 ✓ Answer
  • 我会说中文。
  • 我想学中文。

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