Lesson 6

Emergencies & Trouble

Ask for help, report lost items, and handle emergencies.

Emergency Korean is the vocabulary you hope you never need but should know. Key emergency numbers: 112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both have English service available, but knowing the Korean phrasing speeds up the response. Core phrases: 도와주세요 (please help), 응급차 불러 주세요 (please call an ambulance), 경찰 불러 주세요 (please call the police), 잃어버렸어요 (I lost it), 도둑맞았어요 (I was robbed).

For lost items, Korean lost-and-found systems are remarkably effective. 분실물 센터 (lost and found centre) at any subway station can help; the Korean Lost & Found portal (lost112.go.kr) aggregates reports across Seoul. Most public transport drivers will hand in items found on board within a day. The cultural assumption is that the lost item will be returned, and statistically it usually is — Korea has one of the highest rates of returned lost items in the world.

~았/었어요 + Context — Describing What Happened

Use past tense to explain your situation in emergencies. Combine with descriptive details: what you lost, where it happened, when it occurred.

택시에 가방을 놓고 내렸어요.taeksie gabangeul noko naeryeosseoyoI left my bag in the taxi.

어제부터 열이 나요.eojebuto yeori nayoI've had a fever since yesterday.

~(으)ㄹ 수 있다 + Emergency Vocabulary

Combine ability expressions with emergency words to ask for help: '영어 할 수 있는 사람 있어요?' (Is there someone who can speak English?)

영어 할 수 있는 의사가 있어요?yeongeo hal su inneun uisaga isseoyo?Is there a doctor who can speak English?

여기서 전화할 수 있어요?yeogiseo jeonhwahal su isseoyo?Can I make a phone call from here?

도와주세요dowajuseyoPlease help me

Examples길을 잃었어요. 도와주세요.gireul ilheosseoyo. dowajuseyoI'm lost. Please help me.

잃어버리다ireobeoridato lose (an item)

Examples지갑을 잃어버렸어요.jigabeul ireobeoryeosseoyoI lost my wallet.

병원byeongwonhospital

Examples근처에 병원이 어디 있어요?geuncheoe byeongwoni eodi isseoyo?Where is a hospital nearby?

약국yakgukpharmacy

Examples약국에서 두통약을 샀어요.yakgukeseo dutongnyageul sasseoyoI bought headache medicine at the pharmacy.

아프다apeudato be sick / to hurt

Examples배가 아파요.baega apayoMy stomach hurts.

경찰서gyeongchalseopolice station

Examples경찰서에 신고해야 해요.gyeongchalseoe singohaeya haeyoI need to report it to the police station.

Cultural & Language Note

Korea's emergency numbers are 119 for fire and ambulance and 112 for police, and both have interpreter support for foreign languages. Pharmacies (약국) handle a wider range of first-line care than in many countries, and pharmacists routinely recommend medication for minor complaints without a doctor's visit. 도와주세요 is the phrase to memorise cold.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

잃어버리다 means to lose an object, while 잊어버리다 means to forget — the two differ by one vowel and learners mix them constantly, producing 'I forgot my wallet' when they mean 'I lost my wallet'. In an actual emergency this matters, so drill the pair until they are distinct.