mìmǎ: 密码 - Password, Code, Cipher

• Keywords: mima, mi ma, mima meaning, 密码, 密码 meaning, password in Chinese, Chinese word for password, PIN in Chinese, Wi-Fi password Chinese, secret code Chinese.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word for “password,” 密码 (mìmǎ). This guide explains how to use 密码 for everything from Wi-Fi and social media to ATM PINs and secret codes. We'll break down the characters 密 (mì) and 码 (mǎ), explore its straightforward use in modern digital China, and provide dozens of practical example sentences. Whether you need to ask for a password, reset one, or understand payment security, this page is your key to mastering 密码 (mìmǎ).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): mìmǎ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A secret sequence of characters or digits used to access something securely.
• In a Nutshell: 密码 (mìmǎ) is the all-purpose Chinese word for what English speakers call a password, PIN, passcode, or combination. It's a highly practical and modern term used for securing digital accounts (like email or WeChat), financial information (like ATM access), and even physical things (like a door lock). Think of it as the “secret code” you need to prove who you are or to gain entry.

• 密 (mì): This character means “secret,” “confidential,” or “dense.” It evokes a sense of something hidden and not for public knowledge.
• 码 (mǎ): In modern Chinese, this character most often means “code” or “number.” It can also refer to things used for measuring or counting. It's composed of the “stone” radical (石) and the “horse” radical (马), which provides the sound.

When you combine 密 (secret) and 码 (code/number), you get 密码—a “secret code,” which is a perfect and literal description of a password.

Unlike culturally deep words like 关系 (guānxi) or 面子 (miànzi), 密码 (mìmǎ) is a modern, functional term with little historical baggage. Its significance lies not in ancient philosophy, but in its ubiquity in 21st-century China. In the West, we often use different words for different types of secret codes:

• Password: For a computer, website, or email account (usually alphanumeric).
• PIN (Personal Identification Number): For a bank card (usually 4-6 digits).
• Combination / Code: For a lock or a safe.

In Chinese, 密码 (mìmǎ) elegantly covers almost all of these scenarios. This linguistic simplicity reflects the rapid, all-encompassing nature of China's digital revolution. With mobile payments (Alipay, WeChat Pay), ubiquitous e-commerce, and shared bike schemes all requiring some form of access code, 密码 has become one of the most frequently used nouns in daily urban life. Its cultural importance is tied directly to the digital infrastructure that modern China runs on.

密码 is a neutral term used in all contexts, from casual conversation to formal banking instructions.

• Digital & Online Life: This is the most common context. You use a 密码 to log into your phone, computer, email, social media (like WeChat or Weibo), and any online service.
• Finance & Payments: When you use an ATM, you enter your 取款密码 (qǔkuǎn mìmǎ), or “withdrawal password.” When you pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay, you enter your 支付密码 (zhīfù mìmǎ), or “payment password.”
• Physical Security: The code for a keyless door entry system or a luggage lock is also called a 密码.

• Example 1:
  • 请问，这里的Wi-Fi密码是什么？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, zhèlǐ de Wi-Fi mìmǎ shì shénme?
  • English: Excuse me, what is the Wi-Fi password here?
  • Analysis: This is one of the most useful travel phrases you can learn. It's a polite and direct way to ask for Wi-Fi access in a café, hotel, or airport.
• Example 2:
  • 我忘了我的邮箱密码，需要重设一下。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ wàngle wǒ de yóuxiāng mìmǎ, xūyào chóngshè yīxià.
  • English: I forgot my email password, I need to reset it.
  • Analysis: A very common real-life situation. `重设 (chóngshè)` means “to reset.”
• Example 3:
  • 你的密码太简单了，很容易被猜到。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de mìmǎ tài jiǎndān le, hěn róngyì bèi cāidào.
  • English: Your password is too simple, it can be easily guessed.
  • Analysis: `被 (bèi)` is used here to form a passive sentence, “to be guessed.” This is a great sentence for talking about cybersecurity.
• Example 4:
  • 请输入您的六位数支付密码。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng shūrù nín de liù wèi shù zhīfù mìmǎ.
  • English: Please enter your six-digit payment password.
  • Analysis: This is formal language you would see on a payment screen. `六位数 (liù wèi shù)` means “six-digit number,” and `支付密码 (zhīfù mìmǎ)` is the specific term for a payment PIN.
• Example 5:
  • 为了安全，不要把你的密码告诉任何人。
  • Pinyin: Wèile ānquán, bùyào bǎ nǐ de mìmǎ gàosù rènhé rén.
  • English: For safety, don't tell your password to anyone.
  • Analysis: `为了 (wèile)` means “for the purpose of” or “in order to.” `把 (bǎ)` is used to bring the object (`你的密码`) before the verb (`告诉`).
• Example 6:
  • 我试了三次错误的密码，现在账户被锁定了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ shìle sāncì cuòwù de mìmǎ, xiànzài zhànghù bèi suǒdìng le.
  • English: I tried the wrong password three times, and now the account is locked.
  • Analysis: `被锁定 (bèi suǒdìng)` means “to be locked.” This shows a cause-and-effect relationship.
• Example 7:
  • 你需要一个用户名和一个密码来登录这个网站。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào yīgè yònghùmíng hé yīgè mìmǎ lái dēnglù zhège wǎngzhàn.
  • English: You need a username and a password to log into this website.
  • Analysis: Shows the relationship between `用户名 (yònghùmíng)` - username, `密码 (mìmǎ)` - password, and `登录 (dēnglù)` - to log in.
• Example 8:
  • 这个保险箱的密码只有老板知道。
  • Pinyin: Zhège bǎoxiǎnxiāng de mìmǎ zhǐyǒu lǎobǎn zhīdào.
  • English: Only the boss knows the password (combination) to this safe.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates that `密码` can also be used for a physical object like a safe (`保险箱`).
• Example 9:
  • 我的手机密码是我儿子的生日。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī mìmǎ shì wǒ érzi de shēngrì.
  • English: My phone passcode is my son's birthday.
  • Analysis: A simple, conversational sentence. Note how “passcode” is also translated as `密码`.
• Example 10:
  • 每次付款前，系统都会要求你确认密码。
  • Pinyin: Měi cì fùkuǎn qián, xìtǒng dōu huì yāoqiú nǐ quèrèn mìmǎ.
  • English: Before every payment, the system will ask you to confirm your password.
  • Analysis: `系统 (xìtǒng)` is “system,” and `要求 (yāoqiú)` means “to require” or “to demand.” This is typical language used in app instructions.

• Don't Differentiate, Just Use 密码: The most common mistake for English speakers is trying to find separate Chinese words for “password,” “PIN,” and “passcode.” In 99% of daily situations, 密码 (mìmǎ) is the correct and most natural word for all of them. Resist the urge to over-complicate it.
• 密码 (mìmǎ) vs. 代码 (dàimǎ): While both can be translated as “code,” they are not interchangeable.
  • 密码 (mìmǎ) is a secret code for access/security.
  • 代码 (dàimǎ) is code in a non-secret, systematic sense, like computer code (`计算机代码`), a bar code (`条形码`), or a postal code (`邮政编码`).
  • Incorrect Usage: `我的电脑程序有很多密码。` (Wǒ de diànnǎo chéngxù yǒu hěnduō mìmǎ.) This incorrectly says “My computer program has a lot of passwords.”
  • Correct Usage: `我的电脑程序有很多代码。` (Wǒ de diànnǎo chéngxù yǒu hěnduō dàimǎ.) “My computer program has a lot of code.”
• Not for Figurative “Codes”: In English, we might talk about a “moral code” or a “dress code.” 密码 cannot be used this way. It is almost always a literal, technical term for a security credential.

• 账号 (zhànghào) - Account / Account Name. What you use with your 密码.
• 用户名 (yònghùmíng) - Username. More specific than `账号`.
• 验证码 (yànzhèngmǎ) - Verification Code. The temporary code (often 4-6 digits) sent to your phone or email to prove you're you. Literally “verify code.”
• 代码 (dàimǎ) - Code (programming code, bar code). A system, not a secret.
• 登录 (dēnglù) - To Log In / Sign In. The action of using your 密码.
• 注册 (zhùcè) - To Register / Sign Up. The process of creating an account and a 密码.
• 支付密码 (zhīfù mìmǎ) - Payment Password. The specific PIN used for financial transactions on apps like Alipay or WeChat Pay.
• 解锁 (jiěsuǒ) - To Unlock. The action of opening a phone, door, or device, often by entering a 密码.
• 密钥 (mìyào) - Secret Key / Encryption Key. A more technical term used in cryptography. Literally “secret key.”
• 口令 (kǒulìng) - Command / Spoken Password. An older term, sometimes used for a verbal password or command (like “Open Sesame!”). Less common for digital passwords today.