A Medical Emergency
Use these essential phrases to accurately report symptoms, describe accidents, and communicate with emergency responders or bystanders when someone is hurt.
Key Phrases
¡Ayuda, por favor! ¡Necesito que alguien llame a una ambulancia lo más rápido posible!
casualHelp, please! I need someone to call an ambulance as fast as possible!
Use this urgent phrasing only when immediate life-saving assistance is needed.
Necesitamos ayuda médica urgente, por favor llamen al servicio de emergencias en este momento.
neutralWe need urgent medical help, please call the emergency service right now.
'Servicio de emergencias' is universally understood, though some countries use specific numbers like 112 or 911.
Hay un hombre mayor que está totalmente inconsciente en el suelo y no respira bien.
neutralThere is an older man who is completely unconscious on the ground and isn't breathing well.
A clear, descriptive statement useful for speaking with a 911/112 dispatcher.
Mi amigo se desmayó de repente y ahora no reacciona cuando intento hablar con él.
casualMy friend suddenly fainted and now isn't reacting when I try to talk to him.
Using 'de repente' (suddenly) is very natural in spoken narratives.
Creo que ella está teniendo una reacción alérgica muy grave debido a algún alimento.
neutralI think she is having a very severe allergic reaction due to some food.
The present progressive 'está teniendo' describes an action happening right at this moment.
Le cuesta mucho respirar ahora mismo y se le está hinchando toda la cara.
casualIt is very hard for him to breathe right now and his whole face is swelling up.
The structure 'le cuesta' is the most natural way to say someone struggles to do something.
El paciente dice que le duele mucho el pecho y se siente un poco mareado.
neutralThe patient says that his chest hurts a lot and he feels a bit dizzy.
Useful when conveying symptoms to medical staff upon their arrival.
Por favor, ¿me puede señalar con el dedo la zona exacta donde le duele más?
politePlease, can you point with your finger to the exact area where it hurts most?
More polite — typical of medical staff or when addressing an injured stranger.
Dime, ¿dónde te duele más desde que te resbalaste y te diste ese golpe fuerte?
casualTell me, where does it hurt most since you slipped and took that hard hit?
Casual tone — use with friends, family, or children who have just been hurt.
Estábamos caminando tranquilamente por la calle cuando se resbaló y se golpeó la cabeza.
casualWe were walking calmly down the street when he slipped and hit his head.
Contrasting the imperfect ('estábamos caminando') with the preterite ('se resbaló') is standard for describing accidents.
Un coche que iba muy rápido lo atropelló mientras cruzaba por el paso de peatones.
neutralA car that was going very fast ran him over while he was crossing at the pedestrian crossing.
In Spain, 'paso de peatones' is often referred to informally as a 'paso de cebra'.
Es muy importante que los paramédicos sepan que esta persona es diabética desde hace años.
neutralIt is very important that the paramedics know that this person has been diabetic for years.
Requires the present subjunctive 'sepan' because of the impersonal expression 'es muy importante que'.
Tranquilo, te prometo que la ambulancia ya está en camino, así que no te muevas.
casualRelax, I promise you the ambulance is already on its way, so don't move.
Negative informal commands always use the subjunctive ('no te muevas').
¿Hay algo útil que yo pueda hacer para ayudar al herido mientras esperamos a los médicos?
neutralIs there anything useful that I can do to help the injured person while we wait for the doctors?
A respectful way for a bystander to offer help to those already assisting.
Solo dime si necesitas que te traiga un poco de agua o algo para abrigarte.
casualJust tell me if you need me to bring you some water or something to keep you warm.
Uses the subjunctive 'traiga' after the trigger 'necesitas que'.