Emergency

1. Yanapaway!

   Ya-na-pa-way!

   Help me!

   Usage

   The most essential call for help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   -way encodes the first-person object "me" into the verb. Quechua marks beneficiary via suffixes

2. Polisiyata waqyay!

   Po-li-si-ya-ta waq-YAY

   Call the police!

   Usage

   Asking someone to call the police in a dangerous situation

   Grammar Note

   waqyay means "to call" (waqay, without the y, is the different verb "to cry"). polisiya is a Spanish loanword from policía

3. Hampina wasiman apaway

   Ham-pi-na wa-si-man a-pa-way

   Take me to the hospital

   Usage

   Asking to be taken to a hospital in a medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   hampina (healing means/medicine) + wasi (house) = hospital. -man is the allative directional suffix (as in lluq'iman)

4. Chinkarirani, maytachus richkani

   Chin-ka-ri-ra-ni, may-ta-chus rich-ka-ni

   I am lost, I do not know where I am

   Usage

   Expressing that you are lost and need help finding your way

   Grammar Note

   -chus marks uncertainty. Quechua expresses degrees of certainty and evidentiality through suffixes

5. Ambulanciata waqyay!

   Am-bu-lan-cia-ta waq-YAY!

   Call an ambulance!

   Usage

   Calling for an ambulance in a serious medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   waqyay means "to call" (the "X-ta waqyay" frame). ambulancia is a Spanish loanword

6. Suwata qhawachkani!

   Su-wa-ta qha-wach-ka-ni!

   Thief! I see a thief!

   Usage

   Alerting others when witnessing a theft

   Grammar Note

   "Suwa" is "thief" (the verb "to steal" is "suway"); with the accusative -ta it means "a thief (object)", i.e. "I see a thief!". "To look/watch" is the aspirated "qhaway" — the unaspirated "qaway" is a different word (to break the sprout of a tuber), so never drop the h. -chka is the progressive suffix; -ni is the 1st-person singular ending

7. Pasaportey chinkarun

   Pa-sa-por-tey chin-ka-run

   I lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to the police or embassy

   Grammar Note

   chinkarun is the completive 3rd-person of chinkay (to disappear/get lost). pasaporte is from Spanish

8. Sunquy nanawan

   Sun-quy na-na-wan

   My heart/chest hurts

   Usage

   Communicating chest or heart pain to medical personnel

   Grammar Note

   nanawan is the 3rd-person present of nanay (to hurt). sunqu is a polysemous word for heart/chest/emotion

9. Hampi qhatu maypin?

   Ham-pi qha-tu may-pin?

   Where is the pharmacy?

   Usage

   Finding a pharmacy quickly for urgent medication

   Grammar Note

   hampi qhatu (medicine + market/shop) = pharmacy. Spanish botiquín is a first-aid kit, not a pharmacy. maypin is the locative question word

10. Yawarniy lluqsishan

    Ya-war-ni-y lluq-si-shan

    I am bleeding

    Usage

    Telling medical personnel that you are bleeding

    Grammar Note

    yawar is "blood" and -niy is the first-person possessive (my). lluqsiy is "to come out" and -sha-n marks the progressive (is coming out)

11. Ama chayta ruwaychu!

    Stop it

    Usage

    For pushy touts, scams, or unwanted contact — show it as it is

12. Ama llamiwaychu!

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    The point is that you can show it without raising your voice

13. Saqiway!

    Leave me alone

    Usage

    When somebody will not stop bothering you

14. Ama qatiwaychu!

    Don't follow me

    Usage

    When someone is trailing you after dark

15. Rawrariy

    Fire

    Usage

    The event of a building or forest burning, distinct from nina (cooking fire)

16. Runa sipiy

    Murder

    Usage

    runa (person) + sipiy (to kill); an unjustified killing, for reporting a crime

17. Rawrariy! Ayqiy!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Rawrariy (fire) followed by the imperative of ayqiy (to flee)

18. Suwa! Hap'iy!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    suwa is the person ("thief"); hap'iy is the imperative of "to catch / seize"

19. Comisaria maypin?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    The "X maypin?" ("where is X?") frame; comisaria names the police station building, unlike polices, which names the force

20. Japonés simita rimaq runa kanchu?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Built from the "X simita rima-" frame plus the agentive -q ("one who ...") and the existential kanchu?

21. Kay runap yuyaynin chinkarun

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    yuyay chinkay is the set phrase for losing consciousness; chinkarun is a 3rd-person completive

22. Maqaruwan

    I was beaten

    Usage

    maqay (to beat, to strike with the fist) with the first-person object -wa-; it reports the harm without naming who did it

23. T'urpuruwan

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    t'urpuy (to stab) with the first-person object -wa-; never drop the ejective t'

24. Wasiyman suwa yaykurqa

    My home was broken into

    Usage

    wasi (house) + -y (my) + -man (into), followed by suwa (thief) and the past of yayku- (to enter)

25. Haqay runam huchayuq

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    haqay (that) + runa (person) + the assertive -m + huchayuq (the guilty one); a third-person nominal predicate takes no copula

26. Llullaruwan

    I was deceived

    Usage

    llullay (to lie, to deceive) with the first-person object -wa-

27. Billeterayta suwarquwan

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    billetera (wallet, from Spanish) + -y (my) + -ta (object) followed by suway (to steal) with the first-person object -wa-

28. Qunqaruni

    I left it behind

    Usage

    The first-person completive of qunqay (to forget), formed with -ru-ni

29. Autom saruruwan

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    auto (car) + the assertive -m, followed by saruy (to run over) with the first-person object -wa-

30. Utqay lluqsinaman ayqiy

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    The sign Utqay lluqsina (emergency exit) plus -man (towards) and the imperative of ayqiy (to flee)

31. Kunallan hamuy

    Please come right away

    Usage

    kunallan (right now) plus the imperative of hamuy (to come)

32. Kayqa utqaymi

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    The "Kayqa ..." ("this is ...") frame filled with utqay (haste, urgency) — the same word used in Utqay lluqsina, the emergency exit sign

33. Denunciata churayta munani

    I want to file a report

    Usage

    Show it at a police counter after a theft to say you want to file a report. "Denuncia" (a formal complaint) with "churay" (to lodge); the frame is "-yta munani" ("I want to ..."). The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part

34. Bomberokunata waqyay

    Please call the fire brigade

    Usage

    Asking someone to call the firefighters (bomberokuna) in case of fire

35. Ñanpi huk accidente pasarun

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    "Ñan" (road) in the locative "-pi", the "huk accidente", and the completive "-ru-n" of "pasay" (to happen, "ocurrir"). Note the verb is "pasarun", not "kapun": "kapuy" means "ser de; pertenecer; tener; poseer" (possession), so "kapun" would read "has an accident on the road". "pasay" means "ir; pasar; ocurrir"

36. Paqtataq!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Shouted to stop someone in the face of immediate danger

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