I can call for help and call an ambulance, the fire department, or the police, say what I lost or what was stolen from me, and calm someone down: To nic není, nebojte se.
Pomoc! Whom to call and what to say
Pomoc! Whom to call and what to say
In an emergency, call the numbers in the table (not 911); 112 is the general number, and they speak English there too.
To call for help, use set phrases: Pomoc! Pomozte! Zavolejte záchranku! Pomoc is the noun “help”, pomoct the verb “to help”: Potřebuju pomoc. Můžu pomoct. Offering help: Nechcete pomoct? Nepotřebujete pomoc?
To say what happened, use the past tense, with jsem for “I”: Ztratil jsem pas. Ztratila jsem klíč. Dědeček spadl. Někdo ukradl… — “someone stole…”. Ukradli mi peněženku (“my wallet was stolen”) is said when the thief is unknown; you only need to understand it. Hoří! — “Fire!”; nebezpečí — danger.
To calm someone: To nic není. Nebojte se (with vy), Neboj se (with ty). Fear: Mám strach = Bojím se (I'm scared); bát se always has se.
Common mistakes:
• ×Já ztratil kolo → Ztratil jsem kolo.
• ×Nebojte! → Nebojte se!
• ×Bojím → Bojím se.
Emergency numbers
To see a doctor at night: na pohotovost.
| Number | Who will come | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | the general number; they speak English too | any emergency |
| 155 | záchranka | someone is hurt or feels sick |
| 150 | hasič | fire — Hoří! |
| 158 | policie | theft, accident |
Lesson notes
Pomoc! Whom to call and what to say
In an emergency, call the numbers in the table (not 911); 112 is the general number, and they speak English there too.
To call for help, use set phrases: Pomoc! Pomozte! Zavolejte záchranku! Pomoc is the noun “help”, pomoct the verb “to help”: Potřebuju pomoc. Můžu pomoct. Offering help: Nechcete pomoct? Nepotřebujete pomoc?
To say what happened, use the past tense, with jsem for “I”: Ztratil jsem pas. Ztratila jsem klíč. Dědeček spadl. Někdo ukradl… — “someone stole…”. Ukradli mi peněženku (“my wallet was stolen”) is said when the thief is unknown; you only need to understand it. Hoří! — “Fire!”; nebezpečí — danger.
To calm someone: To nic není. Nebojte se (with vy), Neboj se (with ty). Fear: Mám strach = Bojím se (I'm scared); bát se always has se.
Common mistakes:
• ×Já ztratil kolo → Ztratil jsem kolo.
• ×Nebojte! → Nebojte se!
• ×Bojím → Bojím se.