French word

ambulance

Pronunciation

IPA/ɑ̃bylɑ̃s/

Meaning

  • feminine nounambulance

Example

Nous avons appelé une ambulance.

We called an ambulance.

Illustration for ambulance (ambulance)

More examples

L'ambulance est arrivée rapidement.

The ambulance arrived quickly.

Core concept

A medical vehicle that can give emergency care while carrying a patient to a hospital.

Common phrases

  • appeler une ambulance

    call for an ambulance

Similar words

véhicule de secours: A vehicle dispatched for urgent rescue work and on-site first aid.
véhicule sanitaire: A vehicle built for medical use or the transportation of patients.
camion de pompiers: A large vehicle operated by firefighters for fire control and rescue work.
brancard: A portable bed used to move an injured or ill person while lying down.

Definition in French

Véhicule sanitaire équipé d'appareils médicaux permettant de prodiguer des soins d'urgence et d'acheminer un patient vers un centre hospitalier.

Word origin

French ambulance comes from ambulant, from Latin ambulare, meaning 'to walk' or 'to move', and first referred to a mobile medical service.

Usage tips

  • Ambulance is feminine in French, so the usual phrase is une ambulance and the example uses appeler une ambulance.

Related words

Word lists with this word