EFE learning modules / Emergency & Safety Communication

Emergency & Safety Communication

Common Expressions Back to Catalog

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Keep a level head

/ኪፕ ኤ ሌቭል ሄድ/

በተረጋጋ መንፈስ መቆየት

To remain calm and sensible in a difficult or dangerous situation

በአስቸጋሪ ወይም አደገኛ ሁኔታ ውስጥ በተረጋጋ እና ምክንያታዊ በሆነ መንገድ መቆየት

In Practice

"You need to keep a level head while calling the ambulance."

"The pilot kept a level head during the engine failure."

Fluent Tip

Used to encourage emotional control during a crisis.

Race against time

/ሬስ አጌንስት ታይም/

ከጊዜ ጋር መሽቀዳደም

A situation where something must be done very quickly before a deadline or disaster

አደጋ ከመድረሱ በፊት የሆነ ነገር በፍጥነት መከናወን ያለበት ሁኔታ

In Practice

"It's a race against time to reach the trapped hikers."

"Paramedics are in a race against time to save the victim."

Fluent Tip

Used when speed is the most critical factor for survival.

Under the gun

/አንደር ዘ ጋን/

በከፍተኛ ጫና ውስጥ መሆን

Under great pressure to perform or act quickly

በፍጥነት ለመስራት ወይም ለመንቀሳቀስ በከፍተኛ ጫና ውስጥ መሆን

In Practice

"The emergency team is under the gun to contain the leak."

"We are under the gun to evacuate the building now."

Fluent Tip

Describes high-pressure environments where decisions must be made fast.

In the heat of the moment

/ኢን ዘ ሂት ኦፍ ዘ ሞመንት/

በሁኔታው ግፊት (ሳይታሰብ)

Acting quickly without thinking due to anger or excitement

በቁጣ ወይም በደስታ ስሜት ምክንያት ሳያስቡ በፍጥነት እርምጃ መውሰድ

In Practice

"Decisions made in the heat of the moment can be dangerous."

"He acted in the heat of the moment to pull her out of the fire."

Fluent Tip

Refers to impulsive actions during a crisis.

Save your skin

/ሴቭ ዩር ስኪን/

ራስን ከአደጋ ማዳን

To save oneself from danger or difficulty

ራስን ከአደጋ ወይም ከችግር ማዳን

In Practice

"He jumped out the window just to save his skin."

"During the flood, everyone tried to save their skin."

Fluent Tip

Often implies a desperate act of self-preservation.

Cut to the chase

/ካት ቱ ዘ ቼዝ/

ቀጥታ ወደ ዋናው ነጥብ መግባት

To get to the point without wasting time

ጊዜ ሳያባክኑ ወደ ዋናው ጉዳይ መግባት

In Practice

"The operator told the caller to cut to the chase and give the address."

"Cut to the chase: is anyone injured?"

Fluent Tip

Essential during emergency calls to save precious seconds.

Stand your ground

/ስታንድ ዩር ግራውንድ/

ባሉበት መፅናት / አለመሸሽ

To maintain one's position and not retreat

የራስን አቋም ወይም ቦታ ይዞ መቆየት እና አለመሸሽ

In Practice

"Stand your ground until the rescue team arrives."

"The firefighters stood their ground against the blaze."

Fluent Tip

Used in safety instructions to prevent panicking and running.

Think on your feet

/ሲንክ ኦን ዩር ፊት/

በፍጥነት ማሰብ እና መወሰን

To make quick decisions or think fast

በፍጥነት ውሳኔዎችን መስጠት ወይም በፍጥነት ማሰብ

In Practice

"You have to think on your feet when the alarm goes off."

"A good first responder can think on their feet."

Fluent Tip

Refers to the mental agility needed in emergencies.

Bite the bullet

/ባይት ዘ ቡሌት/

መራራውን እውነት መቀበል / መታገስ

To accept something difficult or unpleasant

አስቸጋሪ ወይም ደስ የማይል ነገርን መቀበል

In Practice

"We had to bite the bullet and evacuate without our luggage."

"Bite the bullet; the surgery is necessary to save your leg."

Fluent Tip

Used when a painful but necessary action is required.

Blow the whistle

/ብሎው ዘ ዊስል/

አደጋውን ማሳወቅ / ማጋለጥ

To report a dangerous situation or wrongdoing

አደገኛ ሁኔታን ወይም ጥፋትን ሪፖርት ማድረግ

In Practice

"He blew the whistle on the safety violations at the factory."

"Someone needs to blow the whistle and call the police."

Fluent Tip

Used when notifying authorities about a safety risk.

Out of harm's way

/አውት ኦፍ ሃርምስ ዌይ/

ከአደጋ ነፃ በሆነ ቦታ

In a safe place, away from danger

ደህንነቱ በተጠበቀ ቦታ፣ ከአደጋ ርቆ

In Practice

"Move the children out of harm's way immediately."

"We are trying to get the residents out of harm's way."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used in evacuation instructions.

Put your life on the line

/ፑት ዩር ላይፍ ኦን ዘ ላይን/

ህይወትን ለከፍተኛ አደጋ ማጋለጥ

To risk one's life

የራስን ህይወት ለአደጋ ማጋለጥ

In Practice

"Firefighters put their lives on the line every day."

"He put his life on the line to save the drowning child."

Fluent Tip

Refers to heroic actions during a crisis.

Watch out

/ዋች አውት/

ተጠንቀቅ

To be careful or alert for danger

ለአደጋ መጠንቀቅ ወይም ንቁ መሆን

In Practice

"Watch out for the falling debris!"

"Watch out! The floor is slippery."

Fluent Tip

A rapid warning to avoid immediate danger.

Back off

/ባክ ኦፍ/

ወደ ኋላ ማፈግፈግ

To move backwards away from something

ከሆነ ነገር ወደ ኋላ መራቅ

In Practice

"Back off from the fire!"

"The police told the crowd to back off."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to create a safety distance.

Pass out

/ፓስ አውት/

ራስን መሳት

To lose consciousness

ንቃተ ህሊናን ማጣት

In Practice

"He passed out from the smoke inhalation."

"Don't let her pass out before help arrives."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe medical victims.

Pull through

/ፑል ስሩ/

ከአደጋው መትረፍ

To survive a dangerous illness or injury

ከከባድ ህመም ወይም አደጋ መትረፍ

In Practice

"The doctors think he will pull through."

"She is strong and will pull through the surgery."

Fluent Tip

Used when discussing recovery from trauma.

Call off

/ኮል ኦፍ/

መሰረዝ / ማቆም

To cancel an event or search

አንድን ክስተት ወይም ፍለጋ መሰረዝ

In Practice

"They had to call off the search due to the storm."

"Call off the rescue; we found the survivors."

Fluent Tip

Used by emergency coordinators.

Calm down

/ካም ዳውን/

መረጋጋት

To become quiet and relaxed after being excited or nervous

ከተደናገጡ ወይም ከተጨነቁ በኋላ ፀጥ እና ዘና ማለት

In Practice

"Please calm down and tell me your location."

"You need to calm down so you can breathe."

Fluent Tip

Crucial instruction given by emergency dispatchers.

Look out

/ሉክ አውት/

ተጠንቀቅ (አስተውል)

Similar to 'watch out', used as a warning

እንደ 'ዋች አውት' ማስጠንቀቂያ ለመስጠት ያገለግላል

In Practice

"Look out! There's a car coming."

"Look out for the live wire."

Fluent Tip

Interjection to draw attention to a hazard.

Back up

/ባክ አፕ/

ወደ ኋላ ሂድ / ረዳት መጥራት

To move backwards or to provide support

ወደ ኋላ መንቀሳቀስ ወይም ድጋፍ መስጠት

In Practice

"Back up the truck to the entrance."

"Officer needs back up at the scene."

Fluent Tip

Can mean physical movement or requesting reinforcements.

Break down

/ብሬክ ዳውን/

መበላሸት / በስሜት መጎዳት

To stop functioning or to lose emotional control

መስራት ማቆም ወይም በስሜት መጎዳት

In Practice

"The ambulance broke down on the way."

"She broke down when she heard the news."

Fluent Tip

Refers to mechanical failure or psychological stress.

Get through

/ጌት ስሩ/

መገናኘት / ማለፍ

To succeed in speaking to someone on the phone or passing through an area

በስልክ ከአንድ ሰው ጋር መገናኘት ወይም በአንድ አካባቢ ማለፍ

In Practice

"I can't get through to 911."

"We need to get through the debris."

Fluent Tip

Common in communication failures during crises.

Clear out

/ክሊር አውት/

አካባቢውን መልቀቅ

To leave a place quickly

አንድን ቦታ በፍጥነት መልቀቅ

In Practice

"Everyone needs to clear out of the building now!"

"The police ordered everyone to clear out."

Fluent Tip

Used in evacuation orders.

Shut down

/ሻት ዳውን/

መዝጋት / ማቆም

To stop the operation of something

የሆነን ነገር ስራ ማቆም

In Practice

"Shut down the gas main immediately."

"The facility was shut down for safety."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to stop machinery or systems.

Better safe than sorry

/ቤተር ሴፍ ዛን ሶሪ/

ከመፀፀት መጠንቀቅ ይሻላል

It is wiser to take precautions than to regret an accident later

በኋላ ላይ በአደጋ ከመፀፀት ይልቅ ጥንቃቄ ማድረግ ብልህነት ነው

In Practice

"Wear your helmet; better safe than sorry."

"We evacuated early because it's better safe than sorry."

Fluent Tip

General safety advice.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

/አን አውንስ ኦፍ ፕሪቬንሽን ኢዝ ወርዝ ኤ ፓውንድ ኦፍ ኪዩር/

ቀድሞ መጠንቀቅ በኋላ ከመታከም ይሻላል

Preventing a problem is easier than fixing it later

ችግርን መከላከል በኋላ ላይ ከመጠገን ይቀላል

In Practice

"Check the smoke detectors; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

"Safety drills are essential; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging safety measures.

Look before you leap

/ሉክ ቢፎር ዩ ሊፕ/

ከመዝለልህ በፊት ተመልከት

Check for danger before taking action

እርምጃ ከመውሰድዎ በፊት አደጋ መኖሩን ያረጋግጡ

In Practice

"Don't run into the building yet; look before you leap."

"Assess the scene; look before you leap."

Fluent Tip

Advice for rescuers to avoid becoming victims themselves.

Time is of the essence

/ታይም ኢዝ ኦቭ ዘ ኤሰንስ/

ጊዜ ወሳኝ ነው

Speed and timing are extremely important

ፍጥነት እና ጊዜ በጣም አስፈላጊ ናቸው

In Practice

"We need to stop the bleeding; time is of the essence."

"Launch the rescue boat now; time is of the essence."

Fluent Tip

Used to emphasize urgency.

Forewarned is forearmed

/ፎርዎርንድ ኢዝ ፎርአርምድ/

ቀድሞ የተጠነቀቀ ዝግጁ ነው

Knowledge of a danger allows one to prepare for it

ስለ አደጋ ማወቅ ለእሱ ለመዘጋጀት ያስችላል

In Practice

"The weather radio said a storm is coming; forewarned is forearmed."

"We have the emergency kit ready; forewarned is forearmed."

Fluent Tip

Promoting preparedness.

Safety in numbers

/ሴፍቲ ኢን ነበርስ/

በመተባበር ደህንነት ይገኛል

Being in a group is safer than being alone

በቡድን መሆን ብቻውን ከመሆን የበለጠ አስተማማኝ ነው

In Practice

"Stay together while evacuating; there is safety in numbers."

"Don't go into the woods alone; safety in numbers."

Fluent Tip

Advice for keeping groups together during a crisis.

A stitch in time saves nine

/ኤ ስቲች ኢን ታይም ሴቭስ ናይን/

በጊዜ የተወሰደ እርምጃ ብዙ ያድናል

Dealing with a problem immediately prevents it from getting worse

ችግርን ወዲያውኑ መፍታት እንዳይባባስ ይከላከላል

In Practice

"Fix that leak now; a stitch in time saves nine."

"Patch the hull before we sink; a stitch in time saves nine."

Fluent Tip

Emphasis on immediate maintenance.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

/ሆፕ ፎር ዘ ቤስት ፕሪፔር ፎር ዘ ወርስት/

መልካሙን ተመኝ ግን ለከፋው ተዘጋጅ

Stay optimistic but have a plan for disaster

መልካም ነገርን አስብ ግን ለአደጋ እቅድ ይኑርህ

In Practice

"We have the bunker ready; hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

"The hurricane might miss us, but hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Fluent Tip

Core philosophy of emergency management.

Out of the frying pan into the fire

/አውት ኦፍ ዘ ፍራይንግ ፓን ኢንቱ ዘ ፋየር/

ከድጡ ወደ ማጡ

Going from a bad situation to one that is even worse

ከመጥፎ ሁኔታ ወደ ተባባሰ ሁኔታ መሸጋገር

In Practice

"Escaping the smoke only to find a flood was like out of the frying pan into the fire."

"Moving to the roof was out of the frying pan into the fire."

Fluent Tip

Describing escalating crises.

A calm sea never made a skilled sailor

/ኤ ካም ሲ ኔቨር ሜድ ኤ ስኪልድ ሴይለር/

ረጋ ያለ ባህር ጎበዝ መርከበኛ አያወጣም

Difficulties and emergencies build experience

ችግሮች እና ድንገተኛ አደጋዎች ልምድን ያዳብራሉ

In Practice

"Training in tough conditions helps; a calm sea never made a skilled sailor."

"This crisis is a test of our skills."

Fluent Tip

Used in training first responders.

Steady as she goes

/ስቴዲ አዝ ሺ ጎውስ/

በትዕግስት እና በጥንቃቄ ቀጥል

Keep moving at a steady, cautious pace

በተረጋጋ እና ጥንቃቄ በተሞላበት ፍጥነት መጓዝ

In Practice

"Lower the stretcher slowly, steady as she goes."

"Steady as she goes through the narrow gap."

Fluent Tip

Instruction for precision movement.

Actions speak louder than words

/አክሽንስ ስፒክ ላውደር ዛን ወርድስ/

ከተግባር ንግግር ይልቅ ተግባር ይበልጣል

What you do is more important than what you say

የሚያደርጉት ነገር ከሚናገሩት ነገር የበለጠ አስፈላጊ ነው

In Practice

"Don't just talk about safety; actions speak louder than words."

"Start the evacuation; actions speak louder than words."

Fluent Tip

Calling for immediate physical response.

Mayday

/ሜይዴይ/

የእርዳታ ጥሪ (ለህይወት አስጊ አደጋ)

International distress signal for life-threatening emergencies

ለህይወት አስጊ ለሆኑ ድንገተኛ አደጋዎች ዓለም አቀፍ የጭንቀት ምልክት

In Practice

"Mayday! Mayday! Engine failure!"

"He broadcasted a mayday signal."

Fluent Tip

Used by pilots and sailors in extreme danger.

Roger that

/ሮጀር ዛት/

ተረድቻለሁ / ገባኝ

Message received and understood

መልእክቱ ደርሶኛል እና ተረድቻለሁ

In Practice

"Roger that, rescue team is on its way."

"Copy that, roger that."

Fluent Tip

Radio communication slang for confirmation.

Copy that

/ኮፒ ዛት/

ሰምቻለሁ / ገባኝ

I have heard and understood your transmission

የላኩትን መልእክት ሰምቻለሁ እና ተረድቻለሁ

In Practice

"Copy that, clearing the area now."

"Do you copy?"

Fluent Tip

Used widely in emergency radio traffic.

Stay frosty

/ስቴይ ፍሮስቲ/

ንቁ ሁን

Remain alert, cautious, and cool-headed

ንቁ፣ ጥንቃቄ የተሞላበት እና የተረጋጋ ሆኖ መቆየት

In Practice

"It's dangerous out there, stay frosty."

"Stay frosty, team, we are entering the zone."

Fluent Tip

Military/Emergency slang for staying vigilant.

Code Red

/ኮድ ሬድ/

ከፍተኛ አደጋ

Highest level of emergency or danger

ከፍተኛው የድንገተኛ አደጋ ወይም የአደጋ ደረጃ

In Practice

"This is a Code Red evacuation."

"The hospital is on Code Red."

Fluent Tip

Institutional slang for immediate action.

10-4

/ቴን ፎር/

እሺ / ገባኝ

Affirmative or message received

አዎ ወይም መልእክት ደርሷል

In Practice

"10-4, heading to the scene."

"Is everyone out? 10-4."

Fluent Tip

Standard police and emergency radio code.

Flatline

/ፍላትላይን/

ልብ መቆም

To have no heartbeat (from the heart monitor line)

የልብ ትርታ ማቆም

In Practice

"The patient started to flatline."

"We lost him; he's flatlining."

Fluent Tip

Medical slang for clinical death or heart failure.

Goner

/ጋነር/

የማይተርፍ / የሄደ

Someone or something that is beyond help or about to die

ከእርዳታ በላይ የሆነ ወይም ሊሞት ያለ ሰው

In Practice

"If we don't move now, we're goners."

"The car is a goner after that crash."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe a hopeless situation.

High-tail it

/ሃይ ቴይል ኢት/

በፍጥነት መሮጥ / መጥፋት

To leave a place very quickly

አንድን ቦታ በጣም በፍጥነት መልቀቅ

In Practice

"High-tail it out of here before the building collapses!"

"We saw the smoke and high-tailed it."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to flee immediately.

Lockdown

/ሎክዳውን/

እንቅስቃሴን መገደብ

A security measure where people stay where they are

ሰዎች ባሉበት እንዲቆዩ የሚደረግ የጥንቃቄ እርምጃ

In Practice

"The school is in lockdown."

"Initiate lockdown procedure."

Fluent Tip

Used during active threats.

Sitrep

/ሲትሬፕ/

የሁኔታ ሪፖርት

Situation Report; a summary of the current status

ያለውን ወቅታዊ ሁኔታ የሚያሳይ አጭር መግለጫ

In Practice

"Give me a sitrep on the fire."

"What's the sitrep at the border?"

Fluent Tip

Emergency and military jargon for updates.

Bail out

/ቤይል አውት/

ዘልሎ መውጣት / ማምለጥ

To escape or jump out of a vehicle in an emergency

በአደጋ ጊዜ ተሽከርካሪን ለቆ መውጣት ወይም መዝለል

In Practice

"The pilot had to bail out."

"Bail out now! The engine is on fire."

Fluent Tip

Emergency exit instruction.

Help is on the way

/ሄልፕ ኢዝ ኦን ዘ ዌይ/

እርዳታ እየመጣ ነው

Assistance is coming soon

እርዳታ በቅርቡ እየመጣ ነው

In Practice

"Stay calm, help is on the way."

"I've called the fire department; help is on the way."

Fluent Tip

Standard reassurance during a crisis.

Hang in there

/ሃንግ ኢን ዜር/

በርታ / አትጥፋ

Remain brave and patient in a tough situation

በአስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ ውስጥ ደፋር እና ታጋሽ ሆነው መቆየት

In Practice

"Hang in there, the paramedics are almost there."

"Just hang in there, we'll get you out."

Fluent Tip

Used to encourage an injured or trapped person.

Stay with me

/ስቴይ ዊዝ ሚ/

ከእኔ ጋር ሁን (ንቃተ ህሊናህን አታጣ)

Instruction for a victim to stay conscious

ተጎጂው ንቃተ ህሊናውን እንዳያጣ የሚሰጥ ትዕዛዝ

In Practice

"Stay with me, look at my eyes."

"Open your eyes, stay with me!"

Fluent Tip

Used by first responders to prevent fainting.

Take a deep breath

/ቴይክ ኤ ዲፕ ብሬዝ/

በጥልቀት ተንፍስ

Instruction to help someone calm down

አንድ ሰው እንዲረጋጋ የሚሰጥ ትዕዛዝ

In Practice

"Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

"I need you to take a deep breath."

Fluent Tip

Used to control panic.

Get a move on

/ጌት ኤ ሙቭ ኦን/

ቶሎ በል / ፍጠን

To hurry up

መቸኮል ወይም መፍጠን

In Practice

"Get a move on, the flood is rising!"

"We need to get a move on if we want to beat the storm."

Fluent Tip

Urgent instruction to move.

Watch your step

/ዋች ዩር ስቴፕ/

አረማመድህን ተጠንቀቅ

Be careful where you walk

የት እንደሚራመዱ ይጠንቀቁ

In Practice

"Watch your step on the broken glass."

"Watch your step, it's dark in here."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to avoid tripping or hazards.

Hold on tight

/ሆልድ ኦን ታይት/

አጥብቀህ ያዝ

To grip something firmly

የሆነን ነገር አጥብቆ መያዝ

In Practice

"Hold on tight to the railing."

"The boat is shaking, hold on tight!"

Fluent Tip

Safety instruction during turbulence or movement.

Don't panic

/ዶንት ፓኒክ/

አትደናገጥ

Stay calm and do not feel sudden fear

ተረጋጋ እና ድንገተኛ ፍርሃት አይሰማህ

In Practice

"Don't panic, there is plenty of air."

"Please don't panic, follow the exit signs."

Fluent Tip

Common instruction to crowds.

Easy does it

/ኢዚ ደዝ ኢት/

ቀስ ብለህ / በዝግታ

Do something slowly and carefully

የሆነን ነገር በቀስታ እና በጥንቃቄ ማድረግ

In Practice

"Easy does it, don't drop the patient."

"Moving the car now, easy does it."

Fluent Tip

Instruction for delicate tasks.

Keep your distance

/ኪፕ ዩር ዲስታንስ/

ርቀትህን ጠብቅ

Stay away from something dangerous

ከአደገኛ ነገር ራቅ ብሎ መቆየት

In Practice

"Keep your distance from the downed power line."

"Officers told everyone to keep their distance."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to stay out of a danger zone.

Heads up

/ሄድስ አፕ/

ተጠንቀቅ (ለሚመጣ ነገር)

A warning that something is coming or happening

የሆነ ነገር እየመጣ ወይም እየሆነ መሆኑን የሚያሳይ ማስጠንቀቂያ

In Practice

"Heads up! Falling rock!"

"Just a heads up, the siren is about to go off."

Fluent Tip

Alerting others to a falling object or change.

Make way

/ሜይክ ዌይ/

መንገድ ልቀቁ

Clear the path for someone

ለአንድ ሰው መንገድ መክፈት

In Practice

"Make way for the ambulance!"

"Please make way, we have a stretcher."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to clear a physical path.

A ticking time bomb

/ኤ ቲኪንግ ታይም ቦምብ/

የሚቆጥር ቦምብ

A situation that is certain to become dangerous soon

በቅርቡ አደገኛ ሊሆን የሚችል ሁኔታ

In Practice

"That old dam is a ticking time bomb."

"The structural damage is a ticking time bomb."

Fluent Tip

Describes an imminent disaster.

Life hanging by a thread

/ላይፍ ሃንጊንግ ባይ ኤ ስሬድ/

ህይወት በክር ላይ ተንጠልጥላለች

To be in a very dangerous or critical condition

በጣም አደገኛ ወይም አሳሳቢ ሁኔታ ውስጥ መሆን

In Practice

"The victim's life is hanging by a thread."

"After the crash, he was hanging by a thread."

Fluent Tip

Describes extreme medical fragility.

Light at the end of the tunnel

/ላይት አት ዘ ኤንድ ኦፍ ዘ ታነል/

በመጨረሻ የሚታይ ተስፋ

A sign that a difficult situation is ending

አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ እያበቃ መሆኑን የሚያሳይ ምልክት

In Practice

"We see the light at the end of the tunnel with the rescue mission."

"The storm is passing; there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Fluent Tip

Used to provide hope.

Calm before the storm

/ካም ቢፎር ዘ ስቶርም/

ከማዕበል በፊት ያለ ፀጥታ

A peaceful period before a period of great activity or trouble

ከከፍተኛ ሁከት ወይም ችግር በፊት ያለ ሰላማዊ ጊዜ

In Practice

"The siren went off during the calm before the storm."

"Enjoy the quiet; it's the calm before the storm."

Fluent Tip

Warning of coming chaos.

Eye of the hurricane

/አይ ኦፍ ዘ ሃሪኬን/

የማዕበሉ መሃል (ለጊዜው ፀጥ ያለ)

A brief calm area in the middle of a disaster

በአደጋ መሃል ያለ አጭር የፀጥታ ቦታ

In Practice

"We are in the eye of the hurricane; move now!"

"It’s quiet, but we’re just in the eye of the hurricane."

Fluent Tip

Describes temporary safety in a crisis.

Walking on thin ice

/ዎኪንግ ኦን ሲን አይስ/

ቀጭን በረዶ ላይ መራመድ (አደገኛ ሁኔታ)

Being in a risky or unstable situation

በአደገኛ ወይም በማይታመን ሁኔታ ውስጥ መሆን

In Practice

"Entering that building is like walking on thin ice."

"You're walking on thin ice without a safety harness."

Fluent Tip

Warning about precarious situations.

Buried alive

/በሪድ አላይቭ/

በህይወት እያለ የተቀበረ

Trapped under debris or earth

በፍርስራሽ ወይም በአፈር ስር መታሰር

In Practice

"They were buried alive after the earthquake."

"Rescue teams are looking for anyone buried alive."

Fluent Tip

Literal or hyperbolic description of entrapment.

A mountain to climb

/ኤ ማውንተን ቱ ክላይም/

ከባድ ፈተና

A very difficult task ahead

ወደፊት ያለ በጣም አስቸጋሪ ስራ

In Practice

"The recovery effort is a mountain to climb."

"We have a mountain to climb to restore power."

Fluent Tip

Describes the scale of a recovery effort.

Under a cloud

/አንደር ኤ ክላውድ/

በጥቁር ጥላ ስር / በአስጊ ሁኔታ

In a state of suspicion or threat

በጥርጣሬ ወይም በዛቻ ሁኔታ ውስጥ

In Practice

"The whole city is under a cloud of toxic smoke."

"Safety standards are under a cloud after the fire."

Fluent Tip

Used for widespread environmental threats.

Fighting a losing battle

/ፋይቲንግ ኤ ሉዚንግ ባትል/

ሊያሸንፉት የማይችሉት ትግል

Trying to stop something that cannot be stopped

ሊቆም የማይችልን ነገር ለማቆም መሞከር

In Practice

"The firefighters were fighting a losing battle against the wind."

"Without water, we are fighting a losing battle."

Fluent Tip

Describes overwhelming odds.

A safety net

/ኤ ሴፍቲ ኔት/

የመከላከያ መረብ / መጠጊያ

A backup plan or protection in case of failure

ውድቀት ቢከሰት የሚሆን መጠባበቂያ እቅድ ወይም ጥበቃ

In Practice

"The backup generator is our safety net."

"Always have a safety net when climbing."

Fluent Tip

Refers to redundant safety systems.

In the line of fire

/ኢን ዘ ላይን ኦፍ ፋየር/

ለጥቃት ወይም ለአደጋ በሚያጋልጥ ቦታ

In a position where one is likely to be hurt

አንድ ሰው ሊጎዳ በሚችልበት ቦታ ላይ መሆን

In Practice

"Move out of the line of fire!"

"Don't put yourself in the line of fire."

Fluent Tip

Used for ballistic or physical hazards.

As quick as a flash

/አዝ ኩዊክ አዝ ኤ ፍላሽ/

እንደ ቅፅበታዊ ብርሃን ፈጣን

Very quickly

በጣም በፍጥነት

In Practice

"He reacted as quick as a flash."

"The ambulance arrived as quick as a flash."

Fluent Tip

Commending rapid response.

As steady as a rock

/አዝ ስቴዲ አዝ ኤ ሮክ/

እንደ ድንጋይ የጸና

Very firm and stable; not shaking

በጣም ጽኑ እና የተረጋጋ፤ የማይናወጥ

In Practice

"The surgeon's hands were as steady as a rock."

"Keep the ladder as steady as a rock."

Fluent Tip

Describing stability during a crisis.

Like a deer in headlights

/ላይክ ኤ ዲር ኢን ሄድላይትስ/

እንደ ግራ የተጋባ አጋዘን

Paralyzed by fear or surprise

በፍርሃት ወይም በድንገተኛ ሁኔታ መደንዘዝ

In Practice

"When the alarm went off, she stood there like a deer in headlights."

"Don't just stand like a deer in headlights; move!"

Fluent Tip

Describing someone frozen by panic.

Spread like wildfire

/ስፕሬድ ላይክ ዋይልድፋየር/

እንደ ሰደድ እሳት መሰራጨት

Spreading very quickly and uncontrollably

በጣም በፍጥነት እና ያለ ቁጥጥር መሰራጨት

In Practice

"The fire spread like wildfire through the dry grass."

"Rumors of the disaster spread like wildfire."

Fluent Tip

Describing the rapid expansion of a hazard.

Like finding a needle in a haystack

/ላይክ ፋይንዲንግ ኤ ኒድል ኢን ኤ ሄይስታክ/

በገለባ ውስጥ መርፌ የመፈለግ ያህል

Extremely difficult to find

ለማግኘት በጣም አስቸጋሪ

In Practice

"Searching for the hiker in the storm is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Finding the small leak was like finding a needle in a haystack."

Fluent Tip

Describing difficult search operations.

As white as a sheet

/አዝ ዋይት አዝ ኤ ሺት/

እንደ ነጭ ጨርቅ የነጣ (በፍርሃት)

Very pale because of fear or shock

በፍርሃት ወይም በድንጋጤ ምክንያት በጣም መንጣት

In Practice

"He went as white as a sheet when he saw the accident."

"Are you okay? You're as white as a sheet."

Fluent Tip

Describing a physical reaction to trauma.

As cool as a cucumber

/አዝ ኩል አዝ ኤ ኪውከምበር/

እጅግ የተረጋጋ

Very calm and composed especially under stress

በተለይ በጭንቀት ጊዜ በጣም የተረጋጋ መሆን

In Practice

"The pilot was as cool as a cucumber during the landing."

"She stayed as cool as a cucumber during the emergency call."

Fluent Tip

Complimenting emotional control.

Like a fish out of water

/ላይክ ኤ ፊሽ አውት ኦፍ ዋተር/

ከባህር እንደወጣ አሳ (የማይመች ሁኔታ)

Being in a situation one is not suited for

አንድ ሰው በማይመቸው ሁኔታ ውስጥ መሆን

In Practice

"Without my gear, I felt like a fish out of water in the rescue."

"He was like a fish out of water during the medical emergency."

Fluent Tip

Describing feeling unprepared.

As clear as day

/አዝ ክሊር አዝ ዴይ/

እንደ ቀን ግልፅ የሆነ

Very easy to understand or see

ለመረዳት ወይም ለማየት በጣም ቀላል

In Practice

"The exit instructions were as clear as day."

"The danger was as clear as day to everyone."

Fluent Tip

Importance of clear instructions.

As fast as lightning

/አዝ ፋስት አዝ ላይትኒንግ/

እንደ መብረቅ የፈጠነ

Extremely fast

በጣም ፈጣን

In Practice

"The fire suppression system worked as fast as lightning."

"He ran as fast as lightning to pull the alarm."

Fluent Tip

Describing high-speed systems or actions.

Like clockwork

/ላይክ ክሎክዎርክ/

እንደ ሰዓት ጥንቅቅ ያለ

Happening exactly as planned without problems

ያለ ምንም ችግር በትክክል እንደታቀደው መከሰት

In Practice

"The evacuation went like clockwork."

"The rescue team worked like clockwork."

Fluent Tip

Describing a successful operation.

As thin as a rail

/አዝ ሲን አዝ ኤ ሬይል/

በጣም ቀጭን

Used to describe victims of starvation or long-term entrapment

በረሃብ ወይም ለረጅም ጊዜ በመታሰር የተጎዱ ሰዎችን ለመግለጽ ያገለግላል

In Practice

"The survivor was as thin as a rail."

"He looked weak and as thin as a rail."

Fluent Tip

Describing the physical state of a victim.

Every second counts

/ኤቭሪ ሰከንድ ካውንትስ/

እያንዳንዱ ሰከንድ ዋጋ አለው

Time is extremely important and there is none to waste

ጊዜ እጅግ በጣም አስፈላጊ ነው እና የሚባክን ጊዜ የለም

In Practice

"Hurry up! Every second counts in a heart attack."

"Every second counts; don't stop for your belongings."

Fluent Tip

To urge immediate action.

A matter of life and death

/ኤ ማተር ኦፍ ላይፍ ኤንድ ዴዝ/

የሞትና የሽረት ጉዳይ

A situation that is extremely serious and involves the risk of dying

በጣም አሳሳቢ እና የመሞት አደጋ ያለበት ሁኔታ

In Practice

"Getting to the hospital is a matter of life and death."

"This decision is a matter of life and death."

Fluent Tip

To emphasize the severity of a situation.

Expect the unexpected

/ኤክስፔክት ዘ አንኤክስፔክትድ/

ያልተጠበቀውን ጠብቅ

Be prepared for surprises in a crisis

በአደጋ ጊዜ ለሚከሰቱ ድንገተኛ ነገሮች ተዘጋጅ

In Practice

"In a fire, you must expect the unexpected."

"Stay alert and expect the unexpected."

Fluent Tip

Advice for emergency responders.

Keep your eyes peeled

/ኪፕ ዩር አይዝ ፒልድ/

ዓይንህን በደንብ ግለጥ (ተከታተል)

To watch very carefully for something

የሆነን ነገር በጥንቃቄ መከታተል

In Practice

"Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of survivors."

"Keep your eyes peeled for the rescue helicopter."

Fluent Tip

Instruction to maintain observation.

At the eleventh hour

/አት ዘ ኢሌቨንዝ አወር/

በመጨረሻዋ ሰዓት

At the latest possible moment

በመጨረሻው ሊሆን በሚችል ቅጽበት

In Practice

"The rescue came at the eleventh hour."

"They were saved at the eleventh hour before the building collapsed."

Fluent Tip

Describes a very late intervention.

No time like the present

/ኖ ታይም ላይክ ዘ ፕረዘንት/

ከአሁኑ የተሻለ ጊዜ የለም

Now is the best time to act

አሁን እርምጃ ለመውሰድ የተሻለው ጊዜ ነው

In Practice

"We need to move; no time like the present."

"Start the backup pump; no time like the present."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging immediate action.

Accidents will happen

/አክሲደንትስ ዊል ሃፐን/

አደጋ ይከሰታል (አይቀሬ ነው)

Accidents are inevitable and cannot always be prevented

አደጋዎች የማይቀሩ ናቸው እና ሁልጊዜ መከላከል አይቻልም

In Practice

"Don't blame yourself; accidents will happen."

"Even with safety gear, accidents will happen."

Fluent Tip

Consolation after a minor mishap.

Safety first

/ሴፍቲ ፈርስት/

ቅድሚያ ለደህንነት

Safety is the most important consideration

ደህንነት ከሁሉም በላይ አስፈላጊው ጉዳይ ነው

In Practice

"Remember: safety first! Put on your mask."

"We can't go in yet; safety first."

Fluent Tip

Standard rule for any operation.

Spread thin

/ስፕሬድ ሲን/

ሀብትን/ሰው ኃይልን ማዳረስ (መበታተን)

To have too many things to do or too few resources

ብዙ የሚሰሩ ነገሮች ወይም በጣም ጥቂት ሀብቶች መኖር

In Practice

"The rescue crews are spread thin across the city."

"Our resources are spread thin by the multiple accidents."

Fluent Tip

Describing resource exhaustion.

Think fast

/ሲንክ ፋስት/

በፍጥነት አስብ

An instruction to act or decide immediately

ወዲያውኑ እርምጃ ለመውሰድ ወይም ለመወሰን የሚሰጥ ትዕዛዝ

In Practice

"Think fast! Catch the rope!"

"You have to think fast in this job."

Fluent Tip

Urging mental speed.

At all costs

/አት ኦል ኮስትስ/

በማንኛውም ዋጋ

Must be done regardless of the effort or risk

ምንም ዓይነት ጥረት ወይም አደጋ ቢኖርም መደረግ አለበት

In Practice

"We must prevent the leak at all costs."

"Save the patient at all costs."

Fluent Tip

Setting a non-negotiable goal.

Live to tell the tale

/ሊቭ ቱ ቴል ዘ ቴይል/

ተረፍክና ታሪኩን ለመናገር በቃህ

To survive a dangerous experience

ከአደገኛ ሁኔታ መትረፍ

In Practice

"He was lucky to live to tell the tale."

"We barely escaped, but we lived to tell the tale."

Fluent Tip

Used after surviving a major disaster.