How to Say “Fire alarm” in Chinese
Emergencies and health · HSK 3
"Fire alarm" in Chinese is 火警 (Huǒjǐng). 火警 (huǒjǐng) literally means 'fire alert' and refers both to the fire alarm system and to the fire emergency service itself; in China, 119 is the fire emergency number (easy mnemonic: the numbers 1-1-9 look like flames). The alarm device is 火警警报器 (huǒjǐng jǐngbàoqì) or 烟雾报警器 (smoke detector).
Primary translation
火警
Huǒjǐng
Variants by register
Formal
火警警报器已响，请立即疏散。
Huǒjǐng jǐngbàoqì yǐ xiǎng, qǐng lìjí shūsàn.
Casual
着火了！快跑！
Zháohuǒ le! Kuài pǎo!
When to use it
火警 (huǒjǐng) literally means 'fire alert' and refers both to the fire alarm system and to the fire emergency service itself; in China, 119 is the fire emergency number (easy mnemonic: the numbers 1-1-9 look like flames). The alarm device is 火警警报器 (huǒjǐng jǐngbàoqì) or 烟雾报警器 (smoke detector). If you hear one go off, the common shout is 着火了 (zháohuǒ le, 'fire!'); note 着 is pronounced zháo here, not zhe or zhāo. Most Chinese high-rises have 安全出口 (ānquán chūkǒu, emergency exit) signs in green with a running figure.
Example sentences
火警响了，大家赶快从楼梯撤离！
Huǒjǐng xiǎng le, dàjiā gǎnkuài cóng lóutī chèlí!
The fire alarm is going off, everyone evacuate via the stairs quickly!
中国的火警电话是119。
Zhōngguó de huǒjǐng diànhuà shì yāo yāo jiǔ.
China's fire emergency number is 119.
这只是演习，不是真的火警。
Zhè zhǐshì yǎnxí, bùshì zhēn de huǒjǐng.
This is just a drill, not a real fire alarm.