Translated Phrases for Your Next European Trip

Renting a car when travelling across Europe is a fantastic way of taking in the country’s best sights at your leisure. However, it is important to be prepared for any potential issues you could face out on the road.

Knowing the right phrases in the language of the country you are visiting will come in handy if you do end up in tricky situations, and we have done the hard work for you. This page features 11 key phrases translated into the languages of the main European countries for which we provide hire car excess insurance.

Dutch – The Netherlands & Belgium

English	Dutch
Hello	Hallo
Goodbye	Afscheid
Please	Alstubieft
Thank you	Danke u
My car has broken down	Mijn auto is kapot gegaan
My car won’t start	Mijn auto wil niet starten
I’ve had a car accident	Ik he been auto-ongeluk gehad
My car has run out of petrol	Mijn auto heft geen benzine meer
My car has a flat tyre	Mijn auto heft een lekke band
Please send an ambulance	Stuur alstublieft een ambulance
Please send the the police	Stuur alstublieft de politie

French – France & Belgium

English	French
Hello	Bonjour
Goodbye	Au reviour
Please	S’il vous plait
Thank you	Merci
My car has broken down	Ma voiture est en panne
My car won’t start	Ma voiture ne démarre pas
I’ve had a car accident	J’ai eu un accident de voiture
My car has run out of petrol	Ma voiture est à court d’essence
My car has a flat tyre	Ma voiture a un pneu crevé
Please send an ambulance	S’il vous plait envoyez une ambulance
Please send the police	’il vous plait envoyez la police

German – Germany & Belgium

English	German
Hello	Hallo
Goodbye	Tschüss
Please	Bitte
Thank you	Danke
My car has broken down	Mein Auto ist kaputt
My car won’t start	Mein Auto spingt nicht an
I’ve had a car accident	Ich hatte einen Autounfall
My car has run out of petrol	Mein Auto hat kein Benzin mehr
My car has a flat tyre	Mein Auto hat einen platen Reifen
Please send an ambulance	Bitte schicken Sie einen Krankenwagen
Please send the police	Bitte schicken Sie die Polizei

Italian

English	Italian
Hello	Ciao
Goodbye	Arrivederci
Please	Per favore
Thank you	Grazie
My car has broken down	La mia macchina è in panne
My car won’t start	La mia macchina non si avvia
I’ve had a car accident	Ho avuto un incidente stradale
My car has run out of petrol	La mia macchina è senza benzina
My car has a flat tyre	La mia macchina ha una gomma a terra
Please send an ambulance	Si prega di inviare un’ambulanza
Please send the police	Si prega di inviare la polizia

Polish

English	Polish
Hello	Witam
Goodbye	Do widzenia
Please	Proszę
Thank you	Dziękuję
My car has broken down	Mój samochód się zepsuł
My car won’t start	Mój samochód nie chce zapalić
I’ve had a car accident	Miałem wypadek samochodowy
My car has run out of petrol	W moim samochodzie skończyła się benzyna
My car has a flat tyre	Mój samochód ma przebitą oponę
Please send an ambulance	Proszę wysłać karetkę
Please send the police	Proszę wysłać policję

Spanish

English	Spanish
Hello	Hola
Goodbye	Adios
Please	Por favor
Thank you	Gracias
My car has broken down	Mi auto se averió
My car won’t start	Mi auto no arranca
I’ve had a car accident	Tuve un accidente automovilístico
My car has run out of petrol	Mi coche se ha quedado sin gasolina
My car has a flat tyre	Mi auto tiene una llanta pinchada
Please send an ambulance	Por favor envíe una ambulancia
Please send the police	Por favor envíe una policía

Learning these key phrases will allow you to feel more confident when driving abroad and will ensure you are thoroughly prepared for your next trip. As well as learning these important phrases, it is also essential to know the phone numbers for the emergency services and for roadside assistance. Across Europe the number for the emergency services is 112. With every eventuality now covered you can fully enjoy your travels!