Emergency

1. സഹായിക്കൂ!

   Sahāyikkū!

   Help!

   Usage

   Calling for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Sahayikku" is the polite imperative of "sahayikkuka" (to help). "Sahayam" (help) from Sanskrit "sahaya".

2. ഡോക്ടറെ വിളിക്കൂ

   Ḍōkṭare viḷikkū

   Call a doctor

   Usage

   Requesting someone to call a doctor

   Grammar Note

   "Doktare" - "doktar" (doctor, from English) + accusative case marker "-e". Malayalam marks direct objects with accusative case.

3. പോലീസ് സ്റ്റേഷൻ എവിടെ?

   Pōlīs sṭēṣan eviṭe?

   Where is the police station?

   Usage

   Asking for the nearest police station

   Grammar Note

   "Evide" (where) is a locative question word. Compare: "ivide" (here), "avide" (there), "evide" (where) - locative system. Emergency numbers in Kerala: unified 112, police 100, ambulance 108 (102 is the maternal/child transport line), fire 101.

4. എനിക്ക് സുഖമില്ല

   Enikku sukhamilla

   I am not well / I feel sick

   Usage

   Saying you feel unwell

   Grammar Note

   "Illa" is the existential negative "is not/there is not". "Sukham" (wellbeing) + "illa" (not) = "not well".

5. ആശുപത്രി എവിടെ?

   Āśupattri eviṭe?

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Asking for the nearest hospital

   Grammar Note

   "Āśupattri" is the usual word for hospital; "eviṭe" (where) is the question word and comes at the end of the sentence.

6. എനിക്ക് ഡോക്ടറെ കാണണം

   Enikku ḍōkṭare kāṇaṇam

   I need to see a doctor

   Usage

   Expressing urgent need to see a doctor

   Grammar Note

   Dative subject "enikku" + obligation "anam" = "I must/need to". Major hospitals in Kerala include KIMS (Thiruvananthapuram) and Amrita (Kochi).

7. എന്റെ പാസ്പോർട്ട് നഷ്ടമായി

   Ente pāspōrṭṭu naṣṭamāyi

   I lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport

   Grammar Note

   "Naṣṭam" from Sanskrit "naṣṭa" (lost/destroyed). "-āyi" is the past "became" suffix. For lost passport, go to the nearest police station for a First Information Report (FIR).

8. ഒരു അപകടം ഉണ്ടായി

   Oru apakaṭam uṇṭāyi

   There has been an accident

   Usage

   Reporting an accident or emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Uṇṭāyi" is the past form of "uṇṭ" (there is) = "there was/occurred". "Apakaṭam" means accident or danger.

9. എനിക്ക് അലർജി ഉണ്ട്

   Enikku alarji uṇṭ

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Informing medical staff or servers about an allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Enikku ... uṇṭ" = "to me, ... exists" (dative subject + uṇṭ), the usual way to say you have something. Do not use "ñān ... āṇ". For a specific allergy, add the substance in the dative: "enikku kaṭalvibhavaṅṅaḷkku alarji uṇṭ" (I'm allergic to seafood).

10. മതി, നിർത്തൂ

    mathi, nirthoo

    Enough — stop it

    Usage

    Show this to shut down persistent touts, overcharging, or someone following you — it is blunt on purpose

11. എന്നെ തൊടരുത്

    enne thodaruthu

    Do not touch me

    Usage

    For refusing physical contact in a crowd or on public transport — the point is that you can hold it up without saying a word

12. എന്റെ സാധനങ്ങൾ കളവുപോയി

    ente saadhanangal kalavupoyi

    My things were stolen

    Usage

    Report a theft to police or hotel reception; this is the spoken form used in Kerala, the written one being മോഷ്ടിക്കപ്പെട്ടു

13. തീപിടുത്തം

    theepiduththam

    Fire (blaze)

    Usage

    തീ (fire) plus പിടുത്തം (catching), naming a blaze in a building or vehicle; അഗ്നിബാധ is a synonym

14. കള്ളൻ

    kallan

    Thief

    Usage

    Names the person who steals; മോഷ്ടാവ് is a synonym. Pair it with "my things were stolen"

15. കൊള്ള

    kolla

    Robbery

    Usage

    Taking by force; കവർച്ച is a synonym. The same spelling also carries senses of "excess" and "cholera", so make the crime context clear

16. പിടിച്ചുപറി

    pidichupari

    Snatching

    Usage

    Grabbing something and making off with it; listed alongside മോഷണം (theft) and തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോകൽ (kidnapping) as a category of crime

17. പോക്കറ്റടി

    pokkattadi

    Pickpocketing

    Usage

    Lifting things out of a pocket - used to report thefts on crowded buses or in markets

18. തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോകൽ

    thattikkondupokal

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Carrying a person off; show it when reporting to the police

19. കൊലപാതകം

    kolapaathakam

    Murder

    Usage

    കൊല (killing) plus പാതകം (grave offence); വധം and നരഹത്യ are synonyms

20. കലാപം

    kalaapam

    Riot

    Usage

    Uproar or uprising; it also has a "quarrel" sense, but the modern use is of collective disturbance

21. ബോംബ്

    bombu

    Bomb

    Usage

    A loan from English "bomb"; show it to report a suspicious object to the police or station staff

22. തീപിടുത്തം! ഓടൂ!

    theepiduththam! odoo!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Warns of a fire and tells people to get out; theepiduththam (fire) with an order to flee added

    Grammar Note

    The imperative of odukka (to run); the final -oo is the same imperative ending as in sahayikkoo and nirthoo.

23. കള്ളൻ! പിടിക്കൂ!

    kallan! pidikkoo!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shouted at bystanders while pointing at someone running off; kallan (thief) followed by "catch him"

    Grammar Note

    The imperative of pidikkuka (to hold, to catch); the same form appears in kai uyarttippidikkoo.

24. ഫയർ ഫോഴ്സ് വിളിക്കൂ!

    phayar phozhsu vilikkoo!

    Please call the fire brigade

    Usage

    Asks someone to call the fire service, known in Kerala as the fire force; ഫയർ സ്റ്റേഷൻ names the fire station itself

    Grammar Note

    The same frame as doktare vilikkoo (call a doctor) and ski patrol vilikkoo!. The card names the organisation ("phayar phozhsu") rather than a vehicle; "phayar" is the same English loan as in ഫയർ സ്റ്റേഷൻ (fire station).

25. ആരെങ്കിലും ജാപ്പനീസ് സംസാരിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ?

    aarenkilum jaappanese samsaarikkunnundo?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Shown at a police station or hospital when looking for someone who can interpret; there is also a version for finding an English-speaking doctor

    Grammar Note

    oru doktor ingliish samsaarikkunnundo? (is there a doctor who speaks English) with the subject replaced by aarenkilum (anyone) and the object by jaappanese.

26. ഈ ആൾക്ക് ബോധമില്ല

    ee aalkku bodhamilla

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Shown to bystanders or paramedics while pointing at a collapsed person

    Grammar Note

    The same "dative + noun + illa (there is no ...)" frame as enikku sukhamilla, with the subject replaced by ee aal (this person).

27. ഒരാൾ വെള്ളത്തിൽ മുങ്ങുന്നു!

    oraal vellathil mungunnu!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Alerts bystanders to someone drowning in a river, pond or the sea; show it while pointing at the water

    Grammar Note

    The present ending -unnu is the same as in chardil varunnu; the locative -il attaches to the same stem seen in വെള്ളത്തിനടിയിൽ (underwater).

28. എന്നെ അടിച്ചു

    enne adichu

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Shown to the police or at a hospital to report having been assaulted

    Grammar Note

    The accusative enne (me) is the same form as in enne thodaruthu; Malayalam can drop the subject, so the sentence reports the harm without naming who did it.

29. എന്നെ കത്തികൊണ്ട് കുത്തി

    enne katthikondu kutthi

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Reports having been stabbed with a blade; pair it with rakthasraavam (bleeding) if there is blood

    Grammar Note

    Kondu marks the instrument; it is the same stem seen in kondu-varoo (bring).

30. എന്റെ മുറിയിൽ നിന്ന് സാധനങ്ങൾ കളവുപോയി

    ente muriyil ninnu saadhanangal kalavupoyi

    Things were stolen from my room

    Usage

    Tells a hotel or the police that things were taken from your room while you were out

    Grammar Note

    ente saadhanangal kalavupoyi with muri (room) added in the ablative -yil ninnu (from).

31. ആ ആൾ കുറ്റവാളി ആണ്

    aa aal kuttavaali aanu

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Shown to the police while pointing at the offender; use it only when the person is in sight

    Grammar Note

    The copula aanu is written as a separate word, as in njaan traansitt aanu and njan jaappanese aan.

32. എന്നെ ചതിച്ചു

    enne chathichu

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Shown to report a scam or having been overcharged

    Grammar Note

    A subject-less past tense; chathichu is the past of chathikkuka (to cheat).

33. എന്റെ പേഴ്സ് കളവുപോയി

    ente pezhsu kalavupoyi

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Shown to the police or bystanders when a wallet has been taken; "my things were stolen" covers your belongings in general

    Grammar Note

    ente saadhanangal kalavupoyi with the object replaced by pezhsu (wallet).

34. ഞാൻ എന്റെ സാധനങ്ങൾ മറന്നുപോയി

    njaan ente saadhanangal marannupoyi

    I left my things behind

    Usage

    Says you left your things behind in a shop, a vehicle or your lodging - not a theft, so keep it separate from "my things were stolen"

    Grammar Note

    Marakkuka (to forget) with the completive auxiliary poyi, the same auxiliary as in kalavupoyi and teernnu poyi.

35. എന്നെ ഒരു കാർ ഇടിച്ചു

    enne oru kaar idichu

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Reports a collision with a car; pair it with odivu (fracture) or similar if you are injured

    Grammar Note

    Idikkuka is the verb used for vehicle collisions. Kaar has a homograph meaning "black", but in the frame oru kaar idichu only the "car" reading is possible.

36. ശ്രദ്ധിക്കൂ!

    shraddhikkoo!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    A one-word warning of immediate danger; apakatam would be read as "accident", so this attention-calling word is used instead

    Grammar Note

    The imperative of the verb formed from shraddha (attention), the same stem as in shraddhayode (carefully).

37. ദയവായി വേഗം!

    dayavaayi vegam!

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Shown to ask paramedics or the police to come quickly, or to ask a driver to hurry

    Grammar Note

    Dayavaayi is the same polite adverb used in dayavaayi vyaktamaayi samsaarikkoo (please speak clearly).

38. ഉടനെ വരൂ!

    udane varoo!

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Shown on the phone or face to face to ask someone to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    Varoo is the imperative of varuka (to come), the same form that appears in bil kondu-varoo.

39. ഇത് അടിയന്തരമാണ്

    ithu adiyantharamaanu

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Shown to ask to be dealt with without waiting in line - at a hospital reception or a police station

    Grammar Note

    Adiyanthara is the same word as in adiyantira signal; ithu is the same demonstrative as in itu atipoli!.

40. എന്നെ ആശുപത്രിയിൽ കൊണ്ടുപോകൂ

    enne aashupathriyil kondupokoo

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Shown to a taxi driver or a bystander to be taken to a hospital; a separate phrase just asks where one is

    Grammar Note

    Kondu-pokuka (to take away) is the counterpart of kondu-varuka (to bring); they share the kondu element.

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