kōnghào: 空号 - Non-existent Number, Disconnected Number

• Keywords: 空号, kōnghào, konghao meaning, non-existent number in Chinese, disconnected number Chinese, invalid number, Chinese phone call message, 您拨打的电话是空号, nín bōdǎ de diànhuà shì kōnghào
• Summary: Learn the meaning of 空号 (kōnghào), the essential Chinese term for a non-existent or disconnected phone number. This page breaks down the characters, explains its cultural significance in modern China, and provides 10 practical example sentences, including the famous automated message “您拨打的电话是空号 (Nín bōdǎ de diànhuà shì kōnghào)”. Understand the difference between `kōnghào`, `zhànxiàn` (busy), and `wúfǎ jiētōng` (unreachable) to master Chinese phone conversations.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kōnghào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: An invalid, disconnected, or non-existent number, primarily used for telephone numbers.
• In a Nutshell: 空号 (kōnghào) is the word you use when a phone number you've dialed doesn't exist. It's the Chinese equivalent of the automated message “The number you have dialed is not in service.” It literally translates to “empty number,” perfectly capturing the idea that the number is vacant and not assigned to any person or device.

• 空 (kōng): This character's core meaning is “empty,” “vacant,” or “sky.” Think of an empty room (空房间 - kōng fángjiān) or the empty sky (天空 - tiānkōng). In this context, it means the number slot is vacant.
• 号 (hào): This character means “number” or “sign.” It's used in words like “phone number” (手机号 - shǒujīhào) and “room number” (房号 - fánghào).
• Together, 空 (kōng) + 号 (hào) literally means “empty number.” The logic is direct and clear: the number exists as a sequence of digits, but it's not assigned to anyone, so it's functionally empty.

While not a deep philosophical concept, 空号 (kōnghào) is a term deeply embedded in the fabric of modern, hyper-connected Chinese life. In a society where mobile phones and apps like WeChat are central to all communication, a phone number being a `kōnghào` is a definitive dead end. The most iconic context for this term is the standardized automated message from Chinese telecom providers: 您拨打的电话是空号 (Nín bōdǎ de diànhuà shì kōnghào). Nearly every person in China has heard this flat, robotic voice. It's the modern sound of a closed door—a clear signal that the person you're trying to reach is no longer at that digital address. Compared to Western culture, where we might say “the line's disconnected” or “it's a bad number,” the Chinese term 空号 is used more frequently as a simple noun. You can say, “我打过去是空号” (Wǒ dǎ guòqù shì kōnghào - “When I called, it was a non-existent number”). This highlights a tendency in modern Mandarin to package common situations into concise, two-character nouns for efficiency.

空号 is almost exclusively used in the context of telecommunications.

• Automated Messages: You will most often hear it from a pre-recorded voice after dialing an invalid number.
• Daily Conversation: People use it to report the status of a phone call. It's a neutral, factual term. If someone gives you a fake number, you might complain to a friend, “He gave me a `kōnghào`!”
• Figurative Use (Rare): While not common, you might occasionally hear it used metaphorically for an account or ID that has been deleted, like “My old blog is basically a `kōnghào` now,” but this is an advanced, informal usage. For beginners, it's safest to stick to phone numbers.

• Example 1:
  • 电话里传来一个声音：“您拨打的电话是空号，请查证后再拨。”
  • Pinyin: Diànhuà lǐ chuán lái yīgè shēngyīn: “Nín bōdǎ de diànhuà shì kōnghào, qǐng cházhèng hòu zài bō.”
  • English: A voice came from the phone: “The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and dial again.”
  • Analysis: This is the most famous and common usage of 空号. The polite 您 (nín) is standard for formal, automated messages.
• Example 2:
  • 我打了好几次，每次都说是空号。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ dǎle hǎojǐ cì, měi cì dōu shuō shì kōnghào.
  • English: I called several times, and each time it said it was a non-existent number.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how a person would describe their experience of repeatedly calling a bad number.
• Example 3:
  • 你确定这是他的手机号吗？我打过去是空号。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ quèdìng zhè shì tā de shǒujī hào ma? Wǒ dǎ guòqù shì kōnghào.
  • English: Are you sure this is his mobile number? When I called, it was a non-existent number.
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence for double-checking information. “打过去” (dǎ guòqù) is a common phrase meaning “to call over (to that number).”
• Example 4:
  • 他肯定给了我一个假号码，因为这个号码是空号。
  • Pinyin: Tā kěndìng gěile wǒ yīgè jiǎ hàomǎ, yīnwèi zhège hàomǎ shì kōnghào.
  • English: He definitely gave me a fake number, because this number is not in service.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows the logical conclusion one might draw after encountering a `kōnghào`.
• Example 5:
  • 那个公司三年前就倒闭了，他们的联系电话早就成了空号。
  • Pinyin: Nàgè gōngsī sān nián qián jiù dǎobìle, tāmen de liánxì diànhuà zǎo jiù chéngle kōnghào.
  • English: That company went bankrupt three years ago; their contact number became a non-existent number long ago.
  • Analysis: The verb 成了 (chéngle) means “became,” showing a change of state from a valid number to a `kōnghào`.
• Example 6:
  • 如果一个手机号长期欠费，运营商就会回收它，然后它就变成空号了。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ yīgè shǒujī hào chángqí qiànfèi, yùnyíngshāng jiù huì huíshōu tā, ránhòu tā jiù biànchéng kōnghào le.
  • English: If a mobile number has overdue payments for a long time, the carrier will reclaim it, and then it becomes a non-existent number.
  • Analysis: This explains a common reason why a number might become a `kōnghào`. It provides useful vocabulary like 欠费 (qiànfèi - to be in arrears) and 运营商 (yùnyíngshāng - carrier/operator).
• Example 7:
  • 这张名片太旧了，上面的号码可能是个空号。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhāng míngpiàn tài jiùle, shàngmiàn de hàomǎ kěnéng shìgè kōnghào.
  • English: This business card is too old, the number on it is probably a non-existent number.
  • Analysis: A practical sentence showing suspicion about the validity of a number due to its age.
• Example 8:
  • 你能不能帮我查一下这个号码是不是空号？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bùnéng bāng wǒ chá yīxià zhège hàomǎ shì bùshì kōnghào?
  • English: Can you help me check if this number is a non-existent number?
  • Analysis: The “是不是 (shì bùshì)” structure is a common way to ask a yes/no question in Chinese.
• Example 9:
  • 我换新手机号了，旧的那个已经注销，现在是空号了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ huàn xīn shǒujī hào le, jiù de nàgè yǐjīng zhùxiāo, xiànzài shì kōnghào le.
  • English: I've changed to a new mobile number. The old one has been cancelled and is now a non-existent number.
  • Analysis: This explains the process from the user's perspective. 注销 (zhùxiāo) means to cancel or deregister an account.
• Example 10:
  • 系统检测到客户列表里有三百多个空号，需要清理一下。
  • Pinyin: Xìtǒng jiǎncè dào kèhù lièbiǎo lǐ yǒu sānbǎi duō gè kōnghào, xūyào qīnglǐ yīxià.
  • English: The system detected over three hundred non-existent numbers in the customer list that need to be cleaned up.
  • Analysis: A more formal, business-related context showing how `kōnghào` can be used in data management.

A frequent point of confusion for learners is distinguishing 空号 from other phone call statuses. They are not interchangeable.

• 空号 (kōnghào) vs. 占线 (zhànxiàn):
  • 空号 means the number does not exist. The call will not connect at all.
  • 占线 (zhànxiàn) means “the line is busy.” The number is valid and in use, but the person is currently on another call. You'll hear a busy signal.
  • Incorrect: 我打给他，电话是空号，他可能在开会。 (Wǒ dǎ gěi tā, diànhuà shì kōnghào, tā kěnéng zài kāihuì.) - This is wrong. If the line were a `kōnghào`, he couldn't be in a meeting using that phone. You should say the line was “busy” (占线).
• 空号 (kōnghào) vs. 无法接通 (wúfǎ jiētōng):
  • 空号 means the number is fundamentally invalid.
  • 无法接通 (wúfǎ jiētōng) means “cannot be connected.” This is a broader term. The number is valid, but the person's phone might be turned off, out of battery, or in an area with no signal (like a subway or elevator).
  • Incorrect: 我在电梯里，所以你的电话是空号。 (Wǒ zài diàntī lǐ, suǒyǐ nǐ de diànhuà shì kōnghào.) - This is wrong. Your number is still valid. You should say “I was in the elevator, so your call couldn't get through” (…所以你打不通 - suǒyǐ nǐ dǎ bùtōng, or …所以无法接通 - suǒyǐ wúfǎ jiētōng).

• 占线 (zhànxiàn) - The term for a busy signal; the line is occupied.
• 无法接通 (wúfǎ jiētōng) - Unreachable; cannot be connected (due to signal issues, phone being off, etc.).
• 关机 (guānjī) - To turn off a machine, most commonly a phone. This is a common reason for a call being `无法接通`.
• 停机 (tíngjī) - Service suspended. This often happens due to non-payment and can lead to the number eventually becoming a `空号`.
• 号码 (hàomǎ) - A general term for “number.”
• 手机号 (shǒujīhào) - Specifically a mobile phone number.
• 拨打 (bōdǎ) - A formal verb meaning “to dial” a number.
• 拉黑 (lā hēi) - To block someone's number (lit. “to pull into the blacklist”). The call might go straight to voicemail or give a different message, but it's not a `kōnghào`.
• 欠费 (qiànfèi) - To have an overdue payment; to be in arrears.