密码 (mìmǎ)

密码 means password or secret code. It is used for login passwords, PIN codes, and secret codes in general. It is an extremely common word in the digital age and also appears in historical or spy-related contexts to mean cipher or code.

Meanings

[noun] password; a secret string of characters for authentication
[noun] code; a secret cipher or encrypted message

Example Sentences

请不要把密码告诉别人。 Qǐng bùyào bǎ mìmǎ gàosù biéren. Please do not tell others your password.

我忘记了银行卡的密码。 Wǒ wàngjì le yínhángkǎ de mìmǎ. I forgot the bank card PIN.

你的密码太简单了，容易被猜到。 Nǐ de mìmǎ tài jiǎndān le, róngyì bèi cāidào. Your password is too simple; it is easy to guess.

设置密码时要包含数字和字母。 Shèzhì mìmǎ shí yào bāohán shùzì hé zìmǔ. When setting a password, include both numbers and letters.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
设置密码	to set a password
忘记密码	to forget a password
修改密码	to change a password
密码错误	password is wrong

Usage Notes

密码 covers both digital passwords and physical PIN codes. For a door lock combination, Chinese speakers say 门锁密码 or 开锁密码. In cryptography, 密码 also means cipher. The adjective 密 means "secret/close," so 密码 literally means "secret code." Do not confuse with 验证码 (yànzhèngmǎ), which specifically means "verification code" (captcha or SMS code).

Memory Hook

密 (secret/close) + 码 (code/number): a secret number — your password.