Help and emergencies in Hungarian
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Hungarian 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 Hungarian phrases in this lesson
- Segítség!SHEH-geet-shayg
- Help!
- Hívjon orvost!HEEV-yon OR-vosht
- Call a doctor
- RendőrségREND-ur-shayg
- Police
- GyógyszertárDYODJ-ser-tahr
- Pharmacy
- KórházKOHR-hahz
- Hospital
- Eltévedtemel-TAY-ved-tem
- I'm lost
- Rosszul vagyokROS-sool VOD-yok
- I don't feel well
- ElloptákEL-lop-tahk
- It was stolen
- Vészhelyzet vanVAYS-hey-zet von
- It's an emergency
- Hagyjon békénHODJ-yon BAY-kayn
- Leave me alone
The emergency call for help. Shout it clearly. Hungarians are quick to respond to someone in visible distress; in any city or town, people will react. The general emergency number is 112, which covers police, ambulance, and fire.
The imperative "call a doctor". The ambulance number is 104 (or 112). Hungarian emergency healthcare is competent and free for EU citizens with a European Health Insurance Card. Private clinics in Budapest have English-speaking doctors and faster appointment times.
Police number: 107 (or 112). Budapest has tourist police in the main districts who speak English. Carrying a copy of your passport details is wise; police may ask for identification. Hungary is generally safe for visitors in tourist areas.
Look for the green cross. Hungarian pharmacists are highly trained and will advise on minor issues without a prescription. Night-duty pharmacies (ügyeletes gyógyszertár) are listed in the windows of closed pharmacies. Budapest has 24-hour pharmacies in central locations.
State hospitals (állami kórház) are free for EU citizens with EHIC. Private hospitals in Budapest (such as CityDoc or FirstMed) have English-speaking staff and significantly shorter waiting times. For non-emergency issues, private clinics are recommended for visitors.
Literally "I got lost". Show your phone with a map and say "Hol vagyunk?" (where are we?). Hungarians are genuinely helpful to lost visitors; pointing and drawing on your map are universal. Google Maps works excellently in Hungary, including in rural areas.
Literally "I am badly". At a pharmacy, pointing to where it hurts and saying "itt fáj" (it hurts here) is understood. "Hányingerem van" (I feel nauseous) and "láz van" (I have a fever) cover the most common travel ailments.
Pickpocketing occurs on crowded trams and at tourist sites in Budapest; the number 2 tram and the M3 metro line are common spots. Report to police for insurance documentation. The tourist police station near Vörösmarty tér handles visitor incidents efficiently.
The emergency number is 112.
Literally "leave me in peace".