Emergency Phrases in Amharic: Hospital, Police, Lost

You're in Addis Ababa when your bag disappears on a crowded minibus. Or you wake up in your hotel room feeling sick. Or you step out for a walk and realize the streets all look the same. None of these situations are pleasant — but having a handful of Amharic phrases ready can change the outcome dramatically.

This post covers the phrases that matter most when things go wrong: calling for help, communicating with medical staff, talking to police, and finding your bearings when you're lost. If you're still building up your Amharic foundations, the pronunciation guide is worth a read before your trip — it'll help you say these phrases clearly when it counts.

Help! Stop! The Two Phrases to Know First

Loud, short, unmistakable. These are the two phrases you hope never to use and should know before anything else.

ኤርዱኝ! (Erdugn!) — Help me!

The verb root here is erda (to help), and the suffix -ugn means "help me" specifically. You'll hear Ethiopians use this in genuine distress, and the word carries real urgency. Say it firmly and loudly if you need assistance.

ቁም! (Kum!) — Stop!

Kum is a direct command meaning stop or halt. One syllable, hard stop. If someone is taking your belongings or if a situation is escalating, this word cuts through noise. It's also the word drivers use, and anyone within earshot will understand it immediately.

Pair these with pointing and eye contact. Amharic speakers, like people anywhere, respond to body language alongside words.

Medical Emergencies: Talking to Doctors and Hospital Staff

Ethiopia has a mix of public and private hospitals in major cities, and in Addis Ababa, many doctors in private clinics speak English. But in smaller towns, or even in urban hospitals under pressure, having medical phrases in Amharic gives you a real advantage.

Getting There

ሆስፒታሉ የት ነው? (Hospitaluw yet new?) — Where is the hospital?

Hospitaluw (ሆስፒታሉ) uses the definite article suffix -u on the borrowed word hospital. You can also say ህክምና ቤት የት ነው? (Hekimna bet yet new?), which uses the native Amharic phrase for a medical house — hekimna (ህክምና) means medicine or treatment, and bet (ቤት) means house or place. Either will be understood.

ዶክተር ያስፈልገኛል (Dokter yasfelijeñal) — I need a doctor.

The verb yasfelijeñal comes from asfelagn (to be necessary for me). It's a useful construction — remember the verb ending and you can slot in many nouns.

Describing What's Wrong

ደም እየፈሰሰ ነው (Dem iyefesese new) — I am bleeding.

Dem (ደም) is blood. Iyefesese is the progressive form of the verb to flow or pour. If you need to point to the wound and say this, the staff will understand the situation immediately.

ሆዴ ይጠቅሳል (Hode yiteksal) — My stomach hurts.

Hod (ሆድ) is stomach or abdomen. The verb yiteksal means it pinches or hurts — this is the standard way to express pain in a body part. For a different location: ራሴ ይጠቅሳል (Rase yiteksal) — My head hurts.

ትኩሳት አለኝ (Tikusat alleñ) — I have a fever.

Tikusat (ትኩሳት) is the standard Amharic word for fever. Alleñ simply means "I have" — it's the same construction as essential phrases for travelers cover for expressing possession.

Allergies — Critical to Communicate

ለ___ አለርጂ አለኝ (Le-___ allerji alleñ) — I am allergic to ___.

The prefix le- marks the object you're allergic to. Slot in whatever applies:

ለፔኒሲሊን አለርጂ አለኝ (Le-penicillin allerji alleñ) — I am allergic to penicillin.
ለለውዝ አለርጂ አለኝ (Le-lewuz allerji alleñ) — I am allergic to nuts. (lewuz = ለውዝ = nuts/peanuts)
ለወተት አለርጂ አለኝ (Le-wetet allerji alleñ) — I am allergic to dairy. (wetet = ወተት = milk)

Write your allergy on a piece of paper in Amharic before you travel. Having it written removes any pronunciation uncertainty in a stressful moment.

A Note on Hospitals in Ethiopia

Private hospitals in Addis Ababa — Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa), Korean Hospital, and St. Gabriel — are the main facilities foreigners use. In regional cities, standards vary. If you have travel insurance, the claim process goes more smoothly if you can ask: ደረሰኝ ይሰጡኛል? (Deresegn yisetugnal?) — Can you give me a receipt?

Police Situations: Theft, Lost Documents, Embassies

Ethiopian police stations (ye-police maryam bet, or simply the loanword polisi bota) are accessible in most towns. Theft from tourists is not common in Ethiopia compared to many destinations, but it does happen.

Reporting a Theft

ተዘረፍኩ (Tezerefu) — I have been robbed.

The verb zerefu (ዘረፈ) means to rob or loot. The te- prefix creates the passive: something was done to me. This is the correct word for robbery — say it at the police station to start a report.

ቦርሳዬ ተሰረቀ (Borsaye tesereqe) — My bag was stolen.

Borsa (ቦርሳ) is bag or purse. Tesereqe is the passive past tense of sereqe (to steal). You can swap in other nouns: ስልኬ ተሰረቀ (Silke tesereqe) — My phone was stolen. (Silk = ስልክ = phone/telephone.)

ፓስፖርቴን አጥቻለሁ (Pasporteñ atchalehu) — I have lost my passport.

Atchalehu comes from atta (አጣ) — to lose — conjugated in the first person perfect. A lost passport is a significant situation. After saying this, ask:

ኤምባሲዬን ይደውሉልኛል? (Embasiyeñ yidewlulinal?) — Please call my embassy.

Embasiye (ኤምባሲዬ) is my embassy. Yidewlulinal is a polite request form of the verb diwwele (to telephone or call). Adding the polite marker lwo or using the full form as above is appropriate when speaking to officials.

Working with Police — Practical Notes

Bring your hotel's address written in Amharic or show it on your phone. Police in Addis Ababa commonly speak some English, especially in tourist areas, but in smaller towns you may need these phrases. Speaking even a few words in Amharic signals respect and often changes how you're received. Ethiopians appreciate the effort considerably.

Getting Un-Lost: Directions and Location Phrases

Ethiopia's cities — Addis Ababa especially — can disorient newcomers. Street numbers are inconsistently displayed. Neighborhoods (sefer, ሰፈር) are the primary reference point in conversation.

When You're Lost

ጠፋሁ (Tefahu) — I am lost.

Short, clear, and immediately understood. Tefahu is the past tense of teffa (to get lost), used to describe your current state. You can also say መንገዱን ጠፋብኝ (Mengdun tefabiñ) — I've lost the way — which is a bit more specific.

ይህ የሆቴሉ አድራሻ ነው (Yih ye-hotelu adirasha new) — This is the hotel's address.

Point to your phone screen or a written note while saying this. Adirasha (አድራሻ) is address — another borrowing that Ethiopians use universally. Taxi drivers in particular will recognize this approach.

ወደ___ እንዴት እሄዳለሁ? (Wede___ inde yihedalehu?) — How do I get to ___?

Slot in your destination:

ወደ ቦሌ አየር ማረፊያ (Wede Bole ayer marefia) — to Bole Airport
ወደ ቀድማው አዲስ ከተማ (Wede town center) — toward the city center
ወደ ፖሊስ ጣቢያ (Wede polis tabiya) — to the police station (tabiya = ጣቢያ = station)

Useful Replies to Expect

Ethiopians giving directions often use:

ቀጥታ ሂድ (Ketta hid) — Go straight.
ቀኝ ዞር (Ken zor) — Turn right.
ግራ ዞር (Gra zor) — Turn left.
ቅርብ ነው (Kirb new) — It's nearby.
ሩቅ ነው (Ruq new) — It's far.

If you've studied Amharic numbers, you'll also hear distances. The numbers guide covers the essentials, including how Ethiopians approximate distances in conversation.

Keeping a Cheat Sheet

Before any trip to Ethiopia, write the five or six phrases most relevant to your situation on a small card or in your phone's notes app — in both Ge'ez script and romanization. Ge'ez script can communicate even if your pronunciation is imperfect, since a local can read what you're pointing to. Romanization helps you say it aloud.

The phrases that matter most for almost any traveler:

Ge'ez	Romanization	Meaning
ኤርዱኝ!	Erdugn!	Help me!
ቁም!	Kum!	Stop!
ዶክተር ያስፈልገኛል	Dokter yasfelijeñal	I need a doctor
ተዘረፍኩ	Tezerefu	I've been robbed
ጠፋሁ	Tefahu	I'm lost
ሆስፒታሉ የት ነው?	Hospitaluw yet new?	Where is the hospital?

Emergencies are stressful in any language. Having these phrases internalized — not just written down somewhere — gives you a foundation to work from when your mind is racing.

If you want to practice these phrases with native-speaker audio and build up your recall before traveling, the Learn Amharic app covers emergency vocabulary in Unit 4, with listening exercises and pronunciation feedback.