Emergency

1. Yuda mi, por fabor!

   Yu-da mi, por fa-bor!

   Help me, please!

   Usage

   Calling for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "yuda" derives from Spanish "ayuda" or Portuguese "ajuda" (help)

2. Yama e polis!

   Ya-ma e po-lis!

   Call the police!

   Usage

   Asking someone to call the police in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "yama" means "to call" (cf. Spanish "llamar")

3. Yama ambulans, emergencia!

   Ya-ma am-bu-lans, e-mer-gen-cia!

   Call an ambulance, emergency!

   Usage

   Urgently requesting an ambulance

   Grammar Note

   "ambulans" from Dutch "ambulance"; "emergencia" from Spanish

4. Mi tin mester bai hospital.

   Mi tin mes-ter bai hos-pi-tal.

   I need to go to the hospital.

   Usage

   Expressing the urgent need to go to a hospital

   Grammar Note

   "tin mester" is a modal expression meaning "need to" or "must"

5. Mi ta pèrdí. Por fabor yudami.

   Mi ta pèr-dí. Por fa-bor yu-da-mi.

   I am lost. Please help me.

   Usage

   Asking for help when you are lost

   Grammar Note

   "pèrdí" comes from Spanish "perdido" meaning "lost"

6. Mi a wordu robá. Yama polis!

   Mi a wor-du ro-bá. Ya-ma po-lis!

   I was robbed. Call the police!

   Usage

   Reporting a robbery and calling for police help

   Grammar Note

   "wordu" is a passive voice marker meaning "was/were (done to)"

7. Mi tin un alergia. Tin medikamentu?

   Mi tin un a-ler-gia. Tin me-di-ka-men-tu?

   I have an allergy. Is there medication?

   Usage

   Informing someone of an allergy and asking for medicine

   Grammar Note

   The spelling for "allergy" is alergia.

8. Warda! E sitio ta peliger.

   War-da! E si-tio ta pe-li-ger.

   Stop! That place is dangerous.

   Usage

   Warning someone to stop because a place is dangerous

   Grammar Note

   "peliger" means "dangerous", related to Spanish "peligro" (danger) / "peligroso" (dangerous)

9. Mi a pèrdè mi pasaporte.

   Mi a pèr-dè mi pa-sa-por-te.

   I lost my passport.

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to authorities

   Grammar Note

   "pèrdè" means "to lose"; the past is marked with "a" (Mi a pèrdè). "kibra" means "to break", so it is not used for losing something

10. Mi mester fabla ku e konsulado.

    Mi mes-ter fab-la ku e kon-su-la-do.

    I need to speak with the consulate.

    Usage

    Expressing the need to contact your country's consulate in an emergency

    Grammar Note

    "fabla" derives from Spanish "hablar" meaning "to speak"

11. Stòp!

    Stop it

    Usage

    For pushy touts, scams, or unwanted contact — show it as it is

12. No mishi ku mi!

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    The point is that you can show it without raising your voice

13. Laga mi na pas!

    Leave me alone

    Usage

    When somebody will not stop bothering you

14. No sigui mi!

    Don't follow me

    Usage

    When someone is trailing you after dark

15. Kandela

    Fire

    Usage

    Covers both fire itself and a blaze; sende na kandela means "to set alight"

16. Ladron

    Thief

    Usage

    A person who steals; hortado is a synonym

17. Atrako

    Robbery

    Usage

    A hold-up involving force or threat, as opposed to plain theft (ladronisia)

18. Sekuestro

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    The verb is sekuestra; the crime of carrying a person off

19. Asesinato

    Murder

    Usage

    The verb is asesina and the culprit asesino; for reporting a crime

20. Bòm

    Bomb

    Usage

    An explosive device; menasa di bom is a bomb threat

21. Kandela! Hui!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Kandela (fire) followed by hui (to flee)

22. Kohe e ladron!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    kohe (to grab, to seize) with ladron (thief) as its object; the explicit object keeps the verb unambiguous

23. Yama brantwer, por fabor

    Please call the fire brigade

    Usage

    brantwer means "fire brigade", from Dutch brandweer. Use yama to ask someone to call, as in "Yama ambulancia, por fabor".

24. Unda ta e warda di polis?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    The "Unda ta e X?" ("where is the X?") frame with warda di polis (police station)

25. Mi mester hasi un denunsia.

    I need to file a report

    Usage

    Show it at a police counter after a theft to say a report is needed. The "Mi mester ..." frame and "mester hasi", with "denunsia" (a formal report). The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part

26. Tin un hende ku ta papia hapones?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Combines tin un ... ("there is a ...") with ta papia ("speaks")

27. E persona aki ta inkonsiente.

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    persona (person) with aki (here) for "this person", predicated with inkonsiente (unconscious)

28. Un persona ta hoga!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Un persona with hoga (to drown) in the "ta + verb" progressive

29. Mi a wordu batí.

    I was beaten

    Usage

    The passive frame ("I was robbed") with bati (to hit)

30. Mi a wordu hinká.

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    The passive frame with hinka (to stab)

31. Un ladron a drenta mi kamber.

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    ladron (thief) with drenta (to enter) and kamber (room)

32. E persona ei ta kulpabel.

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    persona with the demonstrative ei (that) and kulpabel (guilty, to blame) as predicate

33. Mi a wordu gañá.

    I was deceived

    Usage

    The passive frame with gaña (to lie, to deceive)

34. Mi pòtmòni a wordu robá.

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Tell the police or people nearby that your wallet was stolen. "wordu + robá" forms the passive "was stolen"

35. Mi a lubidá.

    I left it behind

    Usage

    The "Mi a + verb" perfect with lubidá (to forget)

36. Mi a wordu dalá pa un outo.

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    The passive frame with dal (to hit) and outo (car); pa marks the agent

37. Sali pa e salida di emergensia.

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    The sign Salida di emergensia with the imperative of sali (to go out), the root of Salida

38. Rápido, por fabor!

    Please hurry

    Usage

    rápido (quickly) with Por fabor (please)

39. Bin awor aki, por fabor.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    bin (to come) with Awor aki (right now) and Por fabor (please)

40. Hiba mi na hospital, por fabor.

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    hiba (to take along) with hospital and Por fabor (please)

41. A pasa un aksidente di tráfiko.

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Takes "A pasa un aksidente" ("A pasa un aksidente — por fabor yamá e ski patrol.") and adds "di tráfiko" ("Polis di tráfiko a detené mi"). "aksidente" means "accident" and "tráfiko" means "traffic"; "aksidente di tráfiko" means "traffic accident"

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