Vietnamese · A2 (Elementary)
Emergencies in Vietnamese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Vietnamese words for emergencies are tai nạn (accident), ăn cắp (to steal) and bị thương (injured). The full Vietnamese emergencies phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Vietnamese 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 Vietnamese to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key emergencies vocabulary
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| tai nạn | accident |
| ăn cắp | to steal |
| bị thương | injured |
| xe cứu thương | ambulance |
| lính cứu hỏa | fire brigade |
| được bảo hiểm | insured |
| nhân chứng | witness |
| báo cáo cảnh sát | police report |
| đồn cảnh sát | police station |
| bảo hiểm | insurance |
Example sentences
Có tai nạn trên đường cao tốc.
There is an accident on the highway.
Ví của tôi bị mất cắp.
My wallet was stolen.
Có người bị thương.
There are injured people.
Gọi xe cứu thương!
Call an ambulance!
Tôi cần làm báo cáo cảnh sát.
I need to make a police report.
Tôi đến đồn cảnh sát.
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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