Emergency in Bislama: 36 Travel Phrases with Audio

Halpem mi! Halpem mi!
halp-em mi halp-em mi
Help me! Help me!
Usage
Used to call for help in an emergency
Grammar Note
"Halpem" (from "help him") means to help; repeat it when shouting for assistance.
Ringim polis!
ring-im po-lis
Call the police!
Usage
Used to urgently request someone to call the police
Grammar Note
Vanuatu's police emergency number is 111 (Digicel) or 1111 (TVL landline). Do not confuse it with 112 (hospital/ambulance) or 113 (fire). The "-im" in "ringim" is the transitive verb marker.
Mi nidim dokta.
mi nid-im dok-ta
I need a doctor.
Usage
Used when medical assistance is needed
Grammar Note
"nidim" from "need him" is a transitive verb. Vanuatu's main hospital is Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila.
Faea! Faea i stap!
fae-a fae-a i stap
Fire! There is a fire!
Usage
Used to alert others about a fire emergency
Grammar Note
"Faea" from "fire". "i stap" indicates existence, so "Faea i stap" means there is a fire.
I gat aksiden.
i gat ak-si-den
There has been an accident.
Usage
Used to report an accident
Grammar Note
"I gat aksiden" uses the existential expression "i gat" (there is) from "it got".
Mi lus. Mi no save faenem rod.
mi lus mi no sa-ve faen-em rod
I am lost. I cannot find the road.
Usage
Used when you are lost and cannot find your way
Grammar Note
"Mi no save" means cannot or do not know. Simply place "no" before "save" to negate ability.
Ringim ambulans!
ring-im am-bu-lans
Call an ambulance!
Usage
Used to urgently request someone to call an ambulance
Grammar Note
The emergency pattern "Ringim + [service]!" calls various emergency services. This simple form is easy to remember.
Ol man oli stilim samting blong mi.
ol man o-li stil-im sam-ting blong mi
Someone stole my belongings.
Usage
Used to report a theft
Grammar Note
"Samting" (from "something") means something or things; "stilim" (from "steal him") is the transitive verb "steal". Note the predicate marker: a plural subject such as "ol man" takes "oli", not "i".Main clauses with plural subjects take "oli".
Hemia i wan bigfala trabol.
he-mi-a i wan big-fa-la tra-bol
This is an emergency.
Usage
Used to convey that a situation is an emergency
Grammar Note
"An emergency" is "bigfala trabol". The sentence frame is "Hemia i wan …"
Hospital i stap wea?
hos-pi-tal i stap we-a
Where is the hospital?
Usage
Used to urgently find the location of a hospital
Grammar Note
Vanuatu's main hospitals are Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila and Northern Zone Hospital in Luganville. The interrogative "where" is "wea", not "we": "we" is the relative-clause marker and is never interrogative. "Hospital" is "hospital" (e.g. "mi mas go long hospital kwiktaem")
Mi nogud long ...
mi no-gud long
I am allergic to ...
Usage
Used to inform medical staff about an allergy
Grammar Note
"I am allergic to X" is "Mi nogud long X" (X does not agree with me).Add the English word "allergy" if you are not understood.
Yu stop nao!
Stop it
Usage
Show it firmly without speaking, e.g. to aggressive touts
Yu no tajem mi!
Do not touch me
Usage
Show it firmly without speaking
Livim mi!
Leave me alone
Usage
Show it firmly without speaking
Stilman
Thief
Usage
Point at this word to report a theft
Bom
Bomb
Usage
Point at this word to warn about an explosive device
Faea! Yu ronwe!
fae-a yu ron-we
Fire! Run!
Usage
Shout this to warn of a fire and tell people to get out
Stilman! Yu holem hem!
stil-man yu hol-em hem
Thief! Catch him!
Usage
Shout this while pointing at a thief to get bystanders to stop him
Grammar Note
"Hem" is a third-person pronoun with no gender, so the sentence works whoever the thief is.
Ples blong polis i stap wea?
ples blong po-lis i stap we-a
Where is the police station?
Usage
Used to ask where the police station is
Mi nidim wan ripot blong polis.
mi nid-im wan ri-pot blong po-lis
I need a police report
Usage
Used after a theft to ask the police for a written report, e.g. for an insurance claim. The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part
Grammar Note
"Mi nidim ..." is the frame for "I need ...". "ripot" is used for a police report. There is no polite imperative for "please issue/make", so the card says "I need ..." instead
I gat man we i save toktok Japanis?
i gat man we i sa-ve tok-tok ja-pa-nis
Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?
Usage
Used at a counter or hospital to look for someone who speaks Japanese
Man ya i no wekap.
man ya i no we-kap
This person is unconscious
Usage
Used while pointing at a collapsed person to call for help
Grammar Note
Bislama has no fixed single word for "unconscious"; a person who has passed out is described as "i no wekap" (does not wake up). The frame is "<person> ya i <predicate>"
Man ya i draon!
man ya i draon
Someone is drowning
Usage
Shout this while pointing at someone in the water
Grammar Note
Note: the same word also means "(the sun) sets", but with a human subject there is no ambiguity.
Ol man oli kilim mi.
ol man o-li kil-im mi
I was beaten
Usage
Used to report being assaulted
Grammar Note
The plural predicate marker "oli" is kept. Note: "kilim" can mean both "hit" and "kill", but in Bislama "kill" always takes the complement "i ded". Bare "kilim" means to beat or strike
Ol man oli stikim mi wetem naef.
ol man o-li stik-im mi we-tem naef
I was stabbed
Usage
Used to report having been stabbed with a blade
Ol man oli kam insaed long rum blong mi.
ol man o-li kam in-saed long rum blong mi
My room was broken into
Usage
Used to report that someone got into your room while you were away
Man ya i man blong brekem loa.
man ya i man blong brek-em lo-a
That person is the culprit
Usage
Used while pointing out the offender to the police
Grammar Note
Note: Bislama has no single word for "the perpetrator of this particular crime"; this phrase is the general noun "criminal" and is meant to be used while pointing.
Ol man oli giaman long mi.
ol man o-li gi-a-man long mi
I was deceived
Usage
Used to report having been cheated or scammed
Ol man oli stilim paos blong mane blong mi.
ol man o-li stil-im paos blong ma-ne blong mi
My wallet was stolen
Usage
Used to report a stolen wallet to the police
Mi livim samting blong mi long ples ia.
mi liv-im sam-ting blong mi long ples i-a
I left it behind
Usage
Used while pointing at the place where you left something
I gat aksiden long rod.
i gat ak-si-den long rod
There has been a traffic accident
Usage
Used to report that a traffic accident has happened
Wan ka i kilim mi long rod.
wan ka i kil-im mi long rod
I was hit by a car
Usage
Used to report having been hit by a car
Grammar Note
"kilim" carries the sense "strike, hit", and the subject need not be human (it is also used when an animal gores a person)
Plis hariap.
plis ha-ri-ap
Please hurry
Usage
Used to ask someone to hurry
Plis kam naoia.
plis kam nao-i-a
Please come right away
Usage
Used to ask someone to come immediately
Yu save tekem mi go long hospital?
yu sa-ve tek-em mi go long hos-pi-tal
Please take me to a hospital
Usage
Used to ask someone to take you to a hospital
Plis ringim ol faeaman.
plis ring-im ol fae-a-man
Please call the firefighters
Usage
Used to ask someone to call the fire service
Grammar Note
"faeaman" (fireman) names the people. There is no word for a fire engine, so the card says "call the fire brigade"

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