Dutch · A2 (Elementary)
Emergencies in Dutch: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Dutch words for emergencies are het ongeluk (the accident), stelen (to steal) and gewond (injured). The full Dutch emergencies phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Dutch vocabulary for emergencies, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Dutch to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key emergencies vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het ongeluk | the accident |
| stelen | to steal |
| gewond | injured |
| de ambulance | the ambulance |
| de brandweer | the fire brigade |
| verzekerd | insured |
| de getuige | the witness |
| de aangifte | the police report |
| het politiebureau | the police station |
| de verzekering | the insurance |
Example sentences
Er is een ongeluk op de snelweg.
There is an accident on the motorway.
Mijn portemonnee is gestolen.
My wallet has been stolen.
Er zijn gewonden.
There are injured people.
Bel een ambulance!
Call an ambulance!
Ik moet aangifte doen.
I have to file a police report.
Ik ga naar het politiebureau.
I am going to the police station.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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