Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 127 of 240

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Emergencies in Traditional Chinese

At A-Jie's night-market cutlet stall, a fire-safety demonstration is underway. Nothing is burning, but Maya practises clear emergency calls.

Learn how to report a fire, ask for an ambulance, and describe an injury or breathing trouble. In a drill, clear words matter.

Listen to the short emergency phrases, then use them in a safe practice scene. A-Li's drink remains unfinished as usual.

By the end of this lesson

Call for emergency help, report an injury, and say that you are bleeding or cannot breathe.

  • 失火了！Fire!
  • 我需要救護車I need an ambulance.
  • 請幫忙打119Please call 119.
  • 有人受傷了Someone is hurt.
  • 我在流血I'm bleeding.
  • 我喘不過氣I can't breathe.

Scene — a safety drill

A-Jie has set up a fire-safety demonstration beside his night-market cutlet stall.

Maya and Auntie Lin are taking part in a planned drill. The stall is safe, and there is no fire or real injury.

A-Jie prepares a safe fire-safety demonstration beside his cutlet stall while Maya and Auntie Lin get ready to take part.

Learn — calling for emergency help

These phrases help you report an emergency and describe what is happening. Listen to each one, then say it clearly.

The scene is only a drill, but the same words can help people understand a real emergency.

  1. Maya points toward the safe demonstration area and calls out during the drill.

    失火了！

    Fire!

    When to use it: Shout this to alert people when a fire has started.

    了 marks a new situation here: a fire has started.

    Say it: 了 is usually light and neutral in this phrase.

  2. Auntie Lin holds out a phone to practise asking for an ambulance during the drill.

    我需要救護車

    I need an ambulance.

    When to use it: Say this when someone needs emergency medical transport.

    需要 states a need; use the full phrase to ask for emergency transport.

  3. A-Jie calls for someone to contact emergency services during the demonstration.

    請幫忙打119

    Please call 119.

    When to use it: Ask someone to call Taiwan's fire and ambulance emergency number.

    打 means to make a phone call in this phrase.

  4. Maya reports that someone is hurt while Auntie Lin sits in a staged practice pose.

    有人受傷了

    Someone is hurt.

    When to use it: Use this to report that someone has been injured.

    了 marks a new situation: someone is now hurt.

    Say it: 了 is usually light and neutral in this phrase.

  5. Auntie Lin holds a red cloth against an arm as a pretend bleeding prop, with no real wound.

    我在流血

    I'm bleeding.

    When to use it: Say this to report that you are bleeding.

    在 before an action describes what is happening now.

  6. Maya practises showing that breathing is difficult while remaining safely upright.

    我喘不過氣

    I can't breathe.

    When to use it: Say this when you are struggling to breathe.

    喘不過氣 is a set phrase for having trouble breathing.

Story — a stall safety demonstration

A-Jie runs a fire-safety demonstration beside his night-market cutlet stall. Maya and Auntie Lin practise calling for help.

It is only a drill: the stall is safe, and no one is injured. A-Li is nearby with his unfinished soy milk.

  1. A-Jie今天是消防演練，攤位沒有失火。Today is a fire-safety drill; the stall is not on fire.
  2. Maya好喔，我來練習。Okay, I'll practise.
  3. A-Jie現在請你練習通報火災。Now please practise reporting a fire.
  4. Maya失火了！Fire!
  5. Auntie Lin這是緊急狀況，大家先停下來。This is an emergency; everyone stop for a moment.
  6. A-Jie很好，現在練習打電話求助。Good. Now practise calling for help.
  7. Maya請幫忙打119。Please call 119.
  8. A-Jie接著想像有人受傷了。Next, imagine that someone is hurt.
  9. Maya有人受傷了。Someone is hurt.
  10. A-Jie如果傷者需要醫療協助，可以說這句。If the injured person needs medical help, you can say this.
  11. Maya我需要救護車。I need an ambulance.
  12. Maya我在流血。I'm bleeding.
  13. A-Jie最後，練習說明呼吸有困難。Finally, practise saying that breathing is difficult.
  14. Maya我喘不過氣。I can't breathe.
  15. A-Jie都是演練，攤位很安全。It's all a drill; the stall is safe.

Practice — practise emergency calls

Try eight exercises to choose, build, and say emergency phrases. Each prompt gives you a clear situation to respond to.

Remember that this lesson's story is a safety demonstration. No one is actually hurt, and nothing is on fire.

0 of 8 done

  1. What does it mean?

    失火了！

  2. What do you say?

    During the pretend drill, say that you need emergency medical transport.

  3. Build the line

    Someone is hurt.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm bleeding.

    我在____

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Pick the reply

    A-Jie says:

    呼吸還好嗎？

    Is your breathing okay?

    And you reply with:

  7. What do you say?

    Ask A-Jie to help you practise this drill.

  8. What do you say?

    Say the set phrase that means this is an emergency situation.

Say it — your emergency phrases

You are Maya, practising emergency phrases with A-Jie at his cutlet stall. Listen to each cue and say your response clearly.

This is only a safety drill. Take your time, and focus on choosing the phrase that fits the situation.

  1. A-Jie starts a pretend fire-safety drill.
  2. A-Jie現在是假裝演練，請開始。This is a pretend drill. Please begin.
  3. Maya (you)In the pretend scenario, alert the group that there is a fire.

    失火了！

    Fire!

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
失火了！Fire!
我需要救護車I need an ambulance.
請幫忙打119Please call 119.
有人受傷了Someone is hurt.
我在流血I'm bleeding.
我喘不過氣I can't breathe.
Next: lesson 128Emergency help

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