Emergency Phrases in Kannada: Hospital, Police, Lost

Nobody prepares for the moment when preparation actually matters. You're at a bus stand in Shivamogga, your bag has been taken, your phone is dead, and you need a police station. Or you're at a Bangalore market and someone needs a doctor — now. Emergency Kannada is the category of language learning that most people skip and everyone, at some point, wishes they hadn't.

This guide covers four scenarios: calling for help, medical emergencies, dealing with theft or police, and getting directions when you're lost. Every phrase includes Kannada script, romanization, and IPA. The goal is not fluency — it's the specific sentences that get things moving when something has gone wrong.

ಸಹಾಯ! — Calling for Help

The most important word in this guide.

ಸಹಾಯ! (Sahaaya!, /sɐˈhaːjɐ/) means "Help!" Used at full volume in a public space in Karnataka, it is universally understood and gets an immediate response. No other word is necessary in the first second.

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ಸಹಾಯ!	Sahaaya!	/sɐˈhaːjɐ/	Help!
ನಿಲ್ಲಿ!	Nilli!	/ˈnɪlːɪ/	Stop!
ಕಳ್ಳ!	Kalla!	/ˈkɐɭːɐ/	Thief!
ಬೆಂಕಿ!	Benki!	/ˈbeŋkɪ/	Fire!
ಅಪಘಾತ ಆಗಿದೆ!	Apaghaata aagide!	/ɐpɐˈɡʱaːt̪ɐ ˈaːɡɪd̪e/	There's been an accident!

ನಿಲ್ಲಿ! (Nilli!) is the direct imperative of "stop" — said to someone walking away who should not be. It is sharper and more urgent than ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ (nillisi, /ˈnɪlːɪsɪ/), which is the polite "please stop here" you'd say to an auto driver. In emergencies, use nilli — the directness is appropriate.

The emergency number across India is 112 — unified police, fire, and ambulance. Operators in Karnataka speak Kannada and English. 108 connects specifically to ambulance services. If you need to give a location in Kannada: ನಾನು [location] ಇಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೇನೆ (Nānu [location] illiddēne, "I am here at [location]") or simply state the landmark name in English.

ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ — Medical Phrases

Medical situations require two kinds of language: finding help and describing what's wrong.

Finding medical help:

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?	Aaspatre ellide?	/ˈaːspɐt̪ɾe elˈlɪd̪e/	Where is the hospital?
ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಕರೀ	Doctor kari	/ˈdɑːkʈɐɾ ˈkɐɾiː/	Call a doctor
ಆಂಬ್ಯುಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಕರೀ	Ambulens kari	/ˈæmbjuːlɛns ˈkɐɾiː/	Call an ambulance
ನನಗೆ ಹುಷಾರಿಲ್ಲ	Nanage husharilla	/ˈnɐnɐɡe ˈhuʂaːɾɪlːɐ/	I'm not feeling well
ತುರ್ತು ಸಹಾಯ ಬೇಕು	Thurtu sahaaya beku	/ˈt̪uɾt̪u sɐˈhaːjɐ ˈbeːku/	I need urgent help

ಹುಷಾರಿಲ್ಲ (husharilla) breaks down as ಹುಷಾರು (hushaaru, well/healthy) + ಇಲ್ಲ (illa, not/no). ಇಲ್ಲ is the standard Kannada negative — attach it to almost any noun to say "there is no [noun]." So "I am not well" is the same logical structure as "wellness — not present for me."

Describing symptoms:

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ನೋವು ಇದೆ	Noovu ide	/ˈnoːvu ɪˈd̪e/	There is pain
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ	Illi noovaaguttide	/ˈɪlːɪ ˈnoːvaːɡuttɪd̪e/	It hurts here
ತಲೆ ನೋವು	Tale noovu	/ˈt̪ɐle ˈnoːvu/	Headache
ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ನೋವು	Hotte noovu	/ˈhɔʈːe ˈnoːvu/	Stomach ache
ಜ್ವರ ಬಂದಿದೆ	Jvara bandide	/ˈdʒvɐɾɐ ˈbɐnd̪ɪd̪e/	I have a fever
ವಾಂತಿ ಆಗ್ತಿದೆ	Vaanti aagttide	/ˈvaːntɪ ˈaːɡtɪd̪e/	I'm vomiting
ಉಸಿರಾಟ ಕಷ್ಟ	Usiraata kashta	/ˈusɪɾaːʈɐ ˈkɐʂʈɐ/	Difficulty breathing

The construction [body part] + ನೋವು (noovu, /ˈnoːvu/) is how Kannada describes localized pain. ತಲೆ (tale, head), ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ (hotte, stomach), ಎದೆ (ede, chest), ಬೆನ್ನು (bennu, back) — combine any of these with noovu and you have a clinically functional description.

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ (Illi noovaaguttide, "it hurts here") while pointing works in any medical setting regardless of how much of the description the doctor follows. It is the most universal medical sentence in the list.

Allergy and medication communication:

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ನನಗೆ [medicine] ಅಲರ್ಜಿ ಇದೆ	Nanage [medicine] allergy ide	/ˈnɐnɐɡe ɐˈlɐɾdʒɪ ɪˈd̪e/	I'm allergic to [medicine]
ನಾನು [medicine] ತಗೋತ್ತೀನಿ	Naanu [medicine] tagotteeni	/naːnu t̪ɐˈɡoʈːiːnɪ/	I take [medicine]
ಔಷಧ ಅಂಗಡಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?	Aushadha angadi ellide?	/ˈɐuʂɐd̪ʱɐ ˈɐŋɡɐɖɪ elˈlɪd̪e/	Where is a pharmacy?

In Bangalore, major hospitals with 24-hour emergency wards include Victoria Hospital (near Majestic/KSR station, government-run), Manipal Hospitals on Old Airport Road, and St. John's Medical College Hospital in Koramangala. For walk-in pharmacy needs, Apollo Pharmacy and MedPlus chains operate across the city and their staff speak English.

ಪೊಲೀಸ್ — Dealing with Theft and Police

Theft. Lost documents. Police interaction.

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಕರೀ	Polis kari	/poˈliːs ˈkɐɾiː/	Call the police
ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಠಾಣೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?	Polis thaane ellide?	/poˈliːs ˈtʰaːne elˈlɪd̪e/	Where is the police station?
ನನ್ನ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ ಕಳೆದುಹೋಯ್ತು	Nanna bag kaleduhoytu	/ˈnɐnnɐ bæɡ kɐɭeˈd̪uhoːjt̪u/	My bag is lost/stolen
ನನ್ನ ಪರ್ಸ್ ಕದ್ದಿದ್ದಾರೆ	Nanna purse kaddiddaare	/ˈnɐnnɐ pɜːs ˈkɐddɪdːaːɾe/	My purse has been stolen
ನನ್ನ ಪಾಸ್‌ಪೋರ್ಟ್ ಕಳೆದಿದೆ	Nanna passport kaledide	/ˈnɐnnɐ ˈpaːspɔːʈ kɐɭeˈd̪ɪd̪e/	I have lost my passport
ದೂರು ಬರೆಯಬೇಕು	Dooru bareyabeku	/ˈd̪uːɾu bɐˈɾejɐbeːku/	I need to file a complaint
ತರ್ಜುಮೆ ಬೇಕು	Tarjume beku	/ˈt̪ɐɾdʒume ˈbeːku/	I need a translator

The verb in ಕಳೆದುಹೋಯ್ತು (kaleduhoytu) covers both "lost" and "gone missing." When you need to be unambiguous about theft, ಕದ್ದಿದ್ದಾರೆ (kaddiddaare, "they have stolen") is the word. The distinction matters when you're filing a police report: a missing item may be treated differently from a reported theft.

ದೂರು ಬರೆಯಬೇಕು (Dooru bareyabeku, "I need to file a complaint") is the sentence that signals you want official documentation — which you will need for insurance claims or embassy communication. In Karnataka, this is a First Information Report (FIR). Police stations are called ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಠಾಣೆ (polis thaane) in Kannada.

For embassy contact, the phrase ರಾಯಭಾರ ಕಚೇರಿಗೆ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿ (Raayabhaara kacheerige phone maadi, "Call the embassy") is what you need from a police officer or hotel staff. State the country name in English — it will be understood.

A practical note on register: police interaction in Karnataka calls for formal, polite Kannada. The pronouns throughout this section use the polite form ನಿಮ್ಮ (nimma, the formal "your") rather than ನಿನ್ನ (ninna, informal). If you want to understand that formal/informal divide, the Kannada pronouns and formality guide explains how register affects verb endings and address forms — context that matters when speaking to police officers and officials.

ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿದೆ — When You're Lost

Being lost in an unfamiliar part of Karnataka is less dire than it sounds, because asking for directions in Kannada generates an extraordinary level of helpfulness from locals. The key is having the question ready.

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ನಾನು ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದೇನೆ	Naanu daari tappiddene	/naːnu ˈd̪aːɾɪ ˈt̪ɐppɪdːeːne/	I am lost
___ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?	___ ellide?	/elˈlɪd̪e/	Where is ___?
___ ಗೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬೇಕು?	___ ge hege hogbeku?	/ˈheːɡe ˈhoːɡbeːku/	How do I get to ___?
ಹತ್ತಿರ ಇದೆಯಾ?	Hattira ideya?	/ˈhɐtːɪɾɐ ɪˈd̪ejaː/	Is it nearby?
ಎಷ್ಟು ದೂರ?	Eshtu doora?	/eʂʈu ˈd̪uːɾɐ/	How far?
ನಕ್ಷೆ ತೋರಿಸ್ತೀರಾ?	Nakshe toristira?	/ˈnɐkʂe ˈt̪oːɾɪˈstɪɾaː/	Can you show me on a map?

ನಾನು ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದೇನೆ (Naanu daari tappiddene) opens with an honest statement of the situation. ದಾರಿ (daari) means road or way; ತಪ್ಪು (tappu) means wrong or missed. Literally: "I have gone wrong on the road." People respond well to this phrasing because it invites them to help rather than just answer a question.

The template "[destination] ge hege hogbeku?" is the most versatile direction question in Kannada. Drop in any place name: a hospital, a bus stand, a neighborhood, a landmark. The person you're asking will either give directions or find someone who can — and in our experience, will often walk you partway there.

Giving your location by phone:

Kannada Script	Romanization	IPA	English
ನಾನು [place] ಹತ್ತಿರ ಇದ್ದೇನೆ	Naanu [place] hattira iddene	/naːnu ˈhɐtːɪɾɐ ɪˈdːeːne/	I'm near [place]
ಬಸ್ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಹತ್ತಿರ	Bus nildaana hattira	/bɐs ˈnɪlːd̪aːnɐ ˈhɐtːɪɾɐ/	Near the bus stand
ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಹತ್ತಿರ	Devasthaana hattira	/d̪eˈvɐst̪ʱaːnɐ ˈhɐtːɪɾɐ/	Near the temple

When giving your location by phone to emergency services or a contact, the pattern is [place name] + ಹತ್ತಿರ (hattira, "near"). Most landmark names in Bangalore are known in English, so combining "near Lalbagh main gate" with ಹತ್ತಿರ usually works even if nothing else does.

Before You Go: The Minimum Useful Set

Save 112 in your phone before arriving in Karnataka. It's the unified emergency number across India, and operators speak Kannada and English. That alone covers dispatch for police, fire, and ambulance.

Beyond that number, six phrases carry the real weight:

Six phrases carry real weight. ಸಹಾಯ! (Sahaaya!) calls attention. ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? locates medical help. ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಕರೀ summons police. ನಾನು ದಾರಿ ತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದೇನೆ states you're lost. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ with a pointing gesture communicates pain. And ನಾನು ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ (Naanu Kannada kaliyuttiddene, "I'm learning Kannada") slows people down and shifts how they speak to you, even in a crisis.

Say these aloud before you travel. Pronunciation under stress degrades, and rehearsal is the only fix. A phrase you can produce smoothly when calm will come out recognizably even when you're not.

Karnataka's public culture responds well to visible effort. The language does its job if you give it a chance.

Emergency language is the floor. The everyday Kannada phrases guide covers the daily vocabulary above it — greetings, auto-rickshaw phrases, ordering food — and together the two guides span routine to urgent.

The Learn Kannada app from Brightwood Apps includes audio for emergency and safety phrases with native Bangalore speakers, so you can hear exactly how ಸಹಾಯ and ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? should sound before you need to say them.