This is one of the most important lessons in the entire course — knowing how to respond in an emergency could one day be essential. You'll learn the French emergency services vocabulary, key phrases for calling for help, and the imperative (command) form of verbs. The imperative is the grammar structure behind every urgent instruction: 'appelez le 15!', 'ne bougez pas!', 'aidez-moi!'. Camille and Lucas find themselves near a man who has fallen in the street near the Châtelet — let's see how they handle it.
Learning tips
- France's emergency number for medical help is 15 (le SAMU). For police it's 17, for fire brigade it's 18, and 112 is the general European emergency number. Memorise 15 for medical emergencies.
- The imperative has two key forms: 'tu' form (informal, to one person you know) and 'vous' form (formal/plural). For -er verbs, the 'tu' imperative drops the final 's': 'appelle' (not 'appelles'), 'aide' (not 'aides').
- The negative imperative wraps 'ne...pas' around the verb: 'ne bouge pas !' (don't move!), 'n'appelez pas le mauvais numéro !' (don't call the wrong number!).
- In an emergency, speak clearly and give your location first: 'J'ai besoin d'aide — un homme est blessé rue de Rivoli !' Street name + location is critical for emergency services.
- The phrase 'j'ai besoin d'aide' (I need help) is invaluable. Practise it until it comes automatically.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| l'officine | the pharmacy (dispensing area) |
| le pharmacien | the pharmacist |
| le comprimé | the tablet / pill |
| le sirop | the syrup |
| la pommade | the ointment / cream |
| le rhume | the cold (illness) |
| avaler | to swallow |
| appliquer | to apply |
| fois | time(s) (occurrence) |
| par jour | per day / a day |
Dialog
Camille and Lucas are near the Châtelet metro station when a man suddenly falls. They spring into action — Camille calls an ambulance (le 15), Lucas keeps the man calm and still. The dialog is fast-paced and urgent, demonstrating imperative commands, emergency vocabulary, and the phrase 'j'ai besoin d'aide' in a realistic scenario.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| l' l'hôpital | /lo.pi.tal/ | the hospital | Masculine noun with vowel start: 'à l'hôpital'. Note the circumflex on 'ô' — the historical 's' is gone but the vowel is slightly longer. |
| l' l'urgence | /lyʁ.ʒɑ̃s/ | the emergency | Feminine noun. 'Les urgences' (plural) refers to the A&E department: 'aller aux urgences' = 'to go to A&E / the ER'. 'C'est une urgence' = 'It's an emergency'. |
| appeler | /a.pə.le/ | to call | Regular -er verb. 'Appeler le 15' = 'to call 15 (the SAMU)'. Note: 'appeler' doubles the 'l' before mute endings: 'j'appelle', 'tu appelles'. |
| aider | /e.de/ | to help | Regular -er verb. 'Aidez-moi !' = 'Help me!' (imperative). 'Pouvez-vous aider ?' = 'Can you help?' |
| le pompier | /lə pɔ̃.pje/ | the firefighter | Masculine noun. French firefighters ('les pompiers') respond to medical emergencies as well as fires. They work alongside the SAMU. |
| l' l'ambulance | /lɑ̃.by.lɑ̃s/ | the ambulance | Feminine noun. Direct cognate. 'Appeler une ambulance' = 'to call an ambulance'. |
| vite | /vit/ | quickly / fast | Adverb. One of the most useful words in an emergency. 'Vite, vite !' = 'Quick, quick!' Used at the start or end of commands for urgency. |
| attention | /a.tɑ̃.sjɔ̃/ | careful! / watch out! / attention! | Exclamation/noun. 'Attention !' is a universal French warning. Also used as 'faire attention' = 'to be careful'. |
| danger | /dɑ̃.ʒe/ | danger | Masculine noun. 'Il y a du danger' = 'there is danger'. Also used as an adjective in signs: 'danger de mort' (lethal hazard). |
| blessé | /blɛ.se/ | injured / hurt (adjective) | Adjective/past participle. 'Il est blessé' = 'he is injured'. Feminine: 'blessée'. Also used as a noun: 'un blessé' = an injured person. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| le SAMU | /lə sa.my/ | ||
| les secours | /le sə.kuʁ/ | ||
| le sang | /lə sɑ̃/ | ||
| la fracture | /la fʁak.tyʁ/ | ||
| conscient | /kɔ̃.sjɑ̃/ | ||
| respirer | /ʁɛs.pi.ʁe/ |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| appelez le 15 ! | call 15! (dial the SAMU emergency number) |
| j'ai besoin d'aide | I need help |
| ne bougez pas ! | don't move! |
Grammar: Imperative for urgent situations — positive imperative and negative imperative (ne … pas)
| Impératif positif | Impératif négatif | Exemple d'urgence |
|---|---|---|
| Appelle ! (tu) | N'appelle pas ! | Appelle le 15 ! |
| Appelez ! (vous) | N'appelez pas ! | Appelez le SAMU ! |
| Aide ! (tu) | N'aide pas ! | Aide cet homme ! |
| Aidez ! (vous) | N'aidez pas ! | Aidez-moi, vite ! |
| Bouge ! (tu) | Ne bouge pas ! | Ne bouge pas, tu es blessé ! |
| Touchez ! (vous) | Ne touchez pas ! | Ne touchez pas la fracture ! |
The imperative is the verb form used for commands, instructions, and requests. In French, the most commonly used imperative forms are 'tu' (informal singular) and 'vous' (formal or plural). To form the 'vous' imperative of regular -er verbs, simply use the present tense 'vous' form without the pronoun: 'vous appelez' → 'Appelez !'. For the 'tu' imperative of -er verbs, use the present tense 'tu' form but drop the final 's': 'tu appelles' → 'Appelle !' (not 'Appelles'). For -ir and -re verbs, the 'tu' form keeps its 's': 'tu viens' → 'Viens !'. The negative imperative wraps 'ne...pas' around the verb: 'N'appelez pas !' (Don't call!), 'Ne bouge pas !' (Don't move!). In emergencies, the 'vous' form is used with strangers — it is both polite and inclusive of a crowd. The 'tu' form is used with people you know, or with someone you need to keep calm by speaking directly and firmly. The grammar table shows both positive and negative forms side by side with emergency examples.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Choose the correct word from the brackets to complete each emergency sentence.
- ! Il y a un accident là-bas ! (vite/lentement)(how do you tell someone to hurry?)
- J'appelle une pour transporter le blessé. (ambulance/ordonnance)(what vehicle transports injured people?)
- Il y a du — ne traversez pas la rue ! (danger/dosage)(what is there when you should not cross?)
- Les arrivent avec leur camion rouge. (pompiers/pharmaciens)(who arrives in a red truck?)
- L'homme est — il a besoin d'aide immédiatement. (blessé/conscient)(what do you call someone who has been hurt?)
Grammar Application
Form the correct imperative as indicated — positive or negative, 'tu' or 'vous' form.
- Mettez à l'impératif (vous) : appeler le 15 → (vous form of 'appeler' — remember to drop the subject pronoun)
- Mettez à l'impératif négatif (tu) : bouger → (tu negative imperative of 'bouger' — ne...pas around verb)
- Mettez à l'impératif (vous) : aider cet homme → (vous imperative of 'aider' + object)
- Mettez à l'impératif négatif (vous) : toucher la blessure → (vous negative imperative of 'toucher')
- Mettez à l'impératif (tu) : venir vite → (tu imperative of 'venir' — irregular: use 'viens')
Translate into French
Translate each emergency phrase into French using the vocabulary and imperative structures from this lesson.
- Call an ambulance, quickly!
- The hospital is far from here.
- There is danger — watch out!
- The firefighter helps the injured person.
- It's an emergency, call 15!
Build Your Own Sentence
Write 2–3 French sentences describing an emergency situation. Use at least one imperative command (positive or negative) and at least two vocabulary items from this lesson.
Takeaway
The imperative drops the subject pronoun and (for -er verbs in the 'tu' form) also drops the final 's': 'Appelle !' (tu) / 'Appelez !' (vous). Wrap 'ne...pas' around the verb for the negative: 'Ne bouge pas !'