yànzhèngmǎ: 验证码 - Verification Code, CAPTCHA

• Keywords: yanzhengma, 验证码, Chinese verification code, Chinese CAPTCHA, what is yanzhengma, SMS verification China, text message code Chinese, sign up for Chinese app, receive verification code, 手机验证码
• Summary: A 验证码 (yànzhèngmǎ) is a “verification code” or “CAPTCHA,” an essential term for navigating the modern Chinese internet. Usually a short string of numbers sent via SMS, it's required for nearly every online activity in China, from logging into apps like WeChat to making payments and registering for services. Understanding yànzhèngmǎ is crucial for anyone wanting to use Chinese digital platforms, as it's a key security step tied to the country's real-name registration system.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yànzhèngmǎ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A one-time code used to confirm a user's identity or action online.
• In a Nutshell: A `验证码` is that temporary code you receive, most often as a text message, when you're trying to log in, sign up, or make a payment on a Chinese website or app. It acts as a security check to prove you are who you say you are, and it's far more common in China than in the West.

• 验 (yàn): To test, inspect, or verify. Think of an “examination” or “experiment.”
• 证 (zhèng): Proof, evidence, or certificate. It's the character used in “evidence” (证据 zhèngjù).
• 码 (mǎ): A code or number. It's the same character in “password” (密码 mìmǎ) and “QR code” (二维码 èrwéimǎ).

These characters combine very logically to mean a “verify-proof-code”—a code that provides proof for verification.

The `验证码` isn't just a piece of tech jargon; it's a cornerstone of China's digital infrastructure, and its prevalence reveals a key difference between the Chinese and Western internet. In the West, we encounter CAPTCHAs (“I'm not a robot” boxes) and occasionally use SMS codes for two-factor authentication. In China, the SMS-based `验证码` is the default for almost everything. This is largely due to two factors: 1. Mobile-First Society: China's internet boom was driven by smartphones, not desktop computers. SMS is a native, universal function on every phone, making it the easiest and most accessible security method. 2. Real-Name Authentication (实名认证 shímíng rènzhèng): Chinese regulations require most online services to link accounts to a real identity. Since all Chinese phone numbers are legally tied to a citizen's national ID card (身份证 shēnfènzhèng), using an SMS `验证码` sent to that number became the government and tech companies' preferred way to verify a user's real identity. This makes having a Chinese phone number a near-essential key to unlocking digital life in China, from ordering food and buying train tickets to using social media.

You will encounter the term `验证码` constantly when performing these actions:

• Account Registration (注册 zhùcè): The first step for any new app or website.
• Logging In (登录 dēnglù): Many apps use a passwordless login method that relies solely on a `验证码` sent to your phone.
• Password Reset (重置密码 chóngzhì mìmǎ): A standard security procedure.
• Online Payments (在线支付 zàixiàn zhīfù): A final confirmation step before your money is transferred through Alipay or WeChat Pay.
• Linking Bank Cards (绑定银行卡 bǎngdìng yínhángkǎ): To prove you own the bank account you're trying to connect.

There are a few common types:

• 短信验证码 (duǎnxìn yànzhèngmǎ): The most common type, an SMS/text message code.
• 语音验证码 (yǔyīn yànzhèngmǎ): A voice call that reads the code aloud to you, often an option if the SMS fails.
• 图形验证码 (túxíng yànzhèngmǎ): An image-based CAPTCHA, with distorted letters or numbers you must type out.

• Example 1:
  • 请输入您收到的验证码。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng shūrù nín shōudào de yànzhèngmǎ.
  • English: Please enter the verification code you received.
  • Analysis: This is the most common instruction you will see on a login or payment screen. `请输入 (qǐng shūrù)` means “please input/enter.”
• Example 2:
  • 我没收到验证码，可以重新发送吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ méi shōudào yànzhèngmǎ, kěyǐ chóngxīn fāsòng ma?
  • English: I didn't receive the verification code, can you resend it?
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence. `重新发送 (chóngxīn fāsòng)` means “to send again” or “resend.”
• Example 3:
  • 验证码错误，请重新输入。
  • Pinyin: Yànzhèngmǎ cuòwù, qǐng chóngxīn shūrù.
  • English: The verification code is incorrect, please re-enter it.
  • Analysis: `错误 (cuòwù)` is a formal way to say “error” or “incorrect.” `重新输入 (chóngxīn shūrù)` means “re-enter.”
• Example 4:
  • 验证码将在60秒后失效。
  • Pinyin: Yànzhèngmǎ jiāng zài liùshí miǎo hòu shīxiào.
  • English: The verification code will expire in 60 seconds.
  • Analysis: `失效 (shīxiào)` means “to become invalid” or “to expire.” You'll often see a countdown timer next to this text.
• Example 5:
  • 为了您的账户安全，本次操作需要短信验证码。
  • Pinyin: Wèile nín de zhànghù ānquán, běn cì cāozuò xūyào duǎnxìn yànzhèngmǎ.
  • English: For your account's security, this operation requires an SMS verification code.
  • Analysis: This explains the reason for the code. `账户安全 (zhànghù ānquán)` means “account security.”
• Example 6:
  • 如果收不到短信，请尝试语音验证码。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ shōu bu dào duǎnxìn, qǐng chángshì yǔyīn yànzhèngmǎ.
  • English: If you can't receive the SMS, please try the voice verification code.
  • Analysis: This shows the two main types. `语音 (yǔyīn)` means “voice.” `收不到 (shōu bu dào)` is the negative potential form, meaning “unable to receive.”
• Example 7:
  • 你的验证码是什么？快点，要过期了！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de yànzhèngmǎ shì shénme? Kuài diǎn, yào guòqī le!
  • English: What's your verification code? Hurry up, it's about to expire!
  • Analysis: An informal, conversational example. `过期 (guòqī)` is a more common way to say “expire” in conversation than the formal `失效 (shīxiào)`.
• Example 8:
  • 验证码已发送至您的手机，请注意查收。
  • Pinyin: Yànzhèngmǎ yǐ fāsòng zhì nín de shǒujī, qǐng zhùyì chāshōu.
  • English: The verification code has been sent to your mobile phone, please check for it.
  • Analysis: `已发送 (yǐ fāsòng)` means “has been sent.” `请注意查收 (qǐng zhùyì chāshōu)` is a polite, standard phrase meaning “please be sure to check and receive it.”
• Example 9:
  • 这是验证码，不是你的登录密码，不要搞混了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yànzhèngmǎ, búshì nǐ de dēnglù mìmǎ, búyào gǎo hùn le.
  • English: This is a verification code, not your login password, don't mix them up.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly addresses the most common point of confusion for beginners. `搞混 (gǎo hùn)` means “to mix up” or “to confuse.”
• Example 10:
  • 你需要先输入这个图形验证码，然后才能获取短信验证码。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào xiān shūrù zhège túxíng yànzhèngmǎ, ránhòu cáinéng huòqǔ duǎnxìn yànzhèngmǎ.
  • English: You need to first enter this image CAPTCHA, and only then can you get the SMS verification code.
  • Analysis: This shows a two-step verification process common on some sites to prevent spam bots from requesting SMS codes. `获取 (huòqǔ)` is a formal word for “to obtain” or “get.”

The biggest pitfall for learners is confusing `验证码` with `密码 (mìmǎ)`.

• `验证码 (yànzhèngmǎ)`: A temporary, one-time code. It is sent to you by the service, changes every time, and usually expires quickly.
• `密码 (mìmǎ)`: A permanent, secret password. You create it yourself, it stays the same until you change it, and you must never share it.

Incorrect Usage: A friend asks for help logging in and you say:

❌ “请告诉我你的验证码。” (Qǐng gàosù wǒ nǐ de yànzhèngmǎ.) - “Please tell me your verification code.”

This is technically correct if you are helping them right at that moment. However, if you meant to ask for their password, you are using the wrong word. The correct word for password is `密码 (mìmǎ)`.

✅ “你的密码是什么？” (Nǐ de mìmǎ shì shénme?) - “What is your password?”

Practical Pitfall for Foreigners: Many Chinese apps and websites only allow registration with a +86 Chinese phone number because their entire system is built around sending a `验证码` to a domestic number for real-name verification. Without a Chinese SIM card, you can be locked out of large parts of China's digital world.

• 密码 (mìmǎ) - Password. The permanent code you set, as opposed to the temporary `验证码`.
• 短信 (duǎnxìn) - SMS / Text Message. The most common way to receive a `验证码`.
• 手机号 (shǒujī hào) - Mobile phone number. The destination address for the `验证码`.
• 注册 (zhùcè) - To register (an account). A process that always requires a `验证码`.
• 登录 (dēnglù) - To log in. The other main process that requires a `验证码`.
• 实名认证 (shímíng rènzhèng) - Real-name authentication. The government policy that makes SMS `验证码` so widespread in China.
• 账户 (zhànghù) - Account (e.g., bank account, social media account).
• 二维码 (èrwéimǎ) - QR Code. Another ubiquitous piece of modern Chinese tech, often used for payment, adding friends, or even logging in.
• 支付 (zhīfù) - To pay. An action that often requires a final `验证码` for confirmation.