A simple illustration of a bright red and white emergency ambulance with flashing blue lights, representing emergency services.

sam

/sam/

AcronymmC1

Municipal Assistance Service?Acronym for 'Servicio de Asistencia Municipal'

Also:Emergency Medical Services (EMS)?Functional equivalent in many English-speaking countries

📝 In Action

Llama al SAM si ves un accidente.

Call the SAM (Municipal Assistance Service) if you see an accident.

Una ambulancia del SAM llegó en cinco minutos.

An ambulance from the SAM arrived in five minutes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

emergencias (emergencies)

Common Collocations

llamar al SAM – to call the SAM
ambulancia del SAM – SAM ambulance

💡 Grammar Points

Acronyms as Nouns

SAM is an acronym that acts like a regular masculine noun. That's why you see 'el SAM' or 'un SAM', using the words for 'the' or 'a' that go with masculine things.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing with the Name 'Sam'

Mistake: "Thinking 'sam' is a common word or name."

Correction: In Spanish, 'sam' almost always refers to the acronym for the emergency services, not the name 'Sam', which is much less common than in English.

⭐ Usage Tips

A Spain-Specific Term

This acronym is primarily used in Spain, particularly associated with Madrid's services (SAMUR-Protección Civil). In other Spanish-speaking countries, you'll hear different terms like 'servicio de ambulancias' or 'emergencias médicas'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: sam

Question 1 of 1

If you are in Madrid and someone says, '¡Rápido, llama al SAM!', what should you do?

📚 More Resources

Words that Rhyme with sam

islam

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'SAM' used all over the Spanish-speaking world?

No, 'SAM' is very specific to Spain, and even there, it's often associated with the services in Madrid known as SAMUR. In other countries, you would use more general terms like 'ambulancia', 'emergencias', or the local emergency number (like 911).