How do I get help?
The simplest way to ask for assistance is to shout Upomoć! which means Help! You can also use the phrase Možete li mi pomoći? (Can you help me?) or Možete li nam pomoći? (Can you help us?)
The following vocabulary can help you get to the right person to assist you:
- The Croatian word for a doctor is doktor (m) or doktorica (f), or alternatively liječnik (m) or liječnica (f). These pairs of words are synonyms.
- A nurse is medicinska sestra.
- To ask for a hospital say bolnica.
- To find a pharmacy ask for apoteka or ljekarna. Again, these words are synonyms.
How do I describe the problem?
Once you’ve found the right person to talk to, you can use the following words to explain what’s wrong:
- hitan slučaj → (emergency)
- hitna pomoć → (ambulance)
- nezgoda → (accident)
- bolestan (m) / bolesna (f) → (sick)
- bol → (pain)
- lijek → (medicine)
- glavobolja → (headache)
- ozljeda → (injury)
- infekcija → (infection)
- niski tlak → (low pressure)
- visoki tlak → (high pressure)
- problemi sa srcem → (heart problems)
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Useful vocabulary
General help:
Upomoć! → Help!
Molim vas, pomozite! (formally or to a group) → Please help!
Molim te, pomozi! (informally to one person) → Please help!
Što se dogodilo? → What happened?
Medical emergency:
Trebam liječnika. → I need a doctor.
Ne mogu disati! → I can’t breathe!
On/ona treba liječnika. → He/she needs a doctor.
Gdje je (najbliža) bolnica? → Where is the (nearest) hospital?
Osjećam se jako loše. → I feel very bad.
Zovite (formal) / Zovi (informal) hitnu pomoć! → Call the ambulance!
Boli me ruka / noga / glava. → My arm – leg – head hurts.
Treba mi nešto za glavobolju. → I need something for my headache.
Imate (formal) / Imaš (informal) li aspirin? → Do you have an aspirin?
Police emergency:
Gdje je (najbliža) policijska postaja? → Where is a (nearest) police station?
Opljačkan (m) / opljačkana (f) sam! → I’ve just been robbed!
Zovite (formal) / Zovi (informal) policiju! → Call the police!
Other possible problems:
Možete (formal) / Možeš (informal) li pozvati taksi? → Can you call a taxi?
Gdje je američki/njemački/talijanski/španjolski konzulat? → Where is the American/German/Italian/Spanish consulate?
Izgubio (m) / Izgubila (f) sam se! → I’m lost!
Bloody Mary, molim. Mamuran (m) / mamurna (f) sam! → A Bloody Mary, please. I’m hungover!
4. Which numbers should I dial?
The following emergency numbers are free to call throughout Croatia:
- If you need to call an ambulance, call 194
- You can reach the fire brigade on 193
- The police can be reached on 192
In case that you forget which number to dial for an emergency, you can always call 112. It is the common emergency telephone number in nearly all member states of the European Union as well as several other countries of Europe and the world.
We wish you a safe stay in Croatia, and remember: most Croatians speak plenty of English, so even if you forget everything you’ve learnt, don’t get stressed, you’re sure to be understood!
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Explore grammar and learning tips in our Croatian language guide.
Grammar Essentials
Learn how to use the instrumental case in Croatian to express how, with whom, or by what something is done or happens.
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