号码

• Pinyin: hào mǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 号 = 口 (mouth) + 丂 (crooked) — originally a command or call, extended to mean a number; 码 = 石 (stone) + 马 (horse, phonetic) — counting stones, meaning digits

Meaning

Number; code. A sequence of digits used for identification, such as phone numbers, room numbers, or serial numbers.

An extremely common everyday word. Common collocations include 电话号码 (phone number), 手机号码 (mobile number), 房间号码 (room number), and 身份证号码 (ID card number). Also used for seat numbers, ticket numbers, and any identifying numerical sequence.

Examples

1. 你的手机号码是多少？ What is your mobile phone number?
2. 我把他的电话号码记在了本子上。 I wrote down his phone number in my notebook.
3. 请告诉我你的房间号码。 Please tell me your room number.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, communication, identification

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 你能给我你的手机号码吗？(Can you give me your mobile number?)
• 这个号码打不通。(This number can't get through.)

Don't Say

• 我的号码是小明 (Don't use 号码 for names — 号码 is strictly for numerical sequences; use 名字 for names)

Origin & History

号 (hào, number/mark) + 码 (mǎ, code/digit) — combining 'mark' with 'code' to mean an identifying number sequence.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal