Emergency Mandarin for Taiwan: police, fire and accidents
Call 110 or 119, report an accident or theft, say someone is hurt, and ask for urgent help in Taiwanese Mandarin — short phrases with pinyin and audio, worth learning before you need them.
Two numbers cover emergencies: 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance, both said with yāo for the ones — yāo yāo líng and yāo yāo jiǔ. Operators may not speak English, so the most valuable thing you can do is state where you are, then use the short phrases: yǒu rén shòushāng (someone is hurt), chū chēhuò le (there's been an accident), shīhuǒ le (fire).
For everything less urgent, the local police station (jǐngchájú) handles reports and lost property, and bào'àn is the word for filing one — which you'll need for most insurance claims. Learn wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén and yǒu rén huì shuō yīngwén ma properly now; they're much harder to produce for the first time under stress.
20 phrases for emergencies & police
| What you say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | jiùmìng! | 救命！ |
| Call the police, quick! | kuài jiào jǐngchá! | 快叫警察！ |
| Police. | jǐngchá | 警察 |
| Police station. | jǐngchájú | 警察局 |
| 110 — the police number. (one is said yāo) | yāo yāo líng | 一一〇 |
| 119 — fire and ambulance. | yāo yāo jiǔ | 一一九 |
| There's been an accident. | chū chēhuò le | 出車禍了 |
| Someone is hurt. | yǒu rén shòushāng | 有人受傷 |
| Fire! | shīhuǒ le! | 失火了！ |
| I need help. | wǒ xūyào bāngmáng. | 我需要幫忙。 |
| I don't speak Chinese. | wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén. | 我不會說中文。 |
| Does anyone speak English? | yǒu rén huì shuō yīngwén ma? | 有人會說英文嗎？ |
| I'm lost. | wǒ mílù le. | 我迷路了。 |
| File a police report. | bào'àn | 報案 |
| My wallet was stolen. | wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le. | 我的錢包被偷了。 |
| I've lost something. | wǒ dōngxī diào le. | 我東西掉了。 |
| Lost and found. | shīwù zhāolǐng | 失物招領 |
| Could I borrow your phone? | kěyǐ jiè wǒ diànhuà ma? | 可以借我電話嗎？ |
| Danger! | wēixiǎn! | 危險！ |
What you'll hear back
The other half of the conversation — what the vendor, clerk or nurse says to you. Understanding these is usually harder than speaking.
| What they say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Are you okay? | nǐ hái hǎo ma? | 你還好嗎？ |
Questions people ask
Which emergency number do I call?
110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Say them as yāo yāo líng and yāo yāo jiǔ. Give your location first — an address, an intersection or a landmark — before trying to explain what happened.
Will the operator speak English?
Don't count on it. Lead with the location, then short phrases: yǒu rén shòushāng, chū chēhuò le, shīhuǒ le. wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén tells them to find someone who can help.
What do I do after a scooter accident?
If anyone is hurt, call 119. Call 110 as well — insurers here generally expect a police record of the incident, and the officers document the scene. Avoid moving the vehicles before they arrive unless it's unsafe to leave them.
How do I report something lost or stolen?
Go to a police station and say wǒ yào bào'àn (I want to file a report) or describe it: wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le. Lost property that's been handed in sits under shīwù zhāolǐng, and Taiwan has a genuinely good record of things being returned.