German Phrase
Ruf den Notruf an.
Meaning
A direct, urgent instruction to call the emergency services. In Germany the emergency number is 112, so the phrase essentially means ‘Dial the emergency number now.’
When to use
Use this phrase in a crisis—fire, accident, medical emergency—when you need someone to contact the authorities immediately.
✦Grammar Breakdown
RufdenNotrufan.
Imperative (du)
For regular verbs, the du‑imperative is the verb stem alone; here 'Ruf' is the imperative of 'rufen'.
Separable verb 'anrufen'
The prefix 'an' detaches and moves to the end of the clause in the imperative: Ruf … an.
Accusative object
'den Notruf' is masculine singular in the accusative case, the direct object of the verb.
Punctuation
The period belongs to the whole sentence, not to the final token.
🗨In Conversation
Ein Feuer brennt im Keller!
There's a fire in the basement!
Ruf den Notruf an.
Call the emergency number.
✕Common Mistakes
Ruf den Notruf.
Missing the separable prefix ‘an’; without it the sentence means ‘call the emergency call’ which is ungrammatical.
Ruf der Notruf an.
‘Notruf’ is masculine, but in the accusative it takes the article ‘den’. Using ‘der’ is a case error.
Rufen Sie den Notruf an.
While grammatically correct for formal address, beginners often forget to add the ‘-en’ ending to the verb stem in the formal imperative.
↔Alternatives
Ruf die Notrufnummer an.
Call the emergency number.
Ruf 112 an.
Dial 112.
Bitte ruf den Notruf an.
Please call the emergency number.
Ruf sofort den Notruf an.
Call the emergency number right away.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the universal emergency number is 112, which works for police, fire brigade, and ambulance. It can be dialed from any phone, even without a SIM card. When you call, stay calm, state the location clearly, and answer the operator’s questions. Adding ‘Bitte’ (please) softens the command, but in a life‑or‑death situation the short imperative is perfectly acceptable.