Emergency Phrases phrases and words in English

The English that shows up in the worst five minutes of someone's day — a fall, a crash, a choke, a fire alarm. These ten phrases are what people actually shout, radio in, or say to a stranger on the ground: short, clear, and impossible to misunderstand under pressure. Learn them and you're not the person freezing on the sidewalk — you're the one who knows exactly what to say to a dispatcher, a crowd, or someone scared and hurt. Each one also teaches a piece of natural English: the imperatives, the idioms, and the calm, direct register English switches into when it really matters.

10 phrases · meanings & example sentences

“What's your emergency?”

The exact words a 911 (US) or 999 (UK) dispatcher says when they pick up. Knowing it means the call doesn't catch you off guard — you already know to answer with what, then where. It teaches how English front-loads the key word: not 'What is the nature of your problem' but the blunt, fast 'What's your emergency?' Answer with the location first if you can, because that's what they need before the line drops.

The line clicked and a calm voice said: '911, what's your emergency?'
'What's your emergency?' — 'A man just collapsed at the bus stop on King Street.'
Practise your answer before you ever need it: what happened, then where.

“Call an ambulance!”

The single most important sentence to be able to shout. 'Ambulance' is the word — not 'the medical car' or 'the hospital van' — and note you 'call' one, you don't 'order' or 'phone for' it (though 'phone for an ambulance' works in the UK). Pointing at a specific person while you say it — 'You, in the red jacket, call an ambulance!' — is a real first-aid technique: a named person acts, a crowd freezes.

She hit the ground and didn't move. 'Somebody call an ambulance!'
You in the blue coat — call an ambulance, tell them it's a heart attack.
Don't just stand there filming, call an ambulance!

“Stay with me”

What you say to someone slipping out of consciousness to keep them awake and talking. It sounds emotional, and it is, but it's also practical — a person answering you is a person still breathing. It teaches the intimate, urgent use of 'stay': not 'remain conscious please' but the simple, human 'stay with me.' Pair it with their name and easy questions: 'Stay with me, Tom — what did you have for breakfast?'

'Stay with me, okay? Help is two minutes out.'
His eyes were closing. 'Hey — stay with me, keep looking at me.'
Keep them talking: 'Stay with me, tell me your kids' names.'

“Keep pressure on it”

The core instruction for bleeding — press hard on the wound and don't let up. 'It' stands in for the wound so you don't have to name the gruesome part. Note 'keep' + noun: 'keep pressure on it,' 'keep him still,' 'keep her warm' — English uses this pattern for 'maintain this state, don't stop.' Say it to whoever's helping so you can free your own hands to call for help.

'Press here, both hands, and keep pressure on it until the paramedics take over.'
Blood was soaking through the towel. 'Don't lift it up — keep pressure on it.'
Keep pressure on it and keep him talking, I'll flag down the ambulance.

“He's not breathing”

The sentence that changes everything on a call — it tells the dispatcher to start talking you through CPR immediately. Simple present-continuous ('is/are not breathing') is exactly right here: it's happening now. Learn the whole cluster: 'she's breathing but unconscious,' 'he's choking,' 'she's having a seizure.' The clearer your one line, the faster the right help comes.

'He's not breathing — I can't feel a pulse.' — 'Okay, listen carefully, I'll help you do CPR.'
She pulled him from the water. 'He's not breathing, what do I do?'
Tell them straight away if he's not breathing — that moves you to the front of the queue.

“Man down!”

A short, loud alarm-call meaning someone has collapsed and needs help right now. It comes from military and police radio and has spread into gyms, worksites, and everyday joking ('one drink and he's man down'). In a real emergency it cuts through noise instantly. Gender-neutral in practice — people shout it about anyone — though 'someone's down' works too. Great example of how English compresses a whole situation into two words.

A crash of weights, then a shout across the gym: 'Man down!'
'Man down by the exit — get the first-aid kit!'
Jokingly, after his third espresso martini: 'Man down, somebody get him water.'

“Get to safety”

The instruction to move away from danger — fire, traffic, a collapsing structure — toward somewhere secure. 'To safety' treats safety as a place you head for, which is a very English way of thinking (also 'run to safety,' 'pull someone to safety'). Its cousin 'get out of harm's way' is the idiom version — 'harm's way' being the path danger is travelling. Use the short 'get to safety' when seconds count.

'Leave the bags, just get to safety — the whole floor's filling with smoke.'
A cyclist dragged the child to safety seconds before the car skidded past.
Get everyone to safety first; we'll worry about the building later.

“Give them some air”

What you say to a crowd pressing in around someone who's fainted or fallen — step back, make space. It's half literal (a ring of onlookers really does block airflow) and half a polite-but-firm way to move people. Notice 'some air' means 'room to breathe,' not oxygen you hand over. A calm person who can say this takes control of a scene fast.

'Everyone back up, give her some air — she just needs a minute.'
The crowd closed in. 'Please, give him some air, don't crowd him.'
Loosen his collar and give him some air; he's coming round.

“Is there a doctor in the house?”

A slightly old-fashioned but instantly understood call for medical help in a public place — a theatre, a plane, a wedding. The plane version is 'Is there a doctor on board?' It teaches 'in the house' meaning 'here, among us right now' (the same 'house' that a comedian means with 'best crowd in the house'). Half the reason to know it is recognising it — so you look up when it's asked.

The music stopped and a voice came over the speakers: 'Is there a doctor in the house?'
Mid-flight the crew paged: 'Is there a doctor on board? Please press your call button.'
A guest slumped at the reception and someone called out, 'Is there a doctor in the house?'

“Hang in there”

What you say to keep a hurt or frightened person going — 'hold on, don't give up, help is coming.' The image is literally hanging on by your fingertips. It works in a crisis and in everyday encouragement ('rough week? hang in there'), which makes it one of the most useful comfort phrases in English. Warm, informal, and exactly the tone you want when someone's scared: steady, not panicked.

'Hang in there, the ambulance is turning onto our street right now.'
She squeezed his hand. 'You're doing great, just hang in there.'
Text to a friend before surgery: 'Thinking of you — hang in there.'