appelez la police
The English phrase 'call the police' is translated into French as appelez la police.
In slangy contexts, you might hear the term les flics used to refer to the police.
Meaning: call the police (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the imperative verb appelez (call/summon) and the noun phrase la police (the police).
Which one should you use?
The form appelez la police uses the 'vous' imperative, making it suitable for addressing a group of people or a stranger in a formal context. In contrast, if you are speaking to one person you know well or a child, use appelle la police instead of appelez la police.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use appelle la police for a single person you know well or a child.
When do people say it?
17 is a local emergency number in France.
Did you know?
- The word police in French can also refer to a 'font' in typography, such as police de caractères.
- French street slang refers to the police as les poulets, which literally translates to 'the chickens'.
- While appelez la police is clear, a French speaker in an extreme emergency might simply scream Au voleur! (To the thief!) to signal that police assistance is needed.
Examples in context
- En cas d'urgence, appelez la police.In case of an emergency, call the police.This sentence shows how to use the phrase in the context of an emergency.Tatoeba #572735 by sacredceltic, translation #18797 by Swift
- Appelez la police.Call the police.This is a direct way to say 'Call the police'.Tatoeba #10678613 by AutoBot, translation #2245030 by CK
- Appelez la police !Call the police!This is an emphatic way to say 'Call the police!'Tatoeba #3538 by le_petit_ane_gris, translation #1718 by CK
- Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous appeler la police s'il vous plaît?Excuse me, can you please call the police?
- Hey, appelle les flics, il y a un problème ici!Hey, call the police, there's a problem here!
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé witness a car accident on the street.
- NathanRegarde ! Il y a eu un accident.Look! There has been an accident.
- ChloéOh non, appelez la police vite !Oh no, call the police quickly!
- NathanJe le fais tout de suite, Chloé.I am doing it right now, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci, Nathan. Dépêche-toi.Thank you, Nathan. Hurry up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “call the police” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
