Help and emergencies in Marathi
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Marathi 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 Marathi phrases in this lesson
- मदत करा!ma-DAT ka-RAA
- Help!
- डॉक्टरला बोलवाDOK-tar-laa BOL-vaa
- Call a doctor
- पोलीसpo-LEES
- Police
- औषधाचे दुकानow-SHA-dhaa-che du-KAAN
- Pharmacy
- रुग्णालयrug-NAA-lay
- Hospital
- मी हरवलो आहेMEE ha-ra-VLO AA-he
- I'm lost
- मला बरे वाटत नाहीma-LAA ba-RE VAAT-at NAA-hee
- I don't feel well
- ते चोरले गेलेTE chor-LE GE-le
- It was stolen
- ही इमर्जन्सी आहेHEE i-MAR-jan-see AA-he
- It's an emergency
- मला एकटं सोडाma-LAA EK-tan SO-daa
- Leave me alone
Shout this clearly in any emergency. Maharashtrians are generally quick to assist someone in genuine distress. Mumbai crowds can mobilize fast when someone calls for help.
Say this urgently if someone needs medical attention. Mumbai has excellent private hospitals and a 108 ambulance service. Pointing to a phone while saying this reinforces the message.
The Mumbai Police emergency number is 100. Saying "polis bulva" (call the police) is understood instantly. Police stations are called "polis thana" in Marathi.
Literally "medicine shop." Pharmacies in Maharashtra are very accessible and pharmacists often give basic medical advice. Many are open late in urban areas.
The formal word. In speech, people commonly say "hospital" in English and everyone understands. Mumbai's public hospitals include KEM, JJ, and Sion Hospital.
Masculine form. Women say "mi haravle aahe." In Mumbai, showing your phone with a map is often more effective than words, but this phrase will prompt people to help.
Clear and universally understood. Shop owners and bystanders will typically help you find a place to sit and water to drink. Hospitality toward the unwell is strong in Maharashtra.
Report theft to the nearest police station (polis thana) for an FIR (First Information Report), which you will need for insurance claims. Keep a copy of your passport separate from the original.
The emergency number in India is 112.
Literally "leave me alone".