Help!
Usage
The most basic cry for help in any emergency situation
Grammar Note
Identical to English "help". This word is understood in both Afrikaans and English contexts
Bel 10111!
Call 10111!
Usage
10111 is the South African police emergency number; ambulance and fire are 10177, or 112 from a mobile
Grammar Note
"Bel" means to call/ring/phone in Afrikaans. | South Africa emergency numbers: police 10111, ambulance and fire 10177. From a mobile you can also dial 112 (MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom) and an operator routes you to the nearest service. South Africa has no single unified emergency number, so the number depends on what you need. 10111 is free from a landline but charged at normal rates from a mobile.
Ek het 'n dokter nodig
I need a doctor
Usage
Used to request medical assistance when ill or injured
Grammar Note
"Hê nodig" = "to need" (literally "to have necessary"). "Nodig" = Dutch "nodig" (necessary)
My beursie is gesteel
My wallet has been stolen
Usage
Used to report theft to police; be cautious of pickpockets in tourist areas
Grammar Note
"Is gesteel" is a passive perfect: "was stolen". Past participles use "ge-" prefix in Afrikaans
Waar is die naaste hospitaal?
Where is the nearest hospital?
Usage
Used when urgent medical care is needed
Grammar Note
"Hospitaal" is identical to Dutch. "Naaste" is the superlative of "naby" (near)
Ek het 'n ernstige allergie
I have a serious allergy
Usage
Used to communicate a life-threatening allergy to medical staff
Grammar Note
"Ernstige" is the adjectival form of "ernst" (serious). "Allergie" is identical to Dutch
Ek is verdwaal en het hulp nodig
I am lost and need help
Usage
Used when lost to ask for assistance from a local or police officer
Grammar Note
"Hulp" = help (identical to Dutch). "Het hulp nodig" = "needs help" (literally "has help necessary")
Ek het 'n ambulans nodig
I need an ambulance
Usage
Used for serious injuries; remind bystanders to call 10177 — or 112 from a mobile — for an ambulance
Grammar Note
"Ambulans" is borrowed from French "ambulance"; Afrikaans often drops final -e in such borrowings
Ek het my paspoort verloor
I have lost my passport
Usage
Used when reporting a lost passport to the embassy or police
Grammar Note
"Ek het verloor" is the present perfect (I have lost). Afrikaans perfect = "het" + past participle
Waar is die polisiestasie?
Where is the police station?
Usage
Used to find the nearest police station to report a crime or emergency
Grammar Note
"Polisiestasie" = polisie (police) + stasie (station). Typical Afrikaans compound word
Hou op!
Stop it!
Usage
To shut down aggressive touts or scams; can be shown silently on screen
Moenie aan my raak nie!
Do not touch me!
Usage
To firmly refuse someone who is touching you
Grammar Note
"Moenie ... nie" is the negative imperative frame; the final "nie" must not be dropped
Ek is beroof
I have been robbed
Usage
To report a robbery or theft, whatever was taken
Roep die polisie!
Call the police!
Usage
To get bystanders to call the police; South Africa's police number is 10111, or 112 from a mobile
Brand
Fire
Usage
To report a blaze; a different word from "vuur", which is fire as an element
Dief
Thief
Usage
To point out the person who stole from you
Sakkeroller
Pickpocket
Usage
To report that something was lifted from your pocket; the warning word at South African stations and markets
Ontvoering
Kidnapping
Usage
To report that someone has been taken away
Moord
Murder
Usage
To report that someone has been killed
Oproer
Riot
Usage
To report that a crowd has turned violent
Bom
Bomb
Usage
To warn that there is an explosive device
Brand! Hardloop!
Fire! Run!
Usage
Shout this when you see a fire and need bystanders to get out
Grammar Note
Takes "Brand" from the fire card (another card) and follows it with the imperative of "hardloop" (to run fast). Afrikaans imperatives are identical to the infinitive.
Dief! Vang hom!
Thief! Catch him!
Usage
Point at the person who stole from you and ask bystanders to hold them
Grammar Note
Takes "Dief" from the thief card (another card) and follows it with the imperative of "vang" (to catch) plus the object pronoun "hom" (him).
Roep die brandweerwa!
Please call a fire engine
Usage
To get someone to call a fire engine; South Africa’s fire number is 10177, or 112 from a mobile
Grammar Note
Fills the "Roep die + what to summon" frame of another card ("Roep die polisie!") with "Brandweerwa" (fire engine) from another card.
Maak asseblief 'n polisieverslag.
Please make a police report
Usage
Ask for the theft to be written up; you will need this for an insurance claim. The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part
Grammar Note
The polite "asseblief" is used exactly as in another card ("Ry my na die lughawe, asseblief"). Note: "polisieverslag" is the report the police themselves write, not a dedicated word for the certificate handed to the victim; no settled Afrikaans term for the latter could be confirmed, so the card asks for the report to be drawn up.
Praat iemand hier Japannees?
Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?
Usage
Ask at a police station or hospital whether anyone speaks Japanese
Grammar Note
Uses the "Praat + subject + language?" frame of another card ("Praat u Engels?") with the subject replaced by "iemand hier" (anyone here).
Hierdie persoon is bewusteloos.
This person is unconscious
Usage
Point at a collapsed person and tell paramedics or bystanders they are unconscious
Grammar Note
The demonstrative "hierdie" is used as in another card ("Kan ek hierdie motor oor die grens neem?"), and "persoon" is the same noun as in another card ("Een persoon").
Iemand verdrink!
Someone is drowning
Usage
Call for help when you see someone drowning
Grammar Note
The indefinite pronoun "Iemand" is the same word as in "iemand hier" (another card). Afrikaans verbs do not inflect for person or number, so the present tense is simply "verdrink".
Ek is geslaan.
I was beaten
Usage
Report to police or medical staff that you were assaulted
Grammar Note
Uses the same "Ek is + past participle" passive frame as another card ("Ek is beroof"). "Geslaan" is the past participle of "slaan" (to hit).
Ek is gesteek.
I was stabbed
Usage
Report to police or medical staff that you were stabbed
Grammar Note
Uses the same "Ek is + past participle" passive frame as another card. "Gesteek" is the past participle of "steek" (to stab).
Daar is by my kamer ingebreek.
My room was broken into
Usage
Report that someone broke into your room or lodging while you were out
Grammar Note
"Kamer" is the same noun as in another card ("Die kamer het geen warm water nie"). Afrikaans expresses an agentless passive with the impersonal "Daar is … ge-…" construction.
Daardie persoon is die skuldige.
That person is the culprit
Usage
Point out the offender to the police
Grammar Note
"Persoon" is the same noun as in another card ("Een persoon"). "Daardie" is the distal demonstrative, paired with the proximal "hierdie" seen in another card.
Ek is bedrieg.
I was deceived
Usage
Report a scam or a rip-off
Grammar Note
Uses the same "Ek is + past participle" passive frame as another card. "Bedrieg" carries the prefix "be-", so its past participle takes no "ge-" and is identical to the stem.
Ek het dit vergeet.
I left it behind
Usage
Tell staff that you left your belongings behind
Grammar Note
Uses the same "Ek het + object + past participle" perfect frame as another card ("Ek het my medisyne verloor."). "Vergeet" carries the prefix "ver-", so its past participle takes no "ge-".
Ek is deur 'n motor getref.
I was hit by a car
Usage
Tell police or medical staff that a car hit you
Grammar Note
Adds the agent preposition "deur" (by) to the same "Ek is + past participle" passive frame as another card. "Motor" is the same noun as in another card.
Gaan uit by die nooduitgang.
Please escape through the emergency exit
Usage
Direct people to the emergency exit in a fire or similar
Grammar Note
Compounds "nood-" (emergency) onto "Uitgang" (exit) from the sign card another card. The imperative "Gaan" is the same form as in another card ("Gaan reguit aan.").
Pasop!
Watch out!
Usage
Warn the person in front of you about an immediate danger
Grammar Note
A one-word warning shout. The phrase tables in the af.wikipedia language articles list "Pasop!" as the Afrikaans for isiZulu "Qaphela!" and isiXhosa "Lumka!", confirming it is used on its own as a warning.
Maak asseblief gou.
Please hurry
Usage
Tell the person you called for help to hurry
Grammar Note
The polite "asseblief" is used as in another card ("Ry my na die lughawe, asseblief"). "Maak gou" is the fixed expression built on "gou" (quickly), with the politeness word inserted between its two parts.
Kom asseblief nou dadelik.
Please come right away
Usage
Tell someone on the phone or nearby to come immediately
Grammar Note
"Kom" is the same imperative as in another card, "nou dadelik" is the same phrase as the another card card ("Nou dadelik", right away), and "asseblief" is used as in another card.
Dit is 'n noodgeval.
It's an emergency
Usage
Tell a desk or a call handler that this cannot wait
Grammar Note
The "Dit is …" frame is the same as in another card ("Dit is seer daar"). "Noodgeval" is a compound built on the same "nood-" (emergency) element as "noodsein" in another card.
Ry my na die hospitaal, asseblief.
Please take me to a hospital
Usage
Ask to be driven to a hospital when you cannot get there yourself
Grammar Note
Fills the "Ry my na die + destination + asseblief" frame of another card ("Ry my na die lughawe, asseblief") with "hospitaal" (hospital) from another card.
Daar was 'n verkeersongeluk.
There has been a traffic accident
Usage
Tell an emergency line or the people around you that a road accident has happened
Grammar Note
The "Daar was 'n + noun" frame of another card ("Daar was 'n ongeluk — roep die skipatrollie asseblief.") filled with the compound "verkeersongeluk", built on the same "verkeer" as another card "verkeerspolisie" (traffic police). af.wiktionary glosses "verkeer" as the state created by travellers moving about, especially in the form of road traffic, and "ongeluk" as an unintended event with bad consequences. af.wikipedia returns 7 hits for insource:/verkeersongeluk/ (the rival term "padongeluk" has 20, but the existing cards use the "verkeer" family).
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