A method for marking and/or identifying a hot-dip galvanized metal component, especially a steel component, wherein the hot-dip galvanized metal component has an iron-based base material, preferentially steel, and a galvanizing layer applied to the base material, wherein the galvanized metal component is provided with a permanent marking, wherein the galvanizing layer is selectively subjected to a laser-induced chemical reaction with at least one reaction gas only in a predetermined region of the marking to be produced under the action of laser radiation, so that a conversion of the galvanizing layer takes place selectively only in the region of the marking and the resulting reaction product of the galvanizing layer forms the permanent marking, characterized in that the generation of the permanent marking and the conversion of the galvanizing layer is carried out at least substantially without material removal of the galvanizing layer, that, during the generation of the permanent marking, the galvanizing layer is selectively scanned only in a predetermined area of the marking to be generated with a pulsed laser beam once or several times in such a way that adjacent light spots of the laser beam abut or overlap each other without gaps, that the generation of the permanent marking and the conversion of the galvanizing layer is carried out in such a way that the galvanizing layer in the area of the marking is not converted down to the underlying base material, that the reaction product of the zinc coating formed in the region of the marking is selected from the group of oxides, nitrides, carbonates and/or borides of zinc and optionally other metals present in the zinc coating and that the reaction of the galvanizing layer in the area of the marking to be applied is laser-induced under the influence of laser radiation with pulsed laser radiation and the following condition is met: 0.075 ≤ Epsilon ≤ 2,275 with Epsilon = 10 3 • P p 2 • √ P m • f • α • √ t • √ κ d 2 • √ v • √ T v • √ c p • √ λ wherein: P p: peak pulse power of the outgoing laser radiation [kW] P m: average power of the outgoing laser radiation t: pulse length of the laser pulses [ns], f: repetition rate of the laser pulses [kHz] v: scanning speed at the surface of the galvanizing layer [mm/s] d: diameter of the laser beam on the workpiece [μm] α: absorption of the laser radiation of the irradiated galvanizing layer [ %] at normal conditions λ: wavelength of the laser radiation [nm] T v: boiling point of the galvanizing layer at normal pressure c p: specific heat capacity of the galvanizing layer [J/kg·K] at normal conditions κ: specific thermal conductivity of the galvanizing layer [W/m·K] at normal conditions. that the generation of the permanent marking and the conversion of the galvanizing layer is carried out at least substantially without material removal of the galvanizing layer, that, during the generation of the permanent marking, the galvanizing layer is selectively scanned only in a predetermined area of the marking to be generated with a pulsed laser beam once or several times in such a way that adjacent light spots of the laser beam abut or overlap each other without gaps, that the generation of the permanent marking and the conversion of the galvanizing layer is carried out in such a way that the galvanizing layer in the area of the marking is not converted down to the underlying base material, that the reaction product of the zinc coating formed in the region of the marking is selected from the group of oxides, nitrides, carbonates and/or borides of zinc and optionally other metals present in the zinc coating and that the reaction of the galvanizing layer in the area of the marking to be applied is laser-induced under the influence of laser radiation with pulsed laser radiation and the following condition is met: 0.075 ≤ Epsilon ≤ 2,275 with Epsilon = 10 3 • P p 2 • √ P m • f • α • √ t • √ κ d 2 • √ v • √ T v • √ c p • √ λ wherein: P p: peak pulse power of the outgoing laser radiation [kW] P m: average power of the outgoing laser radiation t: pulse length of the laser pulses [ns], f: repetition rate of the laser pulses [kHz] v: scanning speed at the surface of the galvanizing layer [mm/s] d: diameter of the laser beam on the workpiece [μm] α: absorption of the laser radiation of the irradiated galvanizing layer [ %] at normal conditions λ: wavelength of the laser radiation [nm] T v: boiling point of the galvanizing layer at normal pressure c p: specific heat capacity of the galvanizing layer [J/kg·K] at normal conditions κ: specific thermal conductivity of the galvanizing layer [W/m·K] at normal conditions. P p: peak pulse power of the outgoing laser radiation [kW] P m: average power of the outgoing laser radiation t: pulse length of the laser pulses [ns], f: repetition rate of the laser pulses [kHz] v: scanning speed at the surface of the galvanizing layer [mm/s] d: diameter of the laser beam on the workpiece [μm] α: absorption of the laser radiation of the irradiated galvanizing layer [ %] at normal conditions λ: wavelength of the laser radiation [nm] T v: boiling point of the galvanizing layer at normal pressure c p: specific heat capacity of the galvanizing layer [J/kg·K] at normal conditions κ: specific thermal conductivity of the galvanizing layer [W/m·K] at normal conditions.