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Phrases 61 of 62 communication situations

You have an emergency but don't speak Chinese

In an emergency, show the phrase and dial 110/120/119. Do not struggle to speak.

? 你好 SOS

In an emergency, show the phrase — do not struggle to speak.

What you'll see

If an emergency hits and you cannot speak Chinese, every second counts:

Emergency — no shared language to call for help.
紧急情况——没有共通语言求救。
Severity: L3 (scenario). This is a communication situation, not an app error code.

Why it happens

Emergency numbers work on any phone, and showing a phrase removes the need to explain in words.

Fastest fix, free: Show “紧急情况!请帮我打110/120。” and dial 110 (police), 120 (ambulance), 119 (fire).
Last verified: 2026-09-20 · Confidence: Multiple sources (pending first-hand verification)
The full fix sequence (free)
  1. Show the emergency phrase from this guide to whoever is near.
  2. Dial 110 (police), 120 (ambulance) or 119 (fire) — any phone works.
  3. Use a translation app with voice to play Chinese aloud.
  4. Ask a bystander to call for you — “请帮我打110”.

When phrases alone aren't enough

In the kit

In a crisis, the kit gives the emergency phrase and dial plan as a single showable card.

1. The lookup table

Emergency phrases and the 110 / 120 / 119 dial plan, showable at a glance.

2. The trigger matrix

Which situation needs which phrase.

3. Offline printable version

The whole phrase kit as a printable card.

If nothing works

If you are alone and the phone is not working:

  1. Go to the nearest hotel, shop or uniformed staff and show the phrase.
  2. Use a translation app's voice to call for help aloud.
  3. Flag down a passerby and show “我需要帮助”.

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Most travellers know about three of these before they fly. This one is often not one of them.

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