How to Say “There is a gas leak” in Chinese
Emergencies and health · HSK 4
"There is a gas leak" in Chinese is 煤气泄漏了 (Méiqì xièlòu le). Older Chinese apartments use 煤气 (méiqì), originally 'coal gas,' which is now the everyday word for any piped gas. Newer buildings actually run on 天然气 (tiānránqì, natural gas), but in conversation almost everyone still says 煤气; your landlord will too.
Primary translation
煤气泄漏了
Méiqì xièlòu le
Traditional: 煤氣洩漏了
Variants by register
Formal
发生了天然气泄漏
Fāshēng le tiānránqì xièlòu
Casual
漏煤气了
Lòu méiqì le
When to use it
Older Chinese apartments use 煤气 (méiqì), originally 'coal gas,' which is now the everyday word for any piped gas. Newer buildings actually run on 天然气 (tiānránqì, natural gas), but in conversation almost everyone still says 煤气; your landlord will too. The casual flip 漏煤气了 (lòu méiqì le) puts the verb first and is what you'd shout to a neighbor. The emergency number for gas leaks in Mainland China is 95598 for the gas company, but in any real emergency just dial 119 (fire department); they handle gas leaks too.
Example sentences
厨房里煤气泄漏了，快关阀门！
Chúfáng lǐ méiqì xièlòu le, kuài guān fámén!
There's a gas leak in the kitchen; shut the valve quickly!
我闻到煤气味，可能是漏煤气了。
Wǒ wéndào méiqì wèi, kěnéng shì lòu méiqì le.
I smell gas; there might be a leak.
请马上撤离，这栋楼发生了天然气泄漏。
Qǐng mǎshàng chèlí, zhè dòng lóu fāshēng le tiānránqì xièlòu.
Please evacuate immediately; there's a gas leak in this building.