Help and emergencies in Bulgarian
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Bulgarian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Bulgarian phrases in this lesson
- Помощ!PO-mosht
- Help!
- Извикайте лекарiz-VEE-kay-teh LEH-kar
- Call a doctor
- Полицияpo-LEE-tsi-ya
- Police
- Аптекаap-TEH-ka
- Pharmacy
- БолницаBOL-ni-tsa
- Hospital
- Изгубих сеiz-GOO-bih seh
- I'm lost
- Не се чувствам добреneh seh CHOOST-vam do-BREH
- I don't feel well
- Откраднаха гоot-KRAD-na-ha go
- It was stolen
- Спешно еSPESH-no eh
- It's an emergency
- Оставете ме на мираos-ta-VEH-teh meh na MEE-ra
- Leave me alone
The shout. For a calmer request, "можете ли да ми помогнете?" (can you help me?), or simply approach someone with извинете and your problem in gestures.
The European emergency number 112 works in Bulgaria and operators handle English. Лекар is a doctor, линейка (li-NEY-ka) is an ambulance.
Recognizable in speech and on cars. For minor issues in tourist areas, hotels and restaurant staff are usually the fastest helpers.
Marked with a green cross, plentiful in every town. Pharmacists are used to gesture-based consultations and many speak some English.
Спешна помощ (SPESH-na PO-mosht) means emergency care and marks the emergency room entrance.
Follow it with the name of your hotel or a map on your phone. Bulgarians will often walk you part of the way rather than just point.
Useful at a pharmacy counter. Point at what hurts and add "боли" (bo-LEE), it hurts. "Боли ме тук", it hurts me here, plus pointing is a complete medical history.
Combine with the previous pattern: "телефонът ми, откраднаха го", my phone, it was stolen. Enough for any police report to begin. Petty theft is rare but exists in crowded areas.
Literally "it is urgent".
Literally "leave me in peace".