French - Emergencies

Lesson 136 of 159

Learner practicing French emergency phrases for safety and quick reactions.

Goal: Quick French phrases for urgent situations

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Short and calm: these phrases help you get help fast. In this lesson you'll hear, practice, and say key emergency lines used in real situations.

Level A2: Learn clear, polite and urgent French phrases you can use in emergencies — say a person is hurt, ask someone to call for help, or tell people to stay safe. This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson (Lesson 136) focuses on practical lines like "C'est une urgence." and "Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît." and gives quick practice so you can react with confidence.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and say urgent phrases used in real emergencies (A2).
  • Ask for immediate help and report injuries or fire.
  • Practice polite requests (using "s'il vous plaît" / "s'il vous plaît") and safe instructions.
A street scene where someone calls for help: focus on emergency vocabulary in French.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

C'est une urgence.

This is an emergency.

Meaning: This is an emergency.

When to use: Say this clearly when a situation needs immediate attention — to bystanders or first responders.

C'est une urgence. Nous avons besoin d'une ambulance.
This is an emergency. We need an ambulance.
C'est une urgence — quelqu'un est inconscient.
This is an emergency — someone is unconscious.

J'ai besoin d'aide tout de suite.

I need help right now.

Meaning: I need help right now.

When to use: Use this to ask anyone nearby for immediate assistance; clear and direct.

J'ai besoin d'aide tout de suite, s'il vous plaît.
I need help right now, please.
J'ai besoin d'aide tout de suite — y a-t-il un médecin ?
I need help right now — is there a doctor?

Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît.

Please call emergency services.

Meaning: Please call emergency services.

When to use: Ask a passerby politely to contact the emergency number (polite imperative).

Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît ! Il y a un incendie.
Please call emergency services! There's a fire.
Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît — quelqu'un est gravement blessé.
Please call emergency services — someone is badly hurt.

Quelqu'un est blessé.

Someone is hurt.

Meaning: Someone is hurt.

When to use: Report that a person has been injured; use with bystanders or when calling for help.

Tip: Beginners sometimes forget gender: use "blessée" for a clearly female person and "blessé" for male or unknown.

Quelqu'un est blessé près du carrefour.
Someone is hurt near the intersection.
Quelqu'un est blessé — il saigne beaucoup.
Someone is hurt — they are bleeding a lot.

Il y a le feu.

There is a fire.

Meaning: There is a fire.

When to use: Say this quickly to warn people or when reporting a fire to others or emergency services.

Il y a le feu dans la cuisine !
There is a fire in the kitchen!
Il y a le feu — tout le monde dehors !
There is a fire — everyone outside!

Où est l'hôpital le plus proche ?

Where is the nearest hospital?

Meaning: Where is the nearest hospital?

When to use: Ask for the location of urgent medical care when you need to get someone to a hospital fast.

Où est l'hôpital le plus proche ? Nous avons besoin d'aide.
Where is the nearest hospital? We need help.
Excusez-moi, où est l'hôpital le plus proche ?
Excuse me, where is the nearest hospital?

Je ne me sens pas en sécurité.

I don't feel safe.

Meaning: I don't feel safe.

When to use: Tell someone (a helper or official) that you feel unsafe in the current place or situation.

Je ne me sens pas en sécurité ici, pouvez-vous m'aider ?
I don't feel safe here, can you help me?
Je ne me sens pas en sécurité — il y a trop de monde.
I don't feel safe — there are too many people.

Restez avec moi, s'il vous plaît.

Please stay with me.

Meaning: Please stay with me.

When to use: Ask a passerby or helper to remain nearby while you wait for help (polite form).

Restez avec moi, s'il vous plaît, jusqu'à l'arrivée des secours.
Please stay with me until help arrives.
Restez avec moi, s'il vous plaît — je me sens faible.
Please stay with me — I feel weak.

Je n'arrive pas à respirer.

I can't breathe.

Meaning: I can't breathe.

When to use: Use this urgently if you are having serious breathing difficulty or seeing it in someone else.

Je n'arrive pas à respirer — aidez-moi !
I can't breathe — help me!
Il n'arrive pas à respirer, appelez les secours !
He can't breathe, call emergency services!

Vous pouvez appeler mon/ma ___ ?

Can you call my ___?

Meaning: Can you call my ___?

When to use: Ask someone politely to contact a specific person (family member, doctor, etc.) in an emergency.

Tip: Remember mon before masculine or vowel-starting nouns and ma before feminine nouns (e.g., mon frère / ma sœur).

Vous pouvez appeler mon mari ? Il doit savoir.
Can you call my husband? He needs to know.
Vous pouvez appeler ma sœur ? Elle connaît mon médecin.
Can you call my sister? She knows my doctor.

Tu t'es fait mal ?

Are you hurt?

Meaning: Are you hurt?

When to use: Quickly check whether a person is injured; informal and natural in spoken French.

Tu t'es fait mal ? Est-ce que ça va ?
Are you hurt? Are you okay?
Tu t'es fait mal au genou ? On peut aider.
Did you hurt your knee? We can help.

Tout le monde va bien ?

Is everyone okay?

Meaning: Is everyone okay?

When to use: Use this to check the safety of a group after an accident or sudden event.

Tout le monde va bien ? Y a-t-il des blessés ?
Is everyone okay? Are there any injured people?
Tout le monde va bien ? On doit appeler du renfort ?
Is everyone okay? Should we call for backup?

Ne bouge pas, s'il te plaît.

Please don't move.

Meaning: Please don't move.

When to use: Tell an injured person not to move for safety, using informal "te"; use the formal plural with strangers.

Tip: Remember the formal/plural form: say "Ne bougez pas, s'il vous plaît" with strangers or groups.

Ne bouge pas, s'il te plaît, j'appelle une ambulance.
Please don't move, I'm calling an ambulance.
Ne bouge pas, s'il te plaît — attends les secours.
Please don't move — wait for the rescuers.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

A small street accident: a passerby finds someone hurt and asks for help.

Two people speaking in French during an emergency; phrases like "Appelez les secours" appear.

What two main problems do Anna and David mention?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Il y a le feu !

There's a fire!

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

C'est une urgence. Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît !

This is an emergency. Please call emergency services!

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Quelqu'un est blessé. Tu t'es fait mal ?

Someone is hurt. Are you hurt?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Ne bouge pas, s'il te plaît. Restez avec moi, s'il vous plaît.

Please don't move. Please stay with me.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which French phrase means: 'Please call emergency services.'?

How do you say 'I can't breathe.' in French?

Which phrase asks for the location of medical help?

Which phrase means 'Please stay with me' (polite)?

I can't breathe.

You see a person coughing badly and gasping. You say: ___.

Are you hurt?

After a small crash you check the group and ask: ___.

There is a fire.

You smell smoke and shout to people nearby: ___.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est une urgence.

This is an emergency.

Say this phrase out loud:

J'ai besoin d'aide tout de suite.

I need help right now.

Say this phrase out loud:

Appelez les secours, s'il vous plaît.

Please call emergency services.

Say this phrase out loud:

Quelqu'un est blessé.

Someone is hurt.

Say this phrase out loud:

Il y a le feu.

There is a fire.

Say this phrase out loud:

Où est l'hôpital le plus proche ?

Where is the nearest hospital?

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ne me sens pas en sécurité.

I don't feel safe.

Say this phrase out loud:

Restez avec moi, s'il vous plaît.

Please stay with me.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je n'arrive pas à respirer.

I can't breathe.

Say this phrase out loud:

Vous pouvez appeler mon/ma ___ ?

Can you call my ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Tu t'es fait mal ?

Are you hurt?

Say this phrase out loud:

Tout le monde va bien ?

Is everyone okay?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ne bouge pas, s'il te plaît.

Please don't move.