Key Facts
- Hangul: 비밀번호; Revised Romanization: bimilbeonho
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 秘密番號 (秘 secret + 密 secret + 番 number + 號 number)
- Register: Neutral; used for passwords and PIN numbers on websites, phones, and cards.
Password in Korean: What Does 비밀번호 Mean?
비밀번호 is the word for a password, and it also covers a PIN. It is neutral and appears on websites, phones and cards. The word is made from 비밀, a secret, and 번호, a number, which is why it can sound like a secret number.
The common actions are fixed phrases. 비밀번호를 입력하다 is to enter a password, 비밀번호를 바꾸다 is to change one and 비밀번호를 잊어버리다 is to forget it. On a login page, the recovery link is labelled 비밀번호 찾기.
How Do You Pronounce It?
비밀번호 has four syllables: bi-mil-beon-ho. The ㅂ in 번 is soft, ㅓ is the open vowel of "uh", and the ㅎ of the last syllable is often weak in fast speech, though the standard form and the romanization bimilbeonho keep it.
Say the four beats evenly. The second syllable ends in an l sound, so touch the tongue to the ridge behind the teeth before moving on.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 비밀번호
비밀번호를 잊어버렸어요.
Bimilbeonhoreul ijeobeoryeosseoyo.
I forgot my password.
잊어버렸어요 is the past tense of forgetting completely. You can say this sentence when you are locked out.
비밀번호는 여덟 자리예요.
Bimilbeonhoneun yeodeol jariyeyo.
The password is eight characters long.
여덟 is eight and 자리 is a place or a digit. 비밀번호는 여덟 자리예요 gives the length of the password.
새 비밀번호를 입력하세요.
Sae bimilbeonhoreul imnyeokaseyo.
Please enter a new password.
입력하세요 is a polite instruction, and its spoken form is imnyeokaseyo, as the romanization shows. 새 means new.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four verbs cover almost every password task. Learn them as whole phrases.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 비밀번호를 입력하다 | to enter a password |
| 비밀번호를 바꾸다 | to change a password |
| 비밀번호를 잊어버리다 | to forget a password |
| 비밀번호 찾기 | password recovery |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Assuming 암호 is the everyday word for a login password or PIN.
- Correct: Say 비밀번호. 암호 mainly means code or cipher. Some software menus use it for a password, but in speech and on most sites the word is 비밀번호.
If you are unsure, 비밀번호 is always understood.
비밀번호 Compared with 암호 and 패스워드
Three words sit around 비밀번호, and each has a different job.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 비밀번호 | password, PIN | The login word, a secret number or string. |
| 암호 | code, cipher | Mainly secret codes; also a password label in some software. |
| 패스워드 | password | A loanword used in some IT contexts. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
비밀번호 is Sino-Korean, written 秘密番號 in hanja: 秘 and 密 both carry the idea of secret, while 番 and 號 both carry the idea of number. So it is literally a secret number.
At a Café: Asking for the Wi-Fi Password
A customer wants to connect a laptop. Asking for the Wi-Fi password makes the request specific; a bare question about a password could refer to an account or a door lock.
Customer
와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요?
Waipai bimilbeonhoga mwoyeyo?
What is the Wi-Fi password?
Staff
영수증에 있어요.
Yeongsujeunge isseoyo.
It is on the receipt.
Customer
숫자만 입력하면 돼요?
Sutjaman imnyeokamyeon dwaeyo?
Do I only need to enter numbers?
Staff
네, 숫자만 입력하세요.
Ne, sutjaman imnyeokaseyo.
Yes, please enter only the numbers.
영수증 is a receipt, and 숫자만 means “numbers only”. The customer checks the required characters instead of assuming that 번호 makes every password numeric. 비밀번호 can contain letters and symbols too. 뭐예요 is a polite conversational question; the noun itself has no special respectful form.
What Do Password Labels Ask You to Do?
비밀번호 입력 means “enter password”, while 비밀번호 변경 means “change password”. These short labels name an action without a full sentence ending. On a button, 찾기 literally means “finding”, but 비밀번호 찾기 usually starts account recovery. It does not promise to display your old password; the next screen may help you set a new one.
비밀번호 확인 means “password confirmation”. In a sign-up form, this is often the second box where you type the new password again. 현재 비밀번호 is the current password, and 새 비밀번호 is the new one. Reading the word before 비밀번호 helps you avoid putting the replacement into the box for the old password.
자리 describes length or positions. 네 자리 means four digits or characters, depending on the instructions. 숫자 specifies numbers, 문자 specifies characters or letters in the relevant interface, and 특수문자 means special characters. A length requirement and a character-type requirement answer different questions.
Where Else Will You Hear 비밀번호?
An accommodation host may give you a 현관 비밀번호, an entrance-door code. A café worker may point to a receipt or a printed notice for the Wi-Fi password. On a bank screen, the surrounding account or card label tells you which PIN is requested. 비밀번호 alone does not identify the device or account.
The phrase 비밀번호가 틀리다 means that the password is incorrect. The subject marker 가 presents the password as the thing that is wrong. Compare 비밀번호를 입력하다: 를 marks the password as what you enter. This difference helps you recognize an error message even when the rest of the screen is unfamiliar.
Words around the Login Box
| Korean | Meaning | Reading tip |
|---|---|---|
| 아이디 | user ID | Identifies the account rather than its secret password. |
| 로그인 | login | The action of accessing an existing account. |
| 회원 가입 | sign-up | Creating an account, rather than entering an existing one. |
| 인증번호 | verification code | A code used to verify identity, often sent separately. |
The technology vocabulary lesson groups the device and account words. 인증번호 and 비밀번호 can both be numeric, so choose the box by its label rather than by how the code looks.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 번호 mean a 비밀번호 must contain only numbers?
- Which label asks for the current password: 현재 비밀번호 or 새 비밀번호?
- Does 비밀번호 찾기 necessarily reveal the old password?
Show answers
- No. 비밀번호 can also contain letters and symbols.
- 현재 비밀번호. 새 비밀번호 asks for the new one.
- No. It starts password recovery and may lead to setting a new password.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say password in Korean?
Say 비밀번호 (bimilbeonho). It also means PIN.
How do you say "I forgot my password"?
Say 비밀번호를 잊어버렸어요.
Can I use 암호 for a password?
You may see it in some software settings, but 암호 mainly means code or cipher. In speech and on most sites, say 비밀번호.
What does 비밀 mean?
It means a secret. 비밀번호 adds the word for number.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: technology vocabulary. 비밀번호 is on the technology vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 비밀번호 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next: the word for smartphone. Next in the technology list is the word for smartphone.
- Compare: 비밀. See also 비밀, the word for a secret.