Nobody plans to get sick in Iran. But food poisoning at 1 AM in Kerman, a stolen bag in a Tehran bazaar, or an allergic reaction at a restaurant in Tabriz. these things happen. And when they do, Google Translate’s Farsi is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
I’m writing this post so you can screenshot it, save it to your phone, and forget about it until (hopefully never) you need it. These are real emergency Farsi phrases. the kind that get you help fast.
Emergency Numbers in Iran
Save these in your phone right now. Seriously. before you keep reading.
| Service | Number | Farsi Name |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulance | 115 | اورژانس. orzhâns |
| Police | 110 | پلیس. polis |
| Fire Department | 125 | آتشنشانی. âtash-neshâni |
| Traffic Police | 120 | پلیس راهنمایی. polis-e râhnamâyi |
The 115 ambulance service works across the country. Response times in Tehran and major cities are reasonable (10-20 minutes). In rural areas, it’s slower. getting to the nearest hospital yourself may be faster.
The Phrases That Matter Most
If you remember nothing else from this post, memorize these five sentences. They cover 80% of emergency situations.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | کمک! | komak! |
| Call an ambulance! | آمبولانس خبر کنید! | âmbolâns khabar konid! |
| I need a doctor. | من دکتر میخوام. | man doktor mikhâm. |
| Where is the hospital? | بیمارستان کجاست؟ | bimârestân kojâst? |
| Please help me. | لطفاً کمکم کنید. | lotfan komakam konid. |
At the Doctor: Describing What’s Wrong
Iranian doctors, especially in cities, often speak some English. But in clinics, pharmacies, and smaller towns, Farsi is essential. Being able to point to the right body part AND say the word removes all ambiguity.
Body Parts
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| head | سر | sar |
| stomach | شکم / معده | shekam / me’de |
| chest | سینه | sine |
| back | کمر | kamar |
| throat | گلو | galu |
| eye | چشم | cheshm |
| ear | گوش | gush |
| tooth | دندون | dandun |
| arm | دست | dast |
| leg | پا | pâ |
| knee | زانو | zânu |
| skin | پوست | pust |
Symptoms and Conditions
To describe pain, use the formula: [body part] + درد میکنه. dard mikone. "hurts." So سرم درد میکنه. saram dard mikone. "my head hurts." That one structure covers most situations.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| My [X] hurts. | [X]م درد میکنه. | [X]am dard mikone. |
| I feel nauseous. | حالم بهم میخوره. | hâlam beham mikhore. |
| I have a fever. | تب دارم. | tab dâram. |
| I have diarrhea. | اسهال دارم. | eshâl dâram. |
| I’ve been vomiting. | استفراغ کردم. | estefrâgh kardam. |
| I’m dizzy. | سرگیجه دارم. | sargije dâram. |
| I can’t breathe well. | نفسم بالا نمیاد. | nafasam bâlâ nemiyâd. |
| I got food poisoning. | مسمومیت غذایی گرفتم. | masmumiyat-e ghazâyi gereftam. |
| I have a cold. | سرما خوردم. | sarmâ khordam. |
| I fell down. | زمین خوردم. | zamin khordam. |
| I cut myself. | دستم بریده. | dastam boride. |
Food poisoning. مسمومیت غذایی. masmumiyat-e ghazâyi. is the most common medical issue for travelers in Iran. It’s usually mild and passes in 24-48 hours, but a pharmacy visit can speed recovery.
Allergies and Medications
These phrases could genuinely save your life. Write them on your phone’s lock screen notes if you have serious allergies.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I’m allergic to [X]. | من به [X] حساسیت دارم. | man be [X] hassâsiyat dâram. |
| I’m allergic to nuts. | من به آجیل حساسیت دارم. | man be âjil hassâsiyat dâram. |
| I’m allergic to penicillin. | من به پنیسیلین حساسیت دارم. | man be penisilin hassâsiyat dâram. |
| I take this medicine. | این دارو رو مصرف میکنم. | in dâru ro masraf mikonam. |
| I need my medicine. | داروم رو لازم دارم. | dârum ro lâzem dâram. |
| I’m diabetic. | من دیابت دارم. | man diyâbet dâram. |
| I have high blood pressure. | فشار خونم بالاست. | feshâr-e khunam bâlâst. |
Pro tip: If you take regular medication, bring the original packaging with the generic drug name visible. Iranian pharmacists are well-trained and can often find the equivalent. most common medications are available and affordable in Iran.
At the Pharmacy
Iranian pharmacies. داروخانه. dârukhâne. are everywhere and pharmacists are the first line of medical help for minor issues. Many medications that require prescriptions elsewhere are available over the counter in Iran.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the pharmacy? | داروخونه کجاست؟ | dârukhune kojâst? |
| I need medicine for a headache. | دارو برای سردرد میخوام. | dâru barây-e sardard mikhâm. |
| I need medicine for a stomach ache. | دارو برای دلدرد میخوام. | dâru barây-e deldard mikhâm. |
| Do you have painkillers? | مسکن دارید؟ | mosaken dârid? |
| Do you have antihistamines? | قرص آلرژی دارید؟ | ghors-e âlerzhi dârid? |
| How many times a day? | روزی چند بار بخورم؟ | ruzi chand bâr bokharam? |
Reporting a Problem to Police
Theft and lost documents are the most common police-related issues for tourists. Iranian police are generally helpful with foreigners. they know tourism matters.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I’ve been robbed. | دزدی شدم. | dozdi shodam. |
| Someone stole my bag. | کیفمو دزدیدن. | kifamo dozdidan. |
| I lost my passport. | پاسپورتم گم شده. | pâsportam gom shode. |
| Where is the police station? | کلانتری کجاست؟ | kalântari kojâst? |
| I need to file a report. | باید گزارش بدم. | bâyad gozâresh bedam. |
| I need to contact my embassy. | باید با سفارتخونم تماس بگیرم. | bâyad bâ sefâratkhânam tamâs begiram. |
| Can you help me? | میشه کمکم کنید؟ | mishe komakam konid? |
For a lost or stolen passport, your first call should be your embassy or consulate in Tehran. The police report (from کلانتری. kalântari. the local police station) is required for replacement documents.
Hospital Vocabulary
If you end up at a hospital. بیمارستان. bimârestân. here’s what you’ll need.
| English | Farsi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| emergency room | اورژانس | orzhâns |
| doctor | دکتر | doktor |
| nurse | پرستار | parastâr |
| injection / shot | آمپول | âmpul |
| pill / tablet | قرص | ghors |
| blood test | آزمایش خون | âzmâyesh-e khun |
| X-ray | عکس / رادیولوژی | aks / râdiyolozhi |
| prescription | نسخه | noskhe |
| insurance | بیمه | bime |
| I don’t have insurance. | بیمه ندارم. | bime nadâram. |
Good news: medical care in Iran is affordable by Western standards. An emergency room visit might cost 500,000-2,000,000 tomans ($10-40 USD equivalent) without insurance. Still, get travel insurance before your trip.
The “Write It on Your Phone” Cheat Sheet
Copy these to your phone’s notes app. In a real emergency, you can just show the screen to someone.
من به [X] حساسیت دارم.
I’m allergic to [X].من دکتر میخوام.
I need a doctor.بیمارستان کجاست؟
Where is the hospital?آمبولانس خبر کنید!
Call an ambulance!پاسپورتم گم شده.
I lost my passport.باید با سفارتخونم تماس بگیرم.
I need to contact my embassy.
If you’re planning a trip to Iran, practicing these phrases before you go turns panic into confidence. ZabanYar has an emergency phrases module with audio pronunciation. because reading transliteration and actually saying it correctly are two different things.
For more travel preparation, check the complete travel Farsi guide, the 50 essential phrases printable, and how to order food in Farsi.
FAQ
Do Iranian doctors speak English?
How much does a hospital visit cost in Iran for tourists?
What’s the emergency number in Iran?
Can I get my regular medications in Iran?
What should I do if my passport is stolen in Iran?
Need a Farsi tutor who prepares you for real-world situations. not just exam grammar? I teach conversational Persian on Preply. One session and you’ll feel safer about traveling in Iran.
Part of our Essential Farsi for Traveling in Iran series. See the full travel phrasebook for all the phrases you need beyond emergencies.