Emergency in Different Languages
Discover 'Emergency' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment. Its significance is universal, and its cultural importance is evident in the way societies around the world have developed specialized systems to respond to emergencies. From natural disasters to medical emergencies, being prepared and knowing how to respond can make all the difference.
Moreover, understanding the translation of the word 'emergency' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, in Spanish, an emergency is called una emergencia, while in French, it's une urgence. In Mandarin Chinese, it's 紧急状况 (jǐnjí zhuàngkuàng), and in Japanese, it's 緊急事態 (kinkyuu jitai).
Not only does this knowledge demonstrate respect for the languages and cultures of others, but it can also be crucial in international communication, especially in situations where every second counts. So, let's explore the translations of 'emergency' in various languages and learn more about the world around us.
Emergency
Emergency in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | noodgeval | ||
| The Afrikaans word "noodgeval", meaning "emergency", derives from the Dutch "noodgeval" ('necessary case'). | |||
| Amharic | ድንገተኛ ሁኔታ | ||
| The Amharic word ድንገተኛ ሁኔታ refers to an urgent situation or unforeseen event that requires immediate action or attention. | |||
| Hausa | gaggawa | ||
| The word "gaggawa" in Hausa also means "urgency" or "necessity". | |||
| Igbo | mberede | ||
| The Igbo word 'mberede' can also refer to the state of being unprepared or caught off guard. | |||
| Malagasy | vonjy taitra | ||
| Derived from the phrase "vonjy aotra", which means "help quickly". It is used to emphasize the urgency of a situation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zadzidzidzi | ||
| The word "zadzidzidzi" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the sound of a bell or gong used to signal an emergency. | |||
| Shona | emergency | ||
| It can also refer to a gathering of people for a specific purpose. | |||
| Somali | degdeg ah | ||
| The word "degdeg ah" in Somali means "emergency," but it literally translates to "hurry up." | |||
| Sesotho | tshohanyetso | ||
| The word "tshohanyetso" can also be used to refer to a situation that requires immediate attention. | |||
| Swahili | dharura | ||
| The word 'dharura' in Swahili is derived from the Arabic word 'darura', meaning 'necessity' or 'compulsion'. It is also related to the Swahili word 'dhuru', meaning 'harm' or 'injury'. | |||
| Xhosa | imeko kaxakeka | ||
| The phrase "imeko kaxakeka" literally means "the thing that makes one jump up quickly" in Xhosa | |||
| Yoruba | pajawiri | ||
| "Pajawiri" means "a critical situation" or "a sudden need" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isimo esiphuthumayo | ||
| The term "isimo esiphuthumayo" is etymologically related to the Zulu word "isimo" (meaning "condition") and "esiphuthumayo" (meaning "pressing" or "urgent"). | |||
| Bambara | peresela ko | ||
| Ewe | kpomenya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byihutirwa | ||
| Lingala | likambo ya mbalakaka | ||
| Luganda | kwelinda | ||
| Sepedi | tšhoganetšo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | putupuru | ||
Emergency in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حالة طوارئ | ||
| In its literal meaning, حالة طوارئ refers to "an act of causing" but it is only used in the context of causing an emergency. | |||
| Hebrew | חירום | ||
| The Hebrew word "חירום" (hirum) is also used to refer to "the sound made by a trumpet or horn" or a "frightening thing." | |||
| Pashto | بیړنی | ||
| بیړنی, "emergency" in Pashto, shares its root with بیړن, meaning "a narrow pass or ravine". | |||
| Arabic | حالة طوارئ | ||
| In its literal meaning, حالة طوارئ refers to "an act of causing" but it is only used in the context of causing an emergency. | |||
Emergency in Western European Languages
| Albanian | emergjente | ||
| The Albanian term "emergjente" comes from the Greek word "anagkē," meaning "constraint" or "necessity." | |||
| Basque | larrialdia | ||
| In Basque, "larrialdia" also means "danger" and is derived from the verb "larritu," meaning "to scare". | |||
| Catalan | emergència | ||
| The Catalan word 'emergència' derives from the Latin 'emergere', meaning 'to rise' or 'to come out'. | |||
| Croatian | hitan slučaj | ||
| The Croatian word "hitan slučaj" literally means "urgent case," and is similar to the English phrase "pressing matter." | |||
| Danish | nødsituation | ||
| The word "nødsituation" is derived from the Old Norse word "nauð", meaning "need" or "distress". | |||
| Dutch | noodgeval | ||
| The word "noodgeval" comes from the Middle Dutch "node", meaning "need", and "val", meaning "case" or "event". | |||
| English | emergency | ||
| "Emergency" originally referred to an unforeseen occurrence or state of things, especially a serious or urgent one requiring immediate action. | |||
| French | urgence | ||
| The word "urgence" in French is also used to refer to something that is important or needs to be dealt with immediately, such as an important message or a task that has a deadline. | |||
| Frisian | needgefal | ||
| The Frisian word "needgefal" is cognate to the Dutch word "noodzaak", which means necessity. | |||
| Galician | emerxencia | ||
| The word "emerxencia" in Galician comes from the Latin "ēmergentia", which means "something that emerges". | |||
| German | notfall | ||
| The word "Notfall" literally translates to "need fall" in English. | |||
| Icelandic | neyðarástand | ||
| The word "neyðarástand" is derived from the Old Norse word "neyð", meaning "need" or "distress", and "ástand", meaning "state" or "condition." | |||
| Irish | éigeandála | ||
| Éigeandála, meaning "emergency" in Irish, originates from the root "éigeand," which refers to a sudden or urgent situation requiring immediate action. | |||
| Italian | emergenza | ||
| "Emergenza" also means "emergence" in Italian, denoting a sudden or unexpected coming into existence or view. | |||
| Luxembourgish | noutfall | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Noutfall" also refers to a trapdoor or escape route, highlighting the urgency of emergencies. | |||
| Maltese | emerġenza | ||
| The word “emerġenza” derives from the Latin word “emergere”, and it also means “emergence” in English. | |||
| Norwegian | nødsituasjon | ||
| "Nød" (need) and "situasjon" (situation), from Old Norse "nauðr" (need) and "setning" (situation). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | emergência | ||
| In Brazilian Portuguese "emergência" also refers to a hospital's emergency ward, unlike in European Portuguese, where "urgência" is used. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | èiginn | ||
| "Èiginn" is also used to refer to a pressing situation or a serious need. | |||
| Spanish | emergencia | ||
| The Spanish word "emergencia" originates from the same Latin root as "emerge" in English, referring to something rising from a submerged position. | |||
| Swedish | nödsituation | ||
| Nöd comes from the Old Norse nauðr, meaning "need", "distress", and "violence." | |||
| Welsh | argyfwng | ||
| Argyfwng is a compound word in Welsh, composed of argy ( | |||
Emergency in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | надзвычайная сітуацыя | ||
| Bosnian | hitan slučaj | ||
| The word "hitan slučaj" comes from the Turkish word "hitân", meaning "urgent" or "pressing". | |||
| Bulgarian | спешен случай | ||
| "Спешен случай" literally translates to "hasty incident" in Bulgarian, which is an interesting way of referring to an emergency situation. | |||
| Czech | nouzový | ||
| The word "nouzový" can also mean "forced" or "compulsory" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | hädaolukorras | ||
| Hädaolukorras means "in case of need" in Estonian, and relates to the word "häda" (need). | |||
| Finnish | hätä | ||
| The word "hätä" also means "need" or "distress" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | vészhelyzet | ||
| The word "vészhelyzet" comes from the root word "vész", meaning "danger" or "peril". | |||
| Latvian | ārkārtas | ||
| Ārkārtas originates from the word “ārkarts”, which means “rare” or “extraordinary”. | |||
| Lithuanian | skubus atvėjis | ||
| The word "skubus atvėjis" also has the meaning of "a pressing matter" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | итни случаи | ||
| The Macedonian word "итни случаи" can also mean "urgent matters" or "pressing issues" | |||
| Polish | nagły wypadek | ||
| The word 'nagły wypadek' literally translates to 'sudden accident', reflecting its unexpected and urgent nature. | |||
| Romanian | de urgență | ||
| The Romanian word "de urgență" originates from the Latin phrase "ab urgentiis" meaning "from urgings", referring to the pressing nature of an emergency. | |||
| Russian | чрезвычайная ситуация | ||
| The word "чрезвычайная ситуация" literally means "an extra-ordinary situation" or "an out-of-the-ordinary situation". | |||
| Serbian | хитан | ||
| The Serbian word 'хитан' has Persian and Turkish roots and may also refer to a 'poor, beggar' or 'a homeless person'. | |||
| Slovak | pohotovosť | ||
| It is cognate with the Czech "pohotovost" and the Bulgarian "по̀ходност", all meaning "mobilization". | |||
| Slovenian | v sili | ||
| The word "v sili" can also mean "in a hurry" or "in a rush". | |||
| Ukrainian | надзвичайна ситуація | ||
| Надзвичайна ситуація is derived from "над" ('extra'), "звичай" ('custom'), and "ситуація" ('situation'), thus meaning an exceptional situation, or emergency. | |||
Emergency in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জরুরী | ||
| The word "জরুরী" is derived from the Persian word "zarurat", which means "necessity" or "urgency". | |||
| Gujarati | કટોકટી | ||
| The word "કટોકટી" (emergency) is derived from the Sanskrit word "कटु", meaning "difficult" or "painful". | |||
| Hindi | आपातकालीन | ||
| आपातकालीन' की उत्पत्ति संस्कृत 'आपत्ति' (विपत्ति) और 'काल' (समय) से हुई है। | |||
| Kannada | ತುರ್ತು | ||
| "ತುರ್ತು" is derived from the Sanskrit word "तुरन्ता" (turanta), meaning "sudden" or "immediate". It can also mean "hasty" or "urgent". | |||
| Malayalam | അടിയന്തരാവസ്ഥ | ||
| Marathi | आणीबाणी | ||
| In Marathi, "आणीबाणी" also means "a demand of money or goods under the threat of violence or harm." | |||
| Nepali | आपतकालिन | ||
| आपतकालिन is derived from the Sanskrit word "आपत्ति", which means "calamity" or "misfortune". The suffix "-कालिन" means "pertaining to" or "occurring during", so आपतकालिन means "occurring during a calamity or misfortune". | |||
| Punjabi | ਐਮਰਜੈਂਸੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හදිසි | ||
| The term "හදිසි" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आकस्मिक" (ākasmika), meaning "unexpected" or "sudden". It can also be used to describe a "crisis" or "disaster". | |||
| Tamil | அவசரம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'அவசரம்' can also refer to a state of excitement or agitation. | |||
| Telugu | అత్యవసర | ||
| The word 'అత్యవసర' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'अति' (extreme) and 'वस' (to dwell), meaning 'an extreme situation that requires immediate action'. | |||
| Urdu | ایمرجنسی | ||
| The word "ایمرجنسی" comes from the Latin word "emergere", meaning "to rise up" or "to come forth". | |||
Emergency in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 紧急情况 | ||
| The Chinese word 紧急情况 literally translates to “urgent situation” and can refer to a wide range of scenarios. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 緊急情況 | ||
| 緊急情況 can also be used to mean 'urgency' or 'pressing matter'. | |||
| Japanese | 緊急 | ||
| The Chinese characters for "緊急" can also mean "tightness" or "urgency." | |||
| Korean | 비상 사태 | ||
| 비상 사태 is composed of the characters 비 (flight) and 상 (above), and originally meant situations requiring immediate escape. | |||
| Mongolian | онцгой байдал | ||
| In Mongolian, "онцгой байдал" not only means "emergency" but also refers to specific government agencies or laws related to emergency management. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အရေးပေါ် | ||
Emergency in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | keadaan darurat | ||
| Derived from the Arabic word “darura,” which means “necessity” or “urgency.” | |||
| Javanese | darurat | ||
| The Javanese word "darurat" can also mean "necessity" or "urgency". | |||
| Khmer | បន្ទាន់ | ||
| Lao | ສຸກເສີນ | ||
| Malay | kecemasan | ||
| The word "kecemasan" can also mean "anxiety" or "worry" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ฉุกเฉิน | ||
| The word "ฉุกเฉิน" also means "urgent" or "pressing". | |||
| Vietnamese | trường hợp khẩn cấp | ||
| The word "emergency" comes from the Latin word "emergens," meaning "rising up" or "coming into view." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | emergency | ||
Emergency in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | təcili | ||
| The word "təcili" is also used to describe something that is urgent or requires immediate attention. | |||
| Kazakh | төтенше жағдай | ||
| Kyrgyz | өзгөчө кырдаал | ||
| Tajik | ҳолати фавқулодда | ||
| Turkmen | adatdan daşary ýagdaý | ||
| Uzbek | favqulodda vaziyat | ||
| "Favqulodda vaziyat" is a loan translation from Russian "чрезвычайное положение" (“extraordinary situation”) which in turn is a legal term denoting a state of emergency, martial law, or a state of siege. | |||
| Uyghur | جىددى ئەھۋال | ||
Emergency in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pilikia | ||
| In Hawaiian, "pilikia" is also used to refer to a disturbance or trouble. | |||
| Maori | ohorere | ||
| "Ohorere" also refers to unexpected difficulties in life or obstacles faced in a journey. | |||
| Samoan | faalavelave faafuaseʻi | ||
| Faalavelave faafuaseʻi literally means "unexpected occurrence" and refers to a situation that requires immediate attention and action. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | emergency | ||
| The Tagalog word "emergency" is derived from the Spanish word "emergencia". | |||
Emergency in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | akatjamata | ||
| Guarani | ojapuráva | ||
Emergency in International Languages
| Esperanto | krizo | ||
| The Esperanto word 'krizo' is derived from Greek 'krisis' ('decision'), and also has the meanings 'turning point' and 'decisive moment'. | |||
| Latin | subitis | ||
| In ecclesiastical usage, subitis may refer to one of the minor orders | |||
Emergency in Others Languages
| Greek | επείγον | ||
| In Greek, επείγον (epigon) refers to something that needs urgent attention, but the verb "πείγω" (peigo) from which it is derived means "to squeeze," "to choke," or "to compress." | |||
| Hmong | xwm txheej ceev | ||
| The word "xwm txheej ceev" can also mean a "crisis" and "urgency" and is similar to the Thai word "วิกฤต" (wikrit) and "ฉุกเฉิน" (chuk chern). | |||
| Kurdish | acîlîyet | ||
| The word "acîlîyet" is derived from the Arabic word "عاجل", meaning "urgent" or "immediate". | |||
| Turkish | acil durum | ||
| Acil Durum, literally meaning "flowing state," is a term used in Turkish to describe any situation that requires immediate attention. | |||
| Xhosa | imeko kaxakeka | ||
| The phrase "imeko kaxakeka" literally means "the thing that makes one jump up quickly" in Xhosa | |||
| Yiddish | נויטפאַל | ||
| The word is borrowed from Middle Low German nôt (need), cognate with Old English nēad, from Proto-Germanic *naudiz (necessity, distress). | |||
| Zulu | isimo esiphuthumayo | ||
| The term "isimo esiphuthumayo" is etymologically related to the Zulu word "isimo" (meaning "condition") and "esiphuthumayo" (meaning "pressing" or "urgent"). | |||
| Assamese | জৰুৰীকালীন | ||
| Aymara | akatjamata | ||
| Bhojpuri | आपातकाल | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުއްލި ޙާލަތު | ||
| Dogri | अमरजैंसी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | emergency | ||
| Guarani | ojapuráva | ||
| Ilocano | emerhensia | ||
| Krio | sɔntin yu nɔ plan | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فریاکەوتن | ||
| Maithili | आपातकाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯗꯛꯀꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rikrum | ||
| Oromo | atattama | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜରୁରୀକାଳୀନ ପରିସ୍ଥିତି | ||
| Quechua | emergencia | ||
| Sanskrit | ऊरुक | ||
| Tatar | гадәттән тыш хәл | ||
| Tigrinya | ህጹጽ | ||
| Tsonga | xihatla | ||