Nobody plans a visit to a police station, which is exactly why the vocabulary should be learned in advance rather than improvised under stress.
Introduction
- ఫిర్యాదు (phiryādu) = complaint. ఫిర్యాదు చేయాలి = “I want to file a complaint.”
- Ask for the ఎఫ్ఐఆర్ (FIR) copy — it is your legal record and you are entitled to it free.
- Emergency numbers: 112 (all), 100 (police), 1091 (women), 1098 (child).
Whether you have lost a wallet, need a passport verification or want to report an incident, the interaction follows a predictable script in Telugu
Tone matters more here than in any other setting in this course. Telugu police stations run on formality and respect: సార్ and మేడమ్ are standard address, the honorific -ండి ending is expected on every request, and the casual నువ్వు would be a serious misstep
This lesson covers reporting a loss or theft, describing what happened, requesting an FIR, verification visits, and the phrases that keep a difficult conversation calm and clear
Vocabulary & Usage
2. Reporting a Loss or Theft
3. Answering Their Questions
The officer will ask these. Prepare your answers in advance
4. Staying Calm and Polite
Sorry, I don’t speak Telugu well క్షమించండి, నాకు తెలుగు సరిగ్గా రాదు Kṣamiñchaṇḍi, nāku telugu sariggā rādu
You: నమస్కారం సార్, ఫిర్యాదు చేయాలి. Namaskāraṁ sār, phiryādu chēyāli. Hello sir, I want to file a complaint
Officer: ఏం జరిగింది? చెప్పండి. Ēṁ jarigindi? Cheppaṇḍi. What happened? Tell me
You: నా ఫోన్ పోయింది. నిన్న సాయంత్రం బస్లో. Nā phōn pōyindi. Ninna sāyantraṁ baslō. My phone is lost. Yesterday evening, on the bus
Officer: ఐఎంఈఐ నంబర్ ఉందా? AIEMĪAI nambar undā? Do you have the IMEI number?
You: ఉంది సార్, బిల్లు తెచ్చాను. Undi sār, billu techchānu. Yes sir, I brought the bill
Officer: దరఖాస్తు నింపి సంతకం చేయండి. Darakhāstu niṁpi santakaṁ chēyaṇḍi. Fill the form and sign
You: ఎఫ్ఐఆర్ కాపీ ఇస్తారా? EPHĪĀR kāpī istārā? Will you give me the FIR copy?
💡 Tips & Common Mistakes
- Two words carry this lesson. ఫిర్యాదు is phir-yā-du — three beats, the ph aspirated, and Telugu keeps that final -u where English would drop it. దొంగతనం is doṅ-ga-ta-naṁ : the ం nasalises the first syllable through the nose. Also note ప్రమాదం (accident) begins with a ప్ర cluster — both consonants sound, no vowel between them
⚠️ Pronunciation Errors
- ఫిర్యాదు → “firyad” ❌ — keep the final -u.
- దొంగ → “donga” with a hard g ❌ — the ం nasalises; it flows through the nose.
- సహాయం rushed to two beats ❌ — three: sa-hā-yaṁ, middle vowel long.
- ప్రమాదం → “paramadam” ❌ — no vowel inside ప్ర.
- సంతకం → “santakam” with a hard m ❌ — the final ం is a gentle nasal close.
💡 Native Speaker Tip
- Address every officer as సార్ or మేడమ్ — this is universal and expected, not deferential. State your problem in one clear sentence, then stop and let them ask. Rambling makes the process slower. If you are told రేపు రండి (“come tomorrow”), politely ask ఎన్ని గంటలకు సార్? to fix a time. And always request the FIR copy explicitly with ఎఫ్ఐఆర్ కాపీ ఇవ్వండి — you are legally entitled to it at no cost.
🪴 Cultural Notes
🪴 Cultural Notes
- For lost documents and phones, many people first file an online complaint through the Telangana or AP police portal, then visit the station with the printout — this speeds things up considerably. Women’s help desks (మహిళా హెల్ప్ డెస్క్) operate at most urban stations. A పోలీస్ వెరిఫికేషన్ visit for passports is routine: the constable comes to your address, checks ID and takes a neighbour’s signature as witness.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Using నువ్వు with any officer ❌ — always మీరు and సార్/మేడమ్.
- Leaving without the FIR copy — insist politely; it is your legal record.
- Confusing ఫిర్యాదు (complaint) with ఫిరాయింపు — completely different words.
- Guessing details you are unsure about — say ఖచ్చితంగా తెలియదు (“I don’t know exactly”).
- Raising your voice — calm, slow Telugu gets far better results than fluent, agitated English.
Practice & Quiz
✍️ Practice & Quiz
- Answers: 2. దొంగతనం — 3. నిన్న సాయంత్రం బస్ స్టాండ్ దగ్గర జరిగింది. — 4. ఎఫ్ఐఆర్ కాపీ ఇవ్వండి
- Say aloud: “I want to file a complaint” and “My wallet is lost.”
- Fill in: నా ఫోన్ ___ అయింది.
- Translate: “It happened yesterday evening near the bus stand.”
- How do you politely ask for the FIR copy?
- Write a four-line dialogue reporting a lost bag.
- What does ఫిర్యాదు mean? → Complaint
- Translate: నా పర్సు పోయింది → My wallet is lost
- Which national number covers all emergencies? → 112
- How do you say “thief”? → దొంగ
- What is the polite address for an officer? → సార్ / మేడమ్