Emergency

1. Kömek ediň!

   Kö-mek e-diň!

   Help!

   Usage

   Calling for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Et-" (do) polite imperative "ediň" + "Kömek" (help). In extreme urgency, just shouting "Kömek!" also works.

2. Tiz kömek çagyryň!

   Tiz kö-mek ça-gy-ryň!

   Call an ambulance!

   Usage

   In a medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Tiz" (fast) + "Kömek" (help) = ambulance. Turkic languages often create new concepts through compound words.

3. Polisiýa çagyryň!

   Po-li-si-ýa ça-gy-ryň!

   Call the police!

   Usage

   When a crime or accident has occurred

   Grammar Note

   "Polisiýa" is a Russian loanword. Emergency numbers in Turkmenistan: police 102, fire 101, ambulance 103.

4. Ýangyn bar!

   Ýan-gyn bar!

   There is a fire!

   Usage

   Alerting others when a fire breaks out

   Grammar Note

   "Ýangyn" = verb root "ýang-" (to burn) + nominalizing suffix "-yn." "Bar" (there is) signals existence.

5. Maňa hassahana gerek

   Ma-ňa has-sa-ha-na ge-rek

   I need a hospital

   Usage

   When medical care is needed

   Grammar Note

   "Hassahana" = Persian compound "hasta" (sick) + "hana" (house). The experiencer of "gerek" is in the dative case.

6. Çantam ogurlandy

   Çan-tam o-gur-lan-dy

   My bag was stolen

   Usage

   Reporting theft to the police

   Grammar Note

   "Ogurla-" (steal) + passive "-n" + past "-dy" = "was stolen." The passive suffix "-n/-l" is common across Turkic languages.

7. Men azaşdym

   Men a-zaş-dym

   I am lost

   Usage

   When you have lost your way and need help

   Grammar Note

   "Azaşdym" = "azaş-" (to lose one's way) + 1st person singular past ending "-dym" = "I have got lost" (the present state after getting lost).

8. Derman gerek

   Der-man ge-rek

   I need medicine

   Usage

   Requesting medicine at a pharmacy or hospital

   Grammar Note

   "Derman" comes from Persian "دارو/درمان" (medicine). Add "Maňa" (to me) for "I need medicine."

9. Ilçihana nirede?

   Il-çi-ha-na ni-re-de?

   Where is the embassy?

   Usage

   When you need consular assistance after losing your passport or in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Ilçi" (envoy/ambassador) + "hana" (house/place) = embassy. "Hana" is a Persian-derived suffix used in place names.

10. Pasportym ýitdi

    Pas-por-tym ýit-di

    I lost my passport

    Usage

    Reporting a lost passport to authorities or the embassy

    Grammar Note

    "Ýit-" (disappear/get lost) + past "-di." In Turkic, possessive suffixes convey ownership, allowing omission of pronoun subjects.

11. Agyrym bar

    A-gy-rym bar

    I have pain

    Usage

    Describing pain symptoms to a doctor or paramedic

    Grammar Note

    Turkic languages express "I have" as "my X exists." "Agyr" (heavy/painful) + nominalizer "-y" = "pain."

12. Bes ediň!

    Stop it

    Usage

    Lets you refuse firmly without raising your voice

13. Maňa degmäň!

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    Show it as-is to a pushy tout or anyone unsafe

14. Men polisiýa jaň ederin.

    I will call the police

    Usage

    Show it firmly against a scam or a threat

15. Menden uzaklaşyň!

    Get away from me

    Usage

    For when someone will not leave you alone

16. Ogry

    Thief

    Usage

    The word for a person who steals; show it when reporting to police or bystanders. The act of stealing is "ogurlyk"

17. Talaňçylyk

    Robbery

    Usage

    Taking someone else's property by force; also put as talaň salmaklyk (plundering) and garakçylyk (brigandage)

18. Adam öldürmek

    Murder

    Usage

    Taking a person's life: adam (person) + öldürmek (to kill); a murderer is "ganhor"

19. Topalaň

    Riot

    Usage

    A crowd stirred up by uproar or discontent; related to "gozgalaň", which is an armed uprising

20. Bomba

    Bomb

    Usage

    An explosive device; it is defined as a bursting shell filled with explosive matter. Show it when reporting a suspicious object

21. Ýangyn bar! Gaçyň!

    Ýan-gyn bar! Ga-çyň!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Shouted on spotting a fire, to tell people around you to get out

    Grammar Note

    "Ýangyn bar!" plus Gaçyň, the polite imperative of gaçmak (to run hard away from where you are)

22. Ogry! Tutuň!

    Og-ry! Tu-tuň!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shouted right after a theft to get bystanders to help; point at the person while saying it

    Grammar Note

    "Ogry" plus Tutuň, the polite imperative of tutmak (to get into one's hands, to seize)

23. Ýangyn maşynyny çagyryň!

    Ýan-gyn ma-şy-ny-ny ça-gy-ryň!

    Please call a fire engine

    Usage

    For asking someone to call the fire brigade

    Grammar Note

    The "<thing> çagyryň" frame ("Tiz kömek çagyryň!") filled with Ýangyn maşyny. A noun ending in the possessive -y takes -ny for the accusative

24. Polisiýa bölümi nirede?

    Po-li-si-ýa bö-lü-mi ni-re-de?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    For asking where to file a report; insurance claims need a police document

    Grammar Note

    The "<place> nirede?" frame filled with Polisiýa. Bölüm is glossed as a branch or division of an institution

25. Ýapon dilini bilýän adam barmy?

    Ýa-pon di-li-ni bil-ýän a-dam bar-my?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    For finding someone who understands Japanese at a hospital, police station or airport

    Grammar Note

    Takes the "<language> dilini bil-" frame in its participle form bilýän and combines it with the "... barmy?" question

26. Bu adam huşsuz

    Bu a-dam huş-suz

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Point at the person who has collapsed while showing this to the emergency services

    Grammar Note

    The zero-copula "Bu + noun + predicate" frame ("Bu otag gaty sesli"). Huş is a person's sound mind and memory; -suz is the privative suffix

27. Adam suwa gark bolýar

    A-dam su-wa gark bol-ýar

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    For alerting people that someone is going under at the water; point while showing it

    Grammar Note

    Uses adam as the subject, suw in the dative, and the present tense of gark bolmak (to go to the bottom of the water, to drown)

28. Meni urdular

    Me-ni ur-du-lar

    I was beaten

    Usage

    For telling the police or a doctor that you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    Meni (the accusative) with the 3rd person plural past of urmak (to strike something hard so as to cause pain, to thrash); Turkmen uses the plural when the agent is unknown

29. Meni pyçakladylar

    Me-ni py-çak-la-dy-lar

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    For reporting a knife wound; show the injury alongside

    Grammar Note

    Meni followed by the 3rd person plural past of pyçaklamak (to strike or thrust with a knife)

30. Otagyma ogry girdi

    O-ta-gy-ma og-ry gir-di

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    For reporting to the hotel or police that your room was entered while you were out

    Grammar Note

    Otag (room) + the possessive -ym + the dative -a gives 'into my room'; the predicate is girdi, the 3rd person past of girmek (to enter, the verb behind "Giriş"), with ogry as the subject

31. Ol adam jenaýatçy

    Ol a-dam je-na-ýat-çy

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    For pointing out the offender to the police; always point at the person while showing it

    Grammar Note

    The demonstrative ol (as in "Ol ýerde") with adam, and a zero-copula predicate. Jenaýatçy is glossed 'a person who has committed a crime'

32. Meni aldadylar

    Me-ni al-da-dy-lar

    I was deceived

    Usage

    For telling the police you were scammed or overcharged

    Grammar Note

    Meni followed by the 3rd person plural past of aldamak (to trick, to speak falsely)

33. Gapjygym ogurlandy

    Gap-jy-gym o-gur-lan-dy

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    For reporting a stolen wallet to the police or your hotel; insurance claims need a police document

    Grammar Note

    "Çantam ogurlandy" with çanta (bag) replaced by gapjyk (purse). The final k voices before a vowel-initial suffix: gapjyk → gapjygym

34. Men unutdym

    Men u-nut-dym

    I left it behind

    Usage

    For saying you left something behind in a shop or vehicle; point at the item itself

    Grammar Note

    The same "Men + 1st person past -dym" frame as in "Men azaşdym". Unutmak is glossed 'to put out of memory, to let slip from the mind'

35. Meni maşyn urdy

    Me-ni ma-şyn ur-dy

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    For telling the ambulance crew or police that a car hit you

    Grammar Note

    Meni as the object and maşyn as the subject, with the 3rd person singular past of urmak as the predicate

36. Adatdan daşary çykyşdan gaçyň!

    A-dat-dan da-şa-ry çy-kyş-dan ga-çyň!

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Show this to direct people to the emergency exit during a fire or earthquake

    Grammar Note

    Takes "Adatdan daşary çykyş" (emergency exit), adds the ablative -dan, and predicates it with gaçyň

37. Seresap boluň!

    Se-re-sap bo-luň!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    For warning someone who has not noticed a danger

    Grammar Note

    The same "<adjective> boluň" frame as in "Sag boluň". Seresap is glossed 'with caution, with care, gently, watchful, alert'

38. Çaltrak, haýyş edýärin

    Çalt-rak, ha-ýyş ed-ýä-rin

    Please hurry

    Usage

    For asking an ambulance crew or a driver to go faster

    Grammar Note

    The "..., haýyş edýärin" with çaltrak, the comparative of çalt (very quick, soon, nimble)

39. Derrew geliň, haýyş edýärin

    Der-rew ge-liň, ha-ýyş ed-ýä-rin

    Please come right away

    Usage

    For asking someone on the phone or in person to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    Geliň (the polite imperative of gelmek) preceded by derrew (without delay, at once) and closed with the "..., haýyş edýärin"

40. Bu adatdan daşary ýagdaý

    Bu a-dat-dan da-şa-ry ýag-daý

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    For making clear that this is an emergency when you are being told to wait

    Grammar Note

    Puts adatdan daşary ýagdaý (emergency situation) into the zero-copula "Bu + predicate" frame

41. Ýol hadysasy boldy

    Ýol ha-dy-sa-sy bol-dy

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Report that a road accident has happened, to the emergency line or to bystanders. In Turkmenistan the ambulance is 03 and the police 02

    Grammar Note

    "Hadysa boldy" with "ýol" prefixed as a noun compound; the second noun takes the third-person possessive "-sy", as in "awtoulag duralgasy". "Hadysa" is glossed as an event that disrupts the normal state or course of something, and "ýol" as a strip of ground for travel and movement. "Ýol hadysasy" is used as in "ýol hadysasy sebäpli ýogalan", died because of a road accident

42. Polisiýa bölümine arza bermek isleýärin.

    Po-li-si-ýa bö-lü-mi-ne ar-za ber-mek is-le-ýä-rin.

    I want to file a police report

    Usage

    Show at the desk when you want to report a theft or other harm to the police. The police number in Turkmenistan is 02

    Grammar Note

    The "arza bermek isleýärin" ("Wiza almak üçin arza bermek isleýärin.", I want to apply for a visa), with "polisiýa bölümi" put in the dative; a noun ending in the third-person possessive "-i" takes "-ne", the same rule as the accusative "-ny"

Browse all TravelPhrases languages