Emergency

1. Pomocy!

   poh-MOH-tsih

   Help!

   Usage

   Calling for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Pomocy" is genitive of "pomoc" (help), used as an exclamation. "Ratunku!" is also used

2. Proszę zadzwonić po pogotowie!

   PROH-sheh zah-DVOH-neech poh poh-goh-TOH-vyeh

   Please call an ambulance!

   Usage

   Asking someone to call an ambulance in a medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Pogotowie" is a neuter noun derived from "gotowy" (ready) and means "state of readiness"; the ambulance service is formally "pogotowie ratunkowe"

3. Proszę zadzwonić na policję!

   PROH-sheh zah-DVOH-neech nah poh-LEETS-yeh

   Please call the police!

   Usage

   Calling for police in a dangerous situation

   Grammar Note

   Polish emergency numbers: 997 (police), 112 (EU-wide). "Policja" → "policję" (accusative)

4. Jestem ranny/ranna

   YES-tem RAN-nih/RAN-nah

   I am injured

   Usage

   Communicating that you are injured

   Grammar Note

   "Ranny" is masculine, "ranna" is feminine. "Boli mnie ..." (... hurts me) also useful

5. Zgubiłem/Zgubiłam paszport

   zgoo-BEE-wem/zgoo-BEE-wahm PASH-port

   I lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to the police or embassy

   Grammar Note

   Past tense of "zgubić" (to lose). "Paszport" stays unchanged as a masculine accusative

6. Gdzie jest szpital?

   gJEH yest SHPEE-tal

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Asking for directions to the nearest hospital

   Grammar Note

   "Szpital" corresponds to "hospital". "Izba przyjęć" is the emergency/admissions department

7. Potrzebuję lekarza

   pot-sheh-BOO-yeh leh-KAH-zhah

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Urgent phrase when medical assistance is needed

   Grammar Note

   "Potrzebować" takes genitive. "Lekarza" is genitive of "lekarz" (doctor)

8. Pożar! Proszę zadzwonić na straż pożarną!

   POH-zhar, PROH-sheh zah-DVOH-neech nah strazh poh-ZHAR-nom

   Fire! Please call the fire brigade!

   Usage

   Alerting others to a fire and calling the fire brigade

   Grammar Note

   "Pożar" = fire. "Straż pożarna" = fire guard: straż (guard) + pożarna (fire-related)

9. Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona

   zos-TAH-wem/zos-TAH-wahm ok-rah-DJOH-nih/ok-rah-DJOH-nah

   I have been robbed

   Usage

   Reporting to police that you have been robbed

   Grammar Note

   Passive past tense. Male: okradziony, Female: okradziona. Passive participle of "okraść"

10. Jestem uczulony/uczulona na penicylinę

    YES-tem oo-choo-LOH-nih/oo-choo-LOH-nah nah peh-nee-tsih-LEE-neh

    I am allergic to penicillin

    Usage

    Communicating a penicillin allergy to medical staff

    Grammar Note

    "Uczulony na" means allergic to. "Na" takes accusative. Replace penicillinę with other allergens

11. Przestań!

    Stop it!

    Usage

    Show the screen to firmly stop persistent touts, scams, or unwanted contact — it works without raising your voice

    Grammar Note

    Second-person singular imperative — deliberately blunt. The polite version is "Proszę przestać", but softening it defeats the purpose with an aggressive party

12. Nie dotykaj mnie!

    Don't touch me!

    Usage

    Show this to refuse unwanted physical contact; holding the screen up also alerts bystanders

    Grammar Note

    Negative commands use the imperfective verb ("dotykać" → "nie dotykaj"); the polite form is "Proszę mnie nie dotykać"

13. Złodziej

    Thief

    Usage

    Names the person who stole; the act of theft itself is "kradzież"

14. Rozbój

    Robbery

    Usage

    For property taken by force or the threat of force; the offence set out in Article 280 of the Polish Criminal Code, which itself speaks of "sprawca rozboju"

15. Kieszonkowiec

    Pickpocket

    Usage

    Names someone who lifts things from pockets and bags in a crowd

16. Porwanie

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Reports that a person has been taken away; the legal term "uprowadzenie" is restricted to minors under 15 and similar victims, so this is the general word

17. Zabójstwo

    Murder

    Usage

    Reports that someone has been killed; the name of the offence set out in Article 148 of the Polish Criminal Code

18. Zamieszki

    Riot

    Usage

    Reports violent street disorder; the noun is used only in the plural

19. Bomba

    Bomb

    Usage

    For a bomb you have spotted or for reporting a bomb threat

20. Pożar! Uciekaj!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Warns people that a fire has started and tells them to run

    Grammar Note

    "Pożar!" is the word in «Pożar! Proszę zadzwonić na straż pożarną!». The "-aj" 2sg imperative has the shape of "Nie dotykaj mnie!"; a shouted warning uses this form rather than the polite "Proszę …".

21. Złodziej! Proszę go złapać!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Points at a fleeing thief and asks bystanders to catch him

    Grammar Note

    "Złodziej" is the word in «Złodziej». The "Proszę + infinitive" request is the frame of «Proszę zadzwonić po pogotowie!» / «Proszę zadzwonić na policję!»; asking bystanders for help takes the polite form.

22. Gdzie jest komisariat policji?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Asks the way to a police station, e.g. to file a report

    Grammar Note

    "Gdzie jest X?" is the frame of «Gdzie jest szpital?». Unlike "policja" (the institution), "komisariat" names the building; the same stem as «Proszę zadzwonić na policję!»'s "policję" follows in the genitive "policji".

23. Chciałbym/Chciałabym zgłosić kradzież

    I want to report a theft

    Usage

    Reports a theft at the police station; the paperwork you need for an insurance claim comes from this report

    Grammar Note

    Same frame as "Chciałbym/Chciałabym wypożyczyć samochód …"; the conditional changes with the speaker's gender, so both forms are shown. Kradzież means theft; złodziej means thief.

24. Czy ktoś tutaj mówi po japońsku?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Looks for a Japanese speaker when you cannot make yourself understood

    Grammar Note

    Combines the "po …sku" pattern of «Czy mówi pan/pani po angielsku?» with "tutaj" from «Czy jest tutaj darmowe Wi-Fi?». A language is named with "po" plus the adverbial form.

25. Ta osoba jest nieprzytomna

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Tells responders or bystanders that the person on the ground is unconscious

    Grammar Note

    "osoba" is the word in «Jedna osoba» and is feminine, so the predicate adjective is the feminine "nieprzytomna" regardless of the person's own gender. "jest" is the copula used in «Gdzie jest szpital?».

26. Ta osoba tonie!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Alerts people that someone is drowning in the water

    Grammar Note

    "osoba" is the word in «Jedna osoba». The event is in progress, so the imperfective "tonąć" in the present is used; the perfective "utonąć" would mean the person has already drowned.

27. Zostałem/Zostałam pobity/pobita

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Reports to police or medical staff that you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    Same passive frame as "Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona" with the participle swapped. It is the passive participle of the perfective "pobić", so it reports a completed event.

28. Zostałem/Zostałam pchnięty/pchnięta nożem

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Tells responders or police that you were stabbed with a knife

    Grammar Note

    Same passive frame as «Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona»; the instrument takes the instrumental "nożem". "pchnąć nożem" is how Polish says "to stab".

29. Mój pokój został okradziony

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Reports that your room was entered and robbed while you were out

    Grammar Note

    Takes «Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona» and swaps the subject for "pokój" (the word in «Czy jest wolny pokój?» and elsewhere). The subject is masculine, so the participle stays masculine.

30. Tamta osoba jest sprawcą

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Points out the person who committed the crime to the police

    Grammar Note

    "osoba" is the word in «Jedna osoba» and "jest" the copula of «Gdzie jest szpital?». The demonstrative is the distal "tamta" (feminine of "tamten", the word of "Tamto"), paired with the proximal "ta". Polish puts the predicate noun in the instrumental, so "sprawca" becomes "sprawcą".

31. Zostałem/Zostałam oszukany/oszukana

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Reports that you have been cheated or defrauded

    Grammar Note

    Same passive frame as «Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona» with the participle swapped; it is the passive participle of the perfective "oszukać".

32. Skradziono mi portfel

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Reports a stolen wallet to the police or the hotel

    Grammar Note

    The verb shares its root with "okradziony" in «Zostałem/Zostałam okradziony/okradziona» (kraść, to steal). The impersonal "-no" form needs no agent and does not change with the speaker's gender, which suits reporting a loss.

33. Zostawiłem/Zostawiłam swoje rzeczy

    I left my things behind

    Usage

    Says that you left your belongings behind in a shop or a vehicle

    Grammar Note

    Same "masculine/feminine past" frame as "Zgubiłem/Zgubiłam paszport". "rzeczy" (belongings) is the word in «Czy może pan/pani upilnować naszych rzeczy?». "zostawić" means leaving something behind when you depart, as distinct from losing it (zgubić).

34. Potrącił mnie samochód

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Tells responders or police that a car hit you

    Grammar Note

    "mnie" (me, accusative) is used as in "Boli mnie głowa", and "samochód" is the word in «Chciałbym/Chciałabym wypożyczyć samochód na X dni.». The past "Potrącił" agrees with the masculine subject "samochód", not with the speaker's gender.

35. Proszę zawieźć mnie do szpitala

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Asks to be driven to a hospital when ill or injured

    Grammar Note

    "Proszę + infinitive" is the request frame of "Proszę wezwać pogotowie". "szpital" is the word in «Gdzie jest szpital?»; after the preposition "do" it takes the genitive "szpitala".

36. Proszę uciekać wyjściem ewakuacyjnym

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Directs people to the emergency exit during a fire or a blackout

    Grammar Note

    "Proszę + infinitive" is the request frame of «Proszę zadzwonić po pogotowie!» / «Proszę wezwać pogotowie». Polish marks the route taken with the instrumental, so "wyjście ewakuacyjne" becomes "wyjściem ewakuacyjnym".

37. Ostrożnie!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Shouted to warn of immediate danger

38. Proszę przyjść natychmiast

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Asks someone, e.g. on the phone, to come at once

    Grammar Note

    "Proszę + infinitive" is the request frame of «Proszę zadzwonić po pogotowie!» / «Proszę wezwać pogotowie»; the verb "przyjść" is the word in «Czy mogę przyjść na jeden trening?».

39. Był wypadek drogowy

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Tell the police, the ambulance service or bystanders that a traffic accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    Adds drogowy (road-related) to "Był wypadek" (there was an accident), as in "Był wypadek — proszę wezwać patrol narciarski!". Wypadek can mean a vehicle collision or crash; wypadek drogowy means a traffic accident. The adjective also appears in "policję drogową" (traffic police).

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