Chapter 17

Handling Emergencies

In This Chapter

Asking for assistance

Getting help for a medical problem

Communicating with the police

Hopefully, you’ll never need to use the vocabulary and information in this chapter, but you never know, so read on. Aside from dealing with accidents and talking to the police, you may need to handle other kinds of emergencies — what if you wake up in the morning with a bout of nausea and stomach cramps? This chapter assists you in dealing with various emergency situations, from seeking medical attention to reporting a theft.

Requesting Help

The hardest part of handling emergencies is keeping your cool so that you can communicate the situation clearly and calmly to someone, be it a police officer, emergency medical technician, or a doctor. So don’t panic if you have to express these unpleasant facts in German. In case you really get tongue-tied, we tell you how to ask for someone who speaks English.

Shouting for help

The following expressions come in handy if you need to grab someone’s attention to get help in an emergency situation:

Hilfe! (hilf-e!) (Help!)

Rufen Sie die Polizei! (roohf-en zee dee po-li-tsay!) (Call the police!)

Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! (roohf-en zee ayn-en krânk-en-vahg-en!) (Call an ambulance!)

Rufen Sie die Feuerwehr! (roohf-en zee dee foy-er-veyr!) (Call the fire department!)

Holen Sie einen Arzt! (hohl-en zee ayn-en ârtst!) (Get a doctor!)

Feuer! (foy-êr!) (Fire!)

Reporting a problem

If you need to report an accident or let people know that you or other people are hurt, this basic vocabulary can help:

Ich möchte einen Unfall melden. (iH merH-te ayn-en oon-fâl mêl-den.) (I want to report an accident.)

Ich möchte einen Autounfall melden. (iH merH-te ayn-en ou-toh-oon-fâl mêl-den.) (I want to report a car accident.)

Ich bin verletzt. (iH bin fêr-lêtst.) (I am hurt.)

Es gibt Verletzte. (ês gipt fêr-lêts-te.) (There are injured people.)

Accidents aside, there are other emergencies you should be prepared for, such as robbery or theft:

Ich möchte einen Diebstahl/Raubüberfall melden. (iH merH-te ayn-en deep-shtahl/roup-ue-ber-fâl mêl-den.) (I want to report a theft/robbery.)

Halten Sie den Dieb! (hâl-ten zee deyn deep!) (Catch the thief!)

Asking for English-speaking help

If you aren’t able to get the help you need by speaking German, ask this question:

Spricht hier jemand Englisch? (shpriHt heer yey-mânt êng-lish?) (Does anybody here speak English?)

Getting Medical Attention

Open your mouth. Say ahhhhhh. Good. Now breathe deeply. Relax. Breathe deeply again. Great! Now you, dear reader, should be relaxed enough to learn how to explain what ails you. Hopefully, you won’t need to seek medical assistance, but if you do, this section is exactly what the doctor ordered.

What kind of medical professional do you need? Where do you want to go? Here are a few words you’ll need in case you’re feeling out of sorts and need medical attention:

die Apotheke (dee ah-poh-tey-ke) (pharmacy)

der Arzt/die Ärztin (dêr ârtst/dee êrts-tin) (male/female medical doctor)

die Arztpraxis/die Zahnarztpraxis (dee ârtst-prâx-is/dee tsahn-ârtst-prax-is) (doctor’s office/dentist’s office)

der Doktor (dêr dok-tohr) (doctor — profession and form of address)

das Krankenhaus (dâs krânk-en-hous) (hospital)

die Notaufnahme (dee noht-ouf-nah-me) (emergency room)

der Zahnarzt/die Zahnärztin (dêr tsahn-ârtst/dee tsahn-êrts-tin) (male/female dentist)

If you need medical help, you can ask for a doctor or find out where the nearest doctor’s office, hospital, or pharmacy is located by saying one of the following:

Ich brauche einen Arzt. (iH brouH-e ayn-en ârtst.) (I need a doctor.)

Wo ist die nächste Arztpraxis/das nächste Krankenhaus/die nächste Apotheke? (voh ist dee naiH-ste ârtst-prâx-is/dâs naiH-ste krânk-en-hous/dee naiH-ste ah-poh-tey-ke?) (Where is the nearest doctor’s office/the nearest hospital/the nearest pharmacy?)

Describing what ails you

What’s up? Got a fever? Shooting pains down your leg? Nausea or worse? Then you’ve come to the right place. If you want to express that you aren’t feeling well and explain where it hurts, use the following sentences:

Ich fühle mich nicht wohl. (iH fuel-e miH niHt vohl.) (I’m not feeling well.)

Ich bin krank. (iH bin krânk.) (I am sick.)

Ich habe Fieber/Durchfall. (iH hah-be feeb-er/doorH-fâl.) (I have a fever/diarrhea.)

Mir tut der Fuß/Bauch/Rücken weh. (meer tooht dêr foohs/bouH/ruek-en vey.) (My foot/stomach/back hurts.)

Ich habe Schmerzen im Arm/Bauch. (iH hah-be shmêrts-en im ârm/bouH.) (I feel pain in my arm/stomach.)

Ich habe (starke) Bauchschmerzen/Kopfschmerzen/Zahnschmerzen. (iH hah-be (shtârk-e) bouH-shmêrts-en/kopf-shmêrts-en/tsahn-shmêrts-en.) (I have (a severe) stomachache/headache/toothache.)

Ich habe Halsschmerzen/Rückenschmerzen. (iH hah-be hâls-shmêrts-en/ruek-en-shmêrts-en.) (I have a sore throat/back pain.)

Telling about any special conditions

An important part of getting treatment is letting the doctor know whether you’re allergic to something or have any other medical conditions. To do so, start out by saying

Ich bin . . . . (ih bin . . . .) (I am . . . .)

Then finish the sentence with any of the following:

allergisch gegen . . . (â-lêr-gish gey-gen . . .) (allergic to . . .)

behindert (bê-hin-dêrt) (handicapped)

schwanger (shvâng-er) (pregnant)

Diabetiker (dee-ah-bey-ti-ker) (a diabetic)

Epileptiker (ey-pi-lêp-ti-ker) (an epileptic)

A few specific conditions may require that you begin with the following:

Ich habe . . . . (iH hah-be . . . .) (I have . . . .)

Then state the condition. Here are some examples:

eine Intoleranz gegen (Penizillin) (ayn-e in-tol-er-ants gey-gen [pê-ni-tsi-leen]) (an intolerance to [penicillin])

ein Herzleiden (ayn hêrts-layd-en) (a heart condition)

zu hohen/niedrigen Blutdruck (tsooh hoh-en/need-reeg-gen blooht-drook) (high/low blood pressure)

Getting an examination

After you get into the examination room, you want to make sure you understand the doctor’s questions and the instructions you need to follow to get the proper diagnosis. The doctor may ask you questions like

Was haben Sie für Beschwerden? (vâs hah-ben zee fuer be-shveyr-den?) (What symptoms do you have?)

Haben Sie Schmerzen? (hah-ben zee shmêrts-en?) (Are you in pain?)

Wo tut es weh? (voh tooht ês vey?) (Where does it hurt?)

Tut es hier weh? (tooht ês heer vey?) (Does it hurt here?)

Wie lange fühlen Sie sich schon so? (vee lâng-e fuel-en zee ziH shon zoh?) (How long have you been feeling this way?)

Sind Sie gegen irgendetwas allergisch? (zint zee gey-gen ir-gênt-êt-vâs â-lêr-gish?) (Are you allergic to anything?)

Here are some (not-so-fun) instructions you may hear from the doctor:

Bitte streifen Sie den Ärmel hoch. (bi-te shtrayf-en zee deyn êr-mel hoH.) (Please pull up your sleeve.)

Bitte machen Sie den Oberkörper frei. (bi-te mâH-en zee deyn oh-bêr-kerr-per fray.) (Please take off your shirt.)

Bitte legen Sie sich hin. (bi-te ley-gen zee ziH hin.) (Please lie down.)

Machen Sie bitte den Mund auf. (mâH-en zee bi-te deyn moont ouf.) (Please open your mouth.)

Atmen Sie bitte tief durch. (aht-men zee bi-te teef doorH.) (Please take a deep breath.)

Husten Sie bitte. (hoohs-ten zee bi-te.) (Please cough.)

Wir müssen eine Röntgenaufnahme machen. (veer mues-en ayn-e rernt-gên-ouf-nah-me mâH-en.) (We have to take an X-ray.)

Sie müssen geröntgt werden. (zee mues-en ge-rerngt vêr-den.) (You have to get an X-ray.)

Specifying parts of the body

To the question Wo tut es weh? (voh tooht ês vey?) (Where does it hurt?), you can answer any of the following:

der Arm (dêr ârm) (arm)

das Auge (dâs oug-e) (eye)

der Bauch (dêr bouH) (stomach)

das Bein (dâs bayn) (leg)

die Brust (dee broost) (chest)

der Daumen (dêr doum-en) (thumb)

der Finger (dêr fing-er) (finger)

der Fuß (dêr foohs) (foot)

der Fußknöchel (dêr foohs-knerH-el) (ankle)

der Hals (dêr hâls) (neck)

die Hand (dee hânt) (hand)

das Herz (dâs hêrts) (heart)

der Kiefer (dêr keef-er) (jaw)

das Knie (dâs knee) (knee)

der Magen (dêr mah-gen) (stomach)

der Mund (dêr moont) (mouth)

der Muskel (dêr moos-kel) (muscle)

die Nase (dee nah-ze) (nose)

das Ohr (dâs ohr) (ear)

der Rücken ( dêr ruek-en) (back)

die Schulter (dee shool-ter) (shoulder)

der Zahn (dêr tsahn) (tooth)

der Zeh (dêr tsey) (toe)

die Zunge (dee tsoong-e) (tongue)

You may also need to identify the following parts of the body:

das Gesicht (dâs ge-ziHt) (face)

das Haar (dâs hahr) (hair)

der Kopf (dêr kopf) (head)

die Lippe (dee lip-e) (lip)

Getting the diagnosis

After the doctor has gathered the information she needs, she’ll tell you what she thinks is wrong. Here are some very useful phrases that keep you from being left in the dark:

die Diagnose (dee dee-âg-noh-ze) (diagnosis)

Sie haben . . . . (zee hah-ben . . . .) (You have . . . .)

eine Erkältung (ayn-e êr-kêlt-oong) (a cold)

eine Grippe (ayn-e grip-e) (the flu)

eine Entzündung (ayn-e ênt-tsuend-oong) (an inflammation)

Blinddarmentzündung (blint-dârm-ênt-tsuend-oong) (appendicitis)

Lungenentzündung (lung-en-ênt-tsuend-oong) (pneumonia)

Mandelentzündung (mân-del-ênt-tsuend-oong) (tonsillitis)

Ihr Fußknöchel ist gebrochen/verstaucht/verrenkt. (eer foohs-knerH-êl ist ge-broH-en/fêr-shtouHt/fêr-rênkt.) (Your ankle is broken/sprained/dislocated.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Ulrich Lempert hasn’t been feeling well for a couple days and has made an appointment with his doctor, Dr. Grawen. (Track 33)

Dr. Grawen:	Guten Morgen, Herr Lempert. Was haben Sie für Beschwerden? gooht-en mor-gen, hêr lêm-pêrt. vâs hah-ben zee fuer be-shveyr-den? Good morning, Mr. Lempert. What symptoms do you have?
Ulrich:	Ich fühle mich seit ein paar Tagen nicht wohl. iH fuel-e miH zayt ayn pahr tah-gen niHt vohl. I haven’t been feeling well for a couple of days.
Dr. Grawen:	Haben Sie Schmerzen? hah-ben zee shmêrts-en? Are you in pain?
Ulrich:	Ja, ich habe starke Kopf- und Magenschmerzen. yah, iH hah-be stâr-ke kopf- oont mah-gen-shmêrts-en. Yes, I have a severe headache and stomachache.
Dr. Grawen:	Bitte setzen Sie sich hier hin und machen Sie den Oberkörper frei. bi-te zêts-en zee ziH heer hin oont mâH-en zee deyn oh-bêr-kerr-pêr fray. Please sit down here and take off your shirt.
Dr. Grawen starts examining Ulrich.
Dr. Grawen:	Machen Sie bitte den Mund auf — danke. Atmen Sie bitte tief durch. Husten Sie bitte. mâH-en zee bi-te deyn moont ouf — dân-ke. aht-mên zee bi-te teef doorH. hoohs-ten zee bi-te. Please open your mouth — thank you. Take a deep breath, please. Please cough.
Ulrich:	Und, was stimmt nicht mit mir? oont, vâs shtimt niHt mit meer? And what’s wrong with me?
Dr. Grawen:	Sie haben eine Grippe. Ich gebe Ihnen ein Rezept. Und bleiben Sie die nächsten Tage im Bett. zee hah-ben ayn-e grip-e. iH gey-be een-en ayn rê-tsêpt. oont blay-ben zee dee naiH-sten tah-ge im bêt. You have the flu. I’m giving you a prescription. And stay in bed for the next few days.

Getting treatment

After the doctor tells you what the problem is, he or she will tell you what to do about it. The doctor may ask you one final question before deciding what treatment would be best for you:

Nehmen Sie noch andere Medikamente? (ney-men zee noH ân-de-re mey-dee-kâ-mên-te?) (Are you taking any other medicine?)

The doctor may then begin with

Ich gebe Ihnen . . . . /Ich verschreibe Ihnen . . . (iH gey-be een-en . . ./iH fêr-shray-be een-en . . . .) (I’ll give you . . . ./I’ll prescribe for you . . . .)

The sentence may be finished with any of the following:

Antibiotika (ân-tee-bee-oh-ti-kâ) (antibiotics)

das Medikament/die Medikamente (pl) (dâs mey-dee-kâ-mênt/dee mey-dee-kâ-mên-te) (medicine)

ein Schmerzmittel (ayn shmêrts-mit-el) (a painkiller)

Tabletten (tâ-blêt-en) (pills)

Finally, the doctor may indicate that he wants to see you again by saying

Kommen Sie in . . . Tagen/einer Woche wieder. (kom-en zee in . . . tah-gen/ayn-er voH-e vee-der.) (Come back in . . . days/one week.)

The doctor will give you a prescription, das Rezept (dâs rê-tsêpt), that you take to a pharmacy, called die Apotheke (dee âpo-tey-ke), to be filled.

The following phrases can help you to understand the instructions for taking your medicine:

Bitte, nehmen Sie . . . Tabletten/Teelöffel . . . (bi-te ney-men zee . . . tah-blêt-en/tey-lerf-el . . .) (Please take . . . pills/teaspoons. . . .)

dreimal am Tag/täglich (dray-mahl âm tahk/taig-liH) (three times a day/daily)

alle . . . Stunden (âl-e . . . shtoon-den) (every . . . hours)

vor/nach dem Essen (fohr/naH deym ês-en) (before/after meals)

Talkin’ the Talk

After Ulrich gets his diagnosis, he takes the prescription to his neighborhood pharmacy and talks to the pharmacist.

Ulrich:	Guten Morgen. Mein Ärzt hat mir dieses Rezept gegeben. gooht-en mor-gen. Mayn ârtst hât meer deez-es rê-tsêpt ge-gey-ben. Good morning. My doctor has given me this prescription.
Apothekerin:	Einen Moment. ayn-en moh-ment. Just a moment.
The pharmacist fills Ulrich’s prescription and returns.
Apothekerin:	So, Herr Lempert. Bitte nehmen Sie dreimal am Tag zwei von diesen Tabletten. zoh, hêr lêm-pêrt. bi-te ney-men zee dray-mahl âm tahk tsavy fon deez-en tâ-blêt-en. Okay, Mr. Lempert. Please take two of these pills three times a day.
Ulrich:	Vor oder nach dem Essen? fohr oh-der nahH deym ês-en? Before or after meals?
Apothekerin:	Nach dem Essen. nahH deym ês-en. After meals.
Ulrich:	Wird gemacht. virt ge-mâHt. I’ll do that.
Apothekerin:	Gute Besserung, Herr Lempert! gooh-te bês-er-oong, hêr lêm-pêrt! Hope you feel better, Mr. Lempert!

Talking to the Police

You’ve just discovered that your hotel room has been robbed. The thieves made off with a lot, but fortunately, they left German For Dummies behind. Their loss, your gain!

Here are some helpful expressions for handling the situation:

Wo ist das nächste Polizeirevier? (voh ist dâs naiH-ste po-li-tsay-re-veer?) (Where is the closest police station?)

Ich möchte einen Diebstahl melden. (iH merH-te ayn-en deep-shtahl mêl-den.) (I would like to report a theft.)

Describing what was stolen

To describe a theft, you start out by saying

Man hat mir . . . gestohlen. (mân hât meer . . . ge-shtohl-en.) (Someone has stolen. . . .)

You can then finish the sentence by inserting any of the following:

mein Auto (mayn ou-toh) (my car)

meine Brieftasche/mein Portemonnaie (mayn-e breef-tâsh-e/mayn port- mon-ey) (my wallet)

mein Geld (mayn gêlt) (my money)

meinen Pass (mayn-en pâs) (my passport)

meine Tasche (mayn-e tâsh-e) (my bag)

If you want to express that someone has broken into your room or office, you use the verb einbrechen (ayn-brêH-en) (break into):

Man hat bei mir eingebrochen. (mân hât bay meer ayn-ge-broH-en.) (Someone has broken into [my room.])

If you’re talking about your car, however, you use a similar but slightly different verb, aufbrechen (ouf-brêH-en), which literally means to break open:

Man hat mein Auto aufgebrochen. (mân hât mayn ou-toh ouf-ge-broH-en.) (Someone has broken into my car.)

The indefinite pronoun man (mân), which means one, someone, or you (in the sense of people in general), comes in handy. Better yet, it’s easy to use because it always has the same form and spelling — man. Consider these examples:

Man hat seine Tasche gestohlen. (mân hât zayn-e tâsh-e ge-shtohl-en.) (Someone has stolen his bag.)

Was macht man jetzt? (vâs mâHt mân yêtst?) (What does one do now?)

Answering questions from the police

So you got a good look at the thug. Was he or she tall or short, thin or fat, hairy or bald? The police will want to know everything. And after you discover how to describe people, you’ll also be ready to peruse personal ads.

The police will ask

Können Sie die Person beschreiben? (kern-en zee dee pêr-zohn be-shrayb-en?) (Can you describe that person?)

Your answer to this question can begin

Die Person/Er/Sie hatte . . . (dee per-zohn/êr/zee hât-e . . .) (The person/he/she had . . .)

Then finish the sentence with any of the following. You can combine traits by saying und between any of the following terms:

blonde/schwarze/rote/graue/lange/kurze Haare (blon-de/shvârts-e/roh-te/grou-e/lâng-e/koorts-e hahr-e) (blond/black/red/gray/long/short hair)

einen Bart/einen Schnurrbart/keinen Bart (ayn-en bahrt/ayn-en shnoohr-bahrt/kayn-en bahrt) (a beard/a mustache/no beard)

eine Glatze (ayn-e glâts-e) (a bald head)

eine Brille (ayn-e bril-e) (glasses)

Alternatively, your answer may begin

Die Person/ Er/Sie war . . . . (dee pêr-zohn/êr/zee vahr . . . .) (The person/he/she was . . . .)

You can then end with any of the following:

groß/klein (grohs/klayn) (tall/short)

schlank/dick (shlânk/dik) (thin/fat)

ungefähr . . . Meter . . . groß (oon-ge-fair . . . mey-ter . . . grohs) (approximately . . . meters tall)

ungefähr . . . Jahre alt (oon-ge-fair . . . yahr-e âlt) (approximately . . . years old)

The police may also ask you the following questions:

Wann ist das passiert? (vân ist dâs pâs-eert?) (When did it happen?)

Wo waren Sie in dem Moment? (voh vahr-en zee in deym moh-mênt?) (Where were you at that moment?)

Getting legal help

Had enough for the day? If you’re really not up to conversing with the law on your own, here are two very important phrases that you should know:

Ich brauche einen Anwalt. (iH brouH-e ayn-en ân-vâlt.) (I need a lawyer.)

Ich möchte das Konsulat anrufen. (iH merH-te dâs kon-zoo-laht ân-roohf-en) (I would like to call the consulate.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Erika Berger has to drop off some documents at one of her client’s offices. When she returns to her car half an hour later, she sees that somebody has broken into it and stolen her bag. Luckily, the nearest police station is right around the corner.

Erika:	Guten Tag. Ich möchte einen Diebstahl melden. Man hat mein Auto aufgebrochen und meine Tasche gestohlen. gooht-en tahk. iH merH-te ayn-en deep-shtahl mêl-den. mân hât mayn ou-toh ouf-ge-broH-en oont mayn-e tâsh-e ge-shtohl-en. Hello. I would like to report a theft. Someone has broken into my car and stolen my bag.
Polizist:	Moment mal. Wie ist ihr Name? moh-mênt mâl. vee ist eer nah-me? One moment. What is your name?
Erika:	Erika Berger. êr-i-kâ bêr-ger. Erika Berger.
Polizist:	Wann ist das passiert? vân ist dâs pâs-eert? When did it happen?
Erika:	Zwischen elf und halb zwölf. tsvish-en êlf oont hâlp tsverlf. Between 11:00 and 11:30.
Polizist:	Und wo? oont voh? And where?
Erika:	Gleich um die Ecke, in der Rothmundstraße. glayH um dee êk-e, în dêr roht-moont shtrah-se. Right around the corner, on Rothmundstraße.
Polizist:	Was war in Ihrer Tasche? vâs vahr in eer-er tâsh-e? What was in your bag?
Erika:	Meine Brieftasche mit ungefähr fünfzig Euro, meine Kreditkarten und mein Führerschein! mayn-e breef-tâsh-e mit oon-ge-fair fuenf-tsiH oy-roh, mayn-e krê-deet-kârt-en oont mayn fuer-er-shayn! My wallet with approximately 50 euros in it, my credit cards, and my driver’s license!
Polizist:	Nun, ich habe noch einige Fragen. Wir erstatten dann Anzeige. noon, iH hah-be noH ayn-ee-ge frah-gen. veer êr-shtât-en dân ân-tsayg-e. Now I have some more questions. Then we’ll file a report.

Fun & Games

Your friend Markus is a daredevil snowboarder, and as fate would have it, you’re the first person to find him after he has crashed into a tree. He seems okay, but just to make sure, you ask him about each body part. To make sure you know the German words for the body parts, write them on the corresponding lines.

1. chest________________

2. shoulder_____________

3. eye_________________

4. head________________

5. nose________________

6. mouth_______________

7. neck________________

8. arm_________________

9. hand________________

10. stomach____________

11. leg_________________

12. foot________________

13. ankle_______________

14. knee_______________