Emergency

1. Vonjeo!

   Von-jeo!

   Help!

   Usage

   Shout loudly when needing urgent help

   Grammar Note

   Imperative of "vonjy" (rescue/save). "Au secours!" (French for Help!) is also widely understood.

2. Antsoy ny polisy

   An-tsoy ny po-li-sy

   Call the police (117)

   Usage

   Asking someone to call police in case of crime or accident

   Grammar Note

   Emergency numbers in Madagascar: police 117 (mobile) or 17 (landline), fire 118 (mobile phones only), gendarmerie 119. "Polisy" borrowed from French "police." 116 is not the fire number.

3. Mila dokotera aho

   Mi-la do-ko-te-ra a-ho

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Seeking medical assistance when sick or injured

   Grammar Note

   "Dokotera" borrowed from French "docteur." VOS: "need (V) doctor (O) I (S)." Medical infrastructure concentrates in cities.

4. Afo! Afo!

   A-fo! A-fo!

   Fire! Fire!

   Usage

   Shouting to alert others of a fire emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Afo" = fire. Repetition emphasizes urgency. The fire brigade (pompiers) is 118, reachable from mobile phones only.

5. Nisy loza

   Ni-sy lo-za

   There has been an accident

   Usage

   Reporting an accident to authorities

   Grammar Note

   "loza" means danger/accident/misfortune. "Nisy" is the past tense of the existential verb "Misy" (there is/are).

6. Very lalana aho

   Ve-ry la-la-na a-ho

   I'm lost

   Usage

   When you are lost and need directions

   Grammar Note

   "Very" is a stative verb meaning "lost/gone." In VOS order: "is lost (V) I (S)."

7. Antsoy ny ambulance

   An-tsoy ny am-bu-lance

   Call an ambulance

   Usage

   When emergency medical transport is needed

   Grammar Note

   "ambulance" is borrowed from French. To call an ambulance, dial 117 from a mobile or 17 from a landline. Ambulance coverage is effectively limited to Antananarivo and other cities.

8. Nisy nangalatra ny entako

   Ni-sy nan-ga-la-tra ny en-ta-ko

   I've been robbed

   Usage

   Reporting a theft to the police

   Grammar Note

   "Nisy" + a past-tense verb expresses "someone did ..." with an unspecified agent. The past of mangalatra (to steal) is nangalatra; for a violent robbery the verb is mandroba (to plunder). Take care in Malagasy cities where tourist theft can occur.

9. Misy hopitaly akaiky ve?

   Mi-sy ho-pi-ta-ly a-kai-ky ve?

   Is there a hospital nearby?

   Usage

   Urgently locating the nearest medical facility

   Grammar Note

   "Hopitaly" from French "hôpital." Opposite of "akaiky" (near) is "lavitra" (far).

10. Manana alerjia amin'ny ... aho

    Ma-na-na a-ler-ji-a a-min'ny ... a-ho

    I'm allergic to...

    Usage

    Communicating an allergy. Replace "..." with the allergen

    Grammar Note

    "Manana" means "to have", "alerjia" is "allergy", and the allergen (a food or substance) goes where "amin'ny ..." leaves a blank. Make sure medical staff have understood.

11. Antsoy ny masoivohoko azafady

    An-tsoy ny ma-soi-vo-ho-ko a-za-fa-dy

    Contact my consulate

    Usage

    For lost passport or serious emergencies requiring consular assistance

    Grammar Note

    Masoivoho means "(a country's) representative, envoy" and covers both the embassy/consulate staff and the mission itself; with the possessive suffix -ko it becomes masoivohoko, "my country's mission". Antsoy is the passive imperative of miantso (to call), i.e. "call it". Antananarivo hosts many countries' missions.

12. Atsaharo!

    Stop it

    Usage

    Show it firmly without raising your voice, against persistent touts or a threat

13. Aza mikasika ahy!

    Do not touch me

    Usage

    Show it silently when someone touches you

14. Nangalarina ny entako

    It was stolen

    Usage

    Point at it when reporting a theft to the police

15. Mpangalatra

    Thief

    Usage

    The word for someone who steals; use it to call for help or to report what happened

16. Fandrobana

    Looting

    Usage

    Point to this to report looting by a crowd; the same word also covers property taken from an individual by force or violence

17. Fakana an-keriny

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Point to this to report an abduction; it literally means "taking by force"

18. Famonoana olona

    Murder

    Usage

    Point to this to report a killing; without "olona" (person) the word can also mean putting out a fire

19. Rotaka

    Riot

    Usage

    Point to this for a riot in which a crowd takes to the street and damages things; the same word also has an unrelated sense meaning "bloating of the belly"

20. Baomba

    Bomb

    Usage

    Point to this to report a suspicious object or an explosive device

21. Afo! Mandosira!

    A-fo! Man-do-si-ra!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Shout this to raise the alarm and tell people to run; it goes further than the plain shout "Afo! Afo!"

    Grammar Note

    The fire alarm "Afo!" followed by "mandosira", the imperative of "mandositra" (to flee). Malagasy active imperatives end in -a.

22. Mpangalatra! Sambory!

    Mpan-ga-la-tra! Sam-bo-ry!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shout this right after a theft to get bystanders to act; it asks for more than the plain word "Mpangalatra"

    Grammar Note

    "Mpangalatra" (thief) followed by "sambory", the passive imperative of "misambotra" (to seize, to arrest): a shout asking bystanders to catch the person.

23. Aiza ny biraon'ny polisy?

    Ai-za ny bi-ra-on'ny po-li-sy?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Ask where the police station is, for example when you need to file a report

    Grammar Note

    "Aiza ny biraon'ny ...?" is the frame for "Where is the office of ...?" (the same as "Aiza ny biraon'ny paositra?" for the post office). Here "polisy" (police) is put in to ask for the police station.

24. Misy olona mahay teny japoney ve?

    Mi-sy o-lo-na ma-hay te-ny ja-po-ney ve?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Ask at a hospital or a police station whether anyone there speaks Japanese

    Grammar Note

    The existential question "Misy ... ve?" means "Is there ...?". "Mahay teny ..." means "can speak the language ...", with "japoney" (Japanese) in the language slot.

25. Tsy mahatsiaro tena izy

    Tsy ma-ha-tsia-ro te-na i-zy

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Point at the person who has collapsed and say that they are not conscious

    Grammar Note

    "Tsy mahatsiaro tena" is the set expression for "unconscious", built with the negative "Tsy + maha-". "Izy" refers to "that person".

26. Nokapohina aho

    No-ka-po-hi-na a-ho

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Tell the police or a doctor that you were assaulted; point at where you were struck

    Grammar Note

    A past passive built with "no- ... -ina" on the root of "mikapoka" (to strike with the hand or a stick). "Nokapohina aho" means "I was beaten".

27. Nisy nangalatra tao an-tranoko

    Ni-sy nan-ga-la-tra tao an-tra-no-ko

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Tell the hotel or the police that your room or house was entered and robbed while you were out

    Grammar Note

    "Nisy nangalatra" is the unspecified-agent form for "someone stole", followed here by the place "tao an-tranoko" (in my house) rather than the stolen object.

28. Io olona io no meloka

    I-o o-lo-na i-o no me-lo-ka

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Point at the person and tell the police; the demonstrative is the distal one, for someone away from you

    Grammar Note

    The noun is framed between a demonstrative and its echo ("io olona io"). Demonstratives are graded by distance: "ity" is beside the speaker and "io" is away from them. The focus particle "no" fronts the subject, and "meloka" means "guilty".

29. Voafitaka aho

    Vo-a-fi-ta-ka a-ho

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Say that you have been cheated or scammed

    Grammar Note

    The root is the "fitaka" (trickery used to deceive) of "Aza mamitaka ahy" (do not cheat me), here with the resultative passive prefix "voa-".

30. Nangalarina ny poketrako

    Nan-ga-la-ri-na ny po-ke-tra-ko

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Tell the police that your wallet was stolen

    Grammar Note

    It uses the same past passive verb as "Nangalarina ny entako" (my luggage was stolen), with the stolen item replaced by "poketra" (wallet, small bag).

31. Hadinoko ny entako

    Ha-di-no-ko ny en-ta-ko

    I left it behind

    Usage

    Say that you left your luggage behind; point at a map or gesture to show where

    Grammar Note

    "Hadino" is a passive form meaning "forgotten", and "-ko" marks the agent (me). "Ny entako" means "my luggage".

32. Tandremo! Misy loza!

    Tan-dre-mo! Mi-sy lo-za!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Shout this to warn of immediate danger

    Grammar Note

    The second half, "Misy loza", means "there is danger". It uses the existential "Misy ...", the present counterpart of the past "Nisy loza" (there was an accident). "Tandremo" is the imperative for "be careful".

33. Avia haingana azafady

    A-vi-a hain-ga-na a-za-fa-dy

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Ask someone on the phone to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    Ending a request with "azafady" makes it polite (for example "Ampio aho azafady", please help me). "Haingana" means "quickly", and "Avia" is the imperative for "come".

34. Mila vonjy taitra aho!

    Mi-la von-jy tai-tra a-ho!

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Say that you cannot wait your turn and need attention now

    Grammar Note

    "Mila ... aho" is the frame for "I need ...". "Vonjy taitra" means urgent aid or emergency help, so "Mila vonjy taitra aho!" says "I need emergency help".

35. Ento any amin'ny hopitaly aho azafady

    En-to a-ny a-min'ny ho-pi-ta-ly a-ho a-za-fa-dy

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Ask a taxi driver or a bystander to take you to a hospital

    Grammar Note

    The destination takes the form "any amin'ny ..." (to ...), here with "hopitaly" (hospital). "Ento" is the passive imperative for "take (me)", and the final "azafady" marks a polite request.

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