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How to say “help (emergency)” in Chinese

救命
jiùmìng
help (emergency)

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Word by word

jiù
to save / rescue
mìng
life

Tone tip

救命 is the urgent emergency shout ('save my life!'). To politely ask for help, say 你能帮我吗?(nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?), 'can you help me?'.

In a sentence

救命!有人吗?

Jiùmìng! Yǒu rén ma?

Help! Is anyone there?

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "help (emergency)" in Chinese?+

"help (emergency)" in Mandarin Chinese is 救命, pronounced jiùmìng. 救命 is the urgent emergency shout ('save my life!'). To politely ask for help, say 你能帮我吗?(nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?), 'can you help me?'.

What does 救命 mean literally?+

救命 breaks down as 救 (jiù) = to save / rescue, 命 (mìng) = life. Together it means "help (emergency)".

How do I get the tones right in jiùmìng?+

救命 is the urgent emergency shout ('save my life!'). To politely ask for help, say 你能帮我吗?(nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?), 'can you help me?'.

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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.