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Japanese Emergency Phrases
Help, health, pharmacy. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 4 full conversation flows for emergency situations in Japan.
Start learning freeEssential Emergency Phrases in Japanese
Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.
助けて
tah-sue-keh-teh
Help!
病院
byoh-een
Hospital
医者
ee-shah
Doctor
具合が悪いです
goo-ai-gah-wah-roo-ee-des
I don't feel well
救急車を呼んでください
kyoo-kyoo-shah-oh-yon-deh-koo-dah-sai
Call an ambulance!
警察
kay-saht-sue
Police
痛い
ee-tai
It hurts / Painful
英語を話せますか
ay-goh-oh-hah-nah-seh-mah-sue-kah
Do you speak English?
薬
koo-sue-ree
Medicine
救急車
kyoo-kyoo-shah
Ambulance
日本語が分かりません
nee-hon-goh-gah-wah-kah-ree-mah-sen
I don't understand Japanese
ここが痛いです
koh-koh-gah-ee-tai-des
It hurts here
...and 53 more emergency phrases in the app.
Sample: In case of earthquake
A real emergency conversation in Japanese -- both sides of the interaction.
Them
jee-shin des teh-boo-roo noh shee-tah nee
An earthquake alert sounds (alarm on all phones). Everyone stops moving. Emergency: 119 (ambulance/fire), Police: 110.
地震です！テーブルの下に！
jee-shin des teh-boo-roo noh shee-tah nee
Earthquake! Under the table!
You
地震ですか？
jee-shin des-kah
Is it an earthquake?
You
大丈夫ですか？
dai-joh-boo-des des-kah
Are you okay?
Them
dai-joh-boo-des yoh
Japanese people stay very calm during earthquakes. Follow instructions and stay together.
大丈夫ですよ
dai-joh-boo-des yoh
It's okay
You
避難場所はどこですか？
hee-nahn-bah-shoh wah doh-koh-des-kah
Every neighborhood has a hinan basho (evacuation point), often in a park or school. Memorize the one near your hotel.
Where is the evacuation point?
Them
koh-chee-rah nee kee-teh koo-dah-sai
They guide you. Public announcements are in Japanese — listen for 'hinan' (evacuation) and 'anzen' (safe).
こちらに来てください
koh-chee-rah nee kee-teh koo-dah-sai
Come this way
4 emergency conversations available in the app.
FAQ
What happens when they answer back at the emergency in Japan?
That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 4 emergency conversations shows you the full back-and-forth: what you say, what they'll likely respond, and how to keep going. You won't freeze when they answer in Japanese.
Is this enough to get by at a emergency in Japan?
Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real emergency interactions -- not textbook phrases. Sorted by how often you'll need them, with pronunciation you can read at a glance.
Do I need to learn Japanese script to use this?
No. Every Japanese phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English. You read it like English and say it out loud. The script is there for reference, but you don't need it.
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