Call 118! (ambulance)
'Centodiciotto' = chen-toh-dee-CHOT-toh. Say it as one word. Alternatively just say 'il centodiciotto'.
Shout this to bystanders when someone is injured and you cannot call yourself. 118 is the ambulance/medical emergency number in Italy.
118 is Italy's dedicated medical emergency number — equivalent to 911 in the US or 999 in the UK for ambulances. The European 112 also dispatches ambulances but 118 connects directly to medical dispatch. Always mention injuries explicitly so the operator sends paramedics, not just police.
Qualcuno chiami un'ambulanza!
Someone call an ambulance!
Subjunctive 'chiami' — elegant imperative for calling on anyone present.
Abbiamo bisogno di un'ambulanza urgentemente.
We need an ambulance urgently.
Calmer phrasing for when you are making the call yourself.
C'è bisogno di soccorsi medici immediati.
Immediate medical help is needed.
Formal — useful when speaking to a dispatcher.
In Italy, bystanders who witness an accident are legally expected to call emergency services (obbligo di soccorso). Actively refusing to help or call when someone's life is at risk can constitute 'omissione di soccorso', a criminal offence.