Italian · Emergencies

Emergency Italian

Doctor, police, lost passport — the phrases you hope you'll never need, and a way to practice them now.

50 entries ·Doctor, police, theft, illness · Audio on every entry · cross-checked

Your head is pounding. You walk into an Italian farmacia, look at the rows of unfamiliar boxes, and realize you have no idea how to ask for ibuprofen. Or maybe you’re standing on a train platform, watching the wrong train pull away with your bag on it. These are the moments when a few key phrases become incredibly important.

This is a collection of the words you hope you won't need. We’ve organized them by situation: medical issues, reporting a theft, losing your passport, and other common travel headaches. The goal isn't to become fluent overnight, but to have the right words ready if something goes wrong.

For each phrase, you’ll find the Italian, the English translation, and a clear audio recording. All our translations and audio are double-checked by native speakers, so you can feel confident you’re saying it right.

30 emergency phrases

Full index · ordered A → Z

Chiami un'ambulanza! KAH-mee oon-ahm-boo-LAHNT-sah
Chiami la polizia! KAH-mee lah poh-lee-TSEE-ah
Potrebbe chiamare la mia ambasciata? pot-REH-beh kee-ah-MAH-reh lah MEE-ah am-bah-SHAH-tah
Al fuoco! al FWO-koh
È svenuto. eh sveh-NOO-toh
Aiuto! ah-YOO-toh
Non riesco a respirare nohn ree-ESS-koh ah ress-pee-RAH-reh
Non mi sento bene. non mee sen-toh ben-eh
Non parlo spagnolo, parli inglese? non PAR-lo spa-NYO-lo, PAR-li een-GLEH-zeh
Ho la febbre. oh lah FEB-breh
Ho un dolore al petto. oh oon doh-LO-reh ahl PET-toh
Ho un'intossicazione alimentare. oh oon-in-toh-see-kah-TSYOH-neh ahl-ee-men-TAH-reh
Ho perso la chiave dell'hotel. oh PER-soh lah KYAH-veh del-loh-TEL
Ho perso il telefono. oh PER-so eel TEH-leh-foh-noh
Ho bisogno di un medico. o bee-ZYO-noh dee oon MEH-dee-koh
Ho bisogno di un interprete. oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon een-TER-preh-teh
Ho bisogno di medicine. oh bee-ZOHN-yoh dee meh-dee-CHEE-neh
Ho bisogno di antidolorifici. oh bee-ZOHN-yoh dee an-tee-doh-loh-REE-fee-chee
Ho bisogno di punti di sutura. oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee POON-tee dee soo-TOO-rah
Devo contattare la mia ambasciata. DEH-voh kon-tah-TAH-reh lah MEE-ah ahm-bah-SHAH-tah
Devo sporgere denuncia. deh-voh spo-RJEH-reh deh-NOON-chah
Devo andare in ospedale. deh-voh an-DAH-reh een oh-speh-DAH-leh
Ho bisogno di usare il telefono. oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oo-SAH-reh eel teh-LEH-foh-noh
Mi sono slogato la caviglia. mee soh-noh sloh-GAH-toh lah kah-VEEL-yah
Ho avuto un incidente d'auto. oh ah-VOO-toh oon een-chee-DEN-teh d'OW-toh
Sono allergico/a alla penicillina. SOH-noh al-LER-jee-koh/kah lal-leh-nee-CHEE-nah
Ho la disidratazione. oh lah dee-see-drah-tah-TSYOH-neh
Sto avendo un infarto! stoh ah-VEHN-doh oon een-FAR-toh
Sto avendo una reazione allergica. stoh AV-en-doh OO-nah rah-ah-TZYOH-neh al-LER-jee-kah
Ho difficoltà a respirare. OH dee-fee-kol-TAH ah res-pee-RAH-reh
Mi sono fatto male. mee SOH-noh FAHT-toh MAH-leh
Mi hanno rubato. mee AHN-noh roo-BAH-toh
C'è qualcuno ferito? cheh kwahl-KOO-noh feh-REE-toh
Tutti bene? TOO-tee BEH-neh
È sicuro qui? eh see-KOO-roh kwee
L'acqua è potabile? LAHK-kwah EH poh-TAH-bee-leh
C'è un ospedale qui vicino? CHAY oon os-peh-DAH-leh Kwee vee-CHEE-noh
Mio figlio è scomparso. MEE-oh FEEL-yoh eh skom-PAHR-soh
Mio figlio è malato. MEE-oh FEE-lyoh EH mah-LAH-toh
Mi hanno rubato il passaporto. mee ahn-NOH roo-BAH-toh eel pahs-soh-POHR-toh
La mia stanza è stata scassinata. lah MEE-ah STAHN-tsah EH STAH-tah skah-shee-NAH-tah
Stia calmo/a. STEE-ah KAL-moh / ah
Non respira. non res-PEE-rah
Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio. mee AHN-noh ROO-bah-toh eel por-tah-FOH-lyoh
È un'emergenza eh oon-eh-mair-JEN-tsah
Attenzione! at-ten-TSYOH-neh
Dove posso trovare informazioni sull'assicurazione? DOH-veh POS-so troh-VAH-reh een-fohr-mah-TSYOH-nee SOOL-lahs-see-koo-rah-TSYOH-neh
Dov'è la farmacia? doh-VEH lah far-MAH-chah
Dov'è l'ospedale? doh-VEH loh-speh-DAH-leh
Dov'è la stazione di polizia più vicina? doh-VEH lah stah-TSYOH-neh dee poh-lee-TSEE-ah pyoo vee-CHEE-nah

Frequently asked

Will Italians understand my bad accent in an emergency?

Yes, absolutely. In a true emergency, people will focus on what you're trying to communicate, not how perfectly you pronounce it. Speak as clearly as you can, and don't be afraid to point or use gestures to help get your message across.

Do I need to use formal 'Lei' with police or doctors?

Yes, you should always use the formal 'Lei' form when speaking to officials, doctors, pharmacists, or anyone you don't know. It shows respect. All the phrases on this page use the appropriate formal address.

What is the main emergency number in Italy?

The general, all-purpose emergency number in Italy is 112. You can call it to reach the police (Carabinieri), ambulance (ambulanza), or fire department (Vigili del Fuoco).

Is it better to just use a translation app?

An app can be a helpful backup, but it can also be slow, require a data connection, and create confusion. Knowing a few essential phrases yourself is almost always faster and more reliable, especially when you're feeling stressed.