The German word for emergency is der Notfall.
It refers to any critical situation that requires immediate action—medical, technical, personal, or otherwise.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and is key to understanding signs, instructions, and announcements.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Notfall.
Want help with gender patterns? Check out our video lesson for smart shortcuts.

Pronunciation:
Notfall is pronounced [NOHT-fahl]

• “NOHT” rhymes with note
• “fall” as in fall down
  Two syllables: NOHT-fall

Example sentences

Im Notfall rufen Sie bitte 112.
In case of emergency, please call 112.

Der Arzt wurde wegen eines Notfalls gerufen.
The doctor was called because of an emergency.

Das war ein echter Notfall – wir mussten sofort handeln.
That was a real emergency—we had to act immediately.

Nuance and usage tips

🚨 Notfall is used in all sorts of critical situations: medical (medizinischer Notfall), technical (technischer Notfall), or personal (familiärer Notfall).

🏥 Hospitals have a Notaufnahme (emergency room), and ambulances are part of the Notfalldienst.

📞 On German signage, Im Notfall is a common heading, especially near alarms, exits, or instructions.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Ich musste gehen, es war ein Notfall."
I had to leave—it was an emergency.

"Zum Glück war es kein echter Notfall."
Luckily, it wasn’t a real emergency.

"Im Notfall zählt jede Sekunde."
In an emergency, every second counts.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Mara: Was ist passiert?
Tim: Ein Notfall im Büro.
Mara: Alles okay?
Tim: Ja, aber es war ziemlich stressig.

Translation:
Mara: What happened?
Tim: An emergency at work.
Mara: Is everything okay?
Tim: Yeah, but it was pretty stressful.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Der Notfall war ernst.
The emergency was serious.

Accusative:
Ich habe den Notfall gemeldet.
I reported the emergency.

Dative:
Im Notfall helfen wir sofort.
In case of emergency, we help immediately.

Genitive:
Die Ursache des Notfalls ist noch unklar.
The cause of the emergency is still unclear.

Other ways to say emergency in German

There are no true synonyms for Notfall, but Krise (crisis) or Ernstfall (critical situation) can be used in specific contexts. Still, Notfall is the standard word used in emergency signs, plans, and services.

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll encounter Notfall in words like:

• Notruf – emergency call
• Notarzt – emergency doctor
• Notausgang – emergency exit
• Notdienst – emergency service
• Notfallnummer – emergency number

🧠 Fun fact: The word is a compound: Not (distress) + Fall (case/event). It literally means “case of distress.”

📘 Duden entry for Notfall:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Notfall
🎥 Want to prepare for any situation in German? Our video course teaches 1000 essential nouns—so you’re ready, even in a Notfall.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Probe means? Sometimes a Notfall interrupts one.
And what about Puppe? She might not help in a Notfall, but she’ll be there for comfort.

Also, do you know what Schildkröte means? What about Schlange?