Emergencies and asking for help in Spanish: the number, the call and the emergency room in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
In an emergency you need a small set of Spanish and you need it fast. Where you are, what happened, whether the person is breathing, and how to get a stranger to call for you. This page has the number to call in each country, the call itself, what the operator will ask you, the emergency room, the police and the fire brigade, and the embassy and insurance words you will need afterwards, for Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
The number
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everything | 911 | 112 | 123 | 911 |
| Ambulance | 911 | 112 | 123 | 107 |
| Fire brigade | 911 | 112 | 123 | 100 |
| The word for the service | emergencias | emergencias | la línea de emergencias | emergencias |
Mexico has one number, 911, across the country. Spain has 112, which works in every country of the European Union and connects to the ambulance, the police or the fire brigade. Colombia’s national line is 123, said uno dos tres. Argentina’s national emergency line is 911, with 107 for an ambulance and 100 for the fire brigade.
Say the number as separate digits: nueve uno uno, uno uno dos, uno dos tres. Argentina’s 107 is usually said ciento siete.
Asking a stranger for help
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Auxilio! | Latin America. Spain shouts ¡Socorro! |
| Help me, please | ¡Ayuda, por favor! | Understood everywhere |
| I need help | Necesito ayuda. | |
| Call an ambulance | ¡Llame a una ambulancia! | usted. Argentina: ¡llamá a una ambulancia! |
| Call the police | ¡Llame a la policía! | |
| It is an emergency | Es una emergencia. | |
| Can you call for me? | ¿Me puede llamar usted? | For when the operator will go too fast for you |
| Does anyone speak English? | ¿Alguien habla inglés? | |
| I do not speak much Spanish | Hablo poco español. | Say it early and people slow down |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | ¿Dónde queda el hospital más cercano? | Spain: ¿dónde está? |
| Is there a doctor here? | ¿Hay un médico aquí? | |
| Come with me, please | Venga conmigo, por favor. | |
| Do not move him | No lo muevan. | After a fall or a crash |
¡Auxilio! is the shout in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. ¡Socorro! is the Spanish one, and both are understood in all four countries. Point at one person before you speak. You get an answer with Señor, usted, ¿me ayuda? where you get none with a shout at a crowd.
Making the call
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I need an ambulance | Necesito una ambulancia. | The first sentence. Nothing before it |
| There has been an accident | Hubo un accidente. | |
| A car accident | un choque | The word for a collision in all four |
| A man has been hit by a car | Atropellaron a un hombre. | Atropellar is to run someone over |
| Someone fell | Se cayó una persona. | |
| He is unconscious | Está inconsciente. | Also está desmayado |
| He is not breathing | No respira. | |
| She is breathing but does not answer | Respira, pero no responde. | |
| He is bleeding a lot | Está sangrando mucho. | |
| She has chest pain | Tiene dolor en el pecho. | |
| I think it is a heart attack | Creo que es un infarto. | |
| He is having a seizure | Está convulsionando. | |
| She is choking | Se está ahogando. | Also está atragantada |
| She is pregnant | Está embarazada. | |
| It is a child | Es un niño. / Es una niña. | Age changes the response |
| He is allergic to penicillin | Es alérgico a la penicilina. | |
| He is allergic to nuts | Es alérgico al maní. | Colombia, Argentina. Mexico: a los cacahuates. Spain: a los cacahuetes |
| He is diabetic | Es diabético. | |
| She has asthma, the inhaler is in her bag | Tiene asma, el inhalador está en su bolsa. | Spain: en el bolso |
| We are on the motorway | Estamos en la autopista. | |
| I do not know the address | No sé la dirección. | Say it. They will work it out |
What the operator will ask
¿Cuál es su emergencia? What is your emergency. Answer in one line: una persona inconsciente, un choque, un incendio.
¿Dónde se encuentra? or ¿Cuál es la dirección? Where are you. Read the street name off a sign or a shop front.
¿Entre qué calles? Between which streets. In Mexico and Colombia operators locate you by the cross streets and by una referencia, a landmark. Frente a una farmacia, en la esquina de Insurgentes y Puebla.
¿Cuántas personas están heridas? How many people are hurt.
¿Está consciente? ¿Respira? Is the person conscious, are they breathing. The operator decides what to send from these two answers.
¿Qué edad tiene? How old are they.
¿Es familiar suyo? Are you a relative.
¿Cómo se llama usted? ¿Me da un número de teléfono? Your name and a phone number.
No cuelgue. Do not hang up. Manténgase en la línea, stay on the line.
Ya va una unidad en camino. A unit is on the way.
Mantenga la calma. Stay calm.
Answer with the address first and the story second. If you cannot follow the operator, say hablo poco español, necesito una ambulancia, estoy en… and repeat the street name slowly. They will keep you on the line.
At the emergency room
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency room | urgencias | urgencias | urgencias | la guardia |
| Emergency department sign | Urgencias | Urgencias | Urgencias | Guardia |
| Triage | el triage | el triaje | el triage | el triage |
| Health cover | el seguro, el IMSS | la tarjeta sanitaria | la EPS | la obra social, la prepaga |
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| It is an emergency | Es una urgencia. | Argentina: vengo a la guardia |
| My friend cannot walk | Mi amigo no puede caminar. | |
| It happened an hour ago | Fue hace una hora. | |
| I fell and hit my head | Me caí y me golpeé la cabeza. | |
| I cut myself | Me corté. | |
| I think it is broken | Creo que está roto. | |
| I am allergic to penicillin | Soy alérgico a la penicilina. | Change to alérgica if you are a woman |
| I take this medicine | Tomo este medicamento. | Show the box |
| I do not have insurance here | No tengo seguro aquí. | |
| I will pay privately | Pago particular. | Said at the desk of a private hospital |
| I have travel insurance | Tengo seguro de viaje. | |
| How long is the wait? | ¿Cuánto hay que esperar? | |
| Can someone come in with me? | ¿Puede pasar alguien conmigo? | |
| I need a medical report | Necesito un informe médico. | For the insurer. Ask before you leave |
In Argentina it is la guardia. Public hospitals in Argentina take emergency arrivals, and the wait at a big Buenos Aires guardia can be long. What a non-resident is charged is set province by province and has changed in recent years, so ask what the visit costs. In Spain any public hospital treats an emergency and bills afterwards if you have no cover, and a European health card covers the visit for those who hold one. In Mexico and Colombia a visitor almost always goes private, which means paying or showing an insurer, because the Colombian public route runs through an EPS you will not have.
For anything less than an emergency, the counter is in At the pharmacy in Spanish, and the doctor’s surgery has its own page.
The police and a fire
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Call the police | Llamen a la policía. | |
| I was robbed | Me robaron. | The theft words are on their own page |
| They have a knife | Tiene un cuchillo. | |
| They took my bag and ran | Me quitaron la bolsa y salieron corriendo. | Spain and Colombia: el bolso. Argentina: la cartera |
| A man is following me | Un hombre me está siguiendo. | |
| I am afraid | Tengo miedo. | |
| Fire! | ¡Fuego! | |
| There is a fire | Hay un incendio. | Incendio is the noun for a building on fire |
| The building is on fire | Se está incendiando el edificio. | |
| Call the fire brigade | Llamen a los bomberos. | |
| There is a smell of gas | Huele a gas. | A leak is una fuga de gas |
| Someone is trapped inside | Hay una persona atrapada adentro. | Spain: dentro |
| On the third floor | En el tercer piso. | In Spain the ground floor is la planta baja, so the third is one higher than you think |
In Spain you reach all three services on 112, and the Policía Nacional is 091 if you need it directly. In Mexico, Colombia and Argentina the police come from the same call. Mexico City has a Policía Turística in the main tourist areas.
The embassy and the insurance
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I need to call my embassy | Necesito llamar a mi embajada. | |
| The consulate | el consulado | The one that helps a traveller |
| I am a British citizen | Soy ciudadano británico. | Or ciudadana |
| Can you tell my family? | ¿Pueden avisarle a mi familia? | |
| My wife is in England | Mi esposa está en Inglaterra. | |
| Here is my passport | Aquí está mi pasaporte. | |
| This is my insurance policy | Esta es mi póliza de seguro. | |
| The insurance company | la aseguradora | |
| My policy number is… | Mi número de póliza es… | |
| Can you call the insurer? | ¿Pueden llamar a la aseguradora? | Many hospitals do it for you |
| I need the invoice | Necesito la factura. | Say it before you pay, not after |
| And a copy of the notes | Y una copia del informe médico. | Insurers ask for both |
| I need a police report | Necesito la denuncia. | Mexico: el acta |
Photograph the policy, the emergency number of the insurer and your passport page and keep them on the phone. Every conversation afterwards starts with the policy number, and whether you are reimbursed depends on two papers, la factura and el informe médico.
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- Necesito una ambulancia. Es una emergencia. I need an ambulance. It is an emergency.
- Hubo un choque en la esquina de Corrientes y Callao. There has been a crash at the corner of Corrientes and Callao.
- Está inconsciente y no respira. He is unconscious and not breathing.
- Está sangrando mucho, no lo muevan. He is bleeding a lot, do not move him.
- Es alérgica al maní. She is allergic to peanuts. (Colombia, Argentina)
- ¡Auxilio! ¿Alguien habla inglés? Help! Does anyone speak English?
- Hablo poco español. ¿Me puede llamar usted al 123? I do not speak much Spanish. Can you call 123 for me? (Colombia)
- ¿Dónde está la guardia? Where is the emergency room? (Argentina)
- No tengo seguro aquí, pago particular. I do not have insurance here, I will pay privately.
- Necesito la factura y un informe médico para el seguro. I need the invoice and a medical report for the insurance.
Questions people ask
What is the emergency number in Spain? 112, free from any phone. You reach the ambulance, the police and the fire brigade on it, and you can call it in every EU country. Spain also has 091 for the national police.
Is 911 the number in Latin America? In Mexico, yes, everywhere. In Argentina 911 is the national emergency line, while an ambulance is 107 and the fire brigade 100. Colombia’s national line is 123, not 911.
How do I say “I need an ambulance”? Necesito una ambulancia. Then the address, then what happened. That order matters, because the ambulance can be sent while you are still explaining.
How do I say someone is unconscious? Está inconsciente, or está desmayado for a faint. If they are breathing but will not answer, say respira, pero no responde, and the operator learns more from that than from either word alone.
What is “urgencias”? The emergency department of a hospital, in Mexico, Spain and Colombia. In Argentina it is la guardia, and that is the word on the sign.
How do I say I am allergic? Soy alérgico or soy alérgica, with the ending matching you, then a and the thing. Peanuts are el maní in Colombia and Argentina, los cacahuates in Mexico and los cacahuetes in Spain. Carry it written down as well.
Will I be charged for the ambulance? What a visitor pays depends on the country, the city and your cover, so do not let the question hold up the call. In Spain and Argentina an emergency is treated first and any bill comes later. In Mexico and Colombia, assume you are paying or claiming it back, and say pago particular at a private hospital. Ask for la factura and el informe médico before you leave, and give your insurer the policy number the same day.
What do I say if I cannot explain in Spanish? Hablo poco español, necesito ayuda, then the address and one word for the problem: ambulancia, policía, bomberos, incendio. On an emergency line you can use single words, and nobody minds the grammar.
Practise these words
ayuda, ambulancia, emergencia, accidente, herido, respirar, sangrar, caerse, policía, bombero, hospital, seguro, alérgico. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.