Les Urgences — French emergency vocabulary | French Vocabulary Chart
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French emergency vocabulary. Nobody plans to need this vocabulary, which is exactly why it’s worth learning before you do. From calling le SAMU to finding les urgences, these are the words that matter most when every second counts. Use it to build the French words you need, then test yourself with the games below.
Les Urgences
French emergency vocabulary
Les essentiels ⭐
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Les phrases 💬
🎬 The 20-second version
5 quick questions on « Les Urgences » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
📘 Good to know
- One number to rule them all: 112 works EU-wide. In France, 15 is medical, 17 police, 18 fire — all four will get you help.
- Les urgences (A&E) is always plural: you go aux urgences. Singular une urgence just means ‘an emergency’.
- Blessé is a false friend — it means injured, not blessed. Mon ami est blessé is a call for help, not a spiritual update.
- Describe pain with j’ai mal à + body part: j’ai mal à la tête, au ventre. French says ‘I have pain at’, not ‘it hurts’.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
A&E (emergency department) = le ___ (fill the blank)
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s urgences
help; the rescue services = le ___ (fill the blank)
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s secours
an ambulance = un ___ (fill the blank)
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e ambulance
🎮 Practise this with games
🎯 More practice — vocabulary recall — both directions
How do you say « A&E (emergency department) »? (recall)
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les urgences
What does « les secours » mean? (recall)
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help; the rescue services
How do you say « an ambulance »? (recall)
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une ambulance
What does « le SAMU » mean? (recall)
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ambulance service (dial 15)
How do you say « the fire brigade (dial 18) »? (recall)
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les pompiers
What does « la police » mean? (recall)
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the police (dial 17)
How do you say « an accident »? (recall)
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un accident
What does « un blessé » mean? (recall)
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an injured person
Go further: Le Corps & la Santé — body and health.
French emergency vocabulary vocabulary — FAQ
How do you say common French emergency vocabulary words in French?
For example: A&E (emergency department) is « les urgences », help; the rescue services is « les secours », an ambulance is « une ambulance ». The full list above has 12 essential words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.
What are the most useful French emergency vocabulary words to learn first?
Start with the basics: les urgences (A&E (emergency department)), les secours (help; the rescue services), une ambulance (an ambulance), le SAMU (ambulance service (dial 15)), les pompiers (the fire brigade (dial 18)). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.
How can I memorise French emergency vocabulary vocabulary?
Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.
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