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A2How to saymnye núzhen vrach

How to say “I need a doctor” in Russian

Three sentences worth knowing before you need them, and the number that works from any phone.

Quick answer

Мне ну́жен врач.

mnye núzhen vrach — ну́жен agrees with врач — and 112 is the number

The options

Мне ну́жен врач.I need a doctor.
Вы́зовите ско́рую!Call an ambulance!
Мне пло́хо.I feel ill.
Э́то сро́чно.It’s urgent.
Где ближа́йшая больни́ца?Where is the nearest hospital?

ну́жен agrees

The thing needed is the subject, so ну́жен agrees with it: ну́жен врач (m.), нужна́ ско́рая (f.), ну́жно лека́рство (n.), нужны́ табле́тки (pl.). The person needing is dative: мне, ему́, ей.

The numbers

112 from any phone, including a locked one and a foreign SIM. 103 is the ambulance directly. Ско́рая is short for ско́рая по́мощь — literally “fast help”, and it is a feminine adjective used as a noun.

What they will ask

Что случи́лось? (what happened), Где вы нахо́дитесь? (where are you), Ваш а́дрес? (your address). Having your address written down in Cyrillic in your phone is the single most useful preparation you can make.

What you hear back

Сейча́с вы́зовем.We’ll call right away.
Что случи́лось?What happened?
Ско́рая уже́ е́дет.The ambulance is on its way.
Сади́тесь, подожди́те.Sit down and wait.

Typical mistakes

Я ну́жен врач.

Мне ну́жен врач.

The person needing is dative.

Мне ну́жен ско́рая.

Мне нужна́ ско́рая.

ско́рая is feminine.

Check yourself

Мне ___ ско́рая.

Ско́рая is feminine.

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