Build the everyday core: people, places, time, food, simple actions, and the words that hold a basic sentence together.
Read each example aloud twice, then open an HSK 1 story and look for the same word in a new sentence.
2026 rollout: This syllabus was published in November 2025 and became effective in July 2026. The official second-round HSK 3.0 global trial is scheduled for September 20, 2026, so confirm the syllabus and test format with your center.
Short sentences make a word easier to understand—and much easier to remember.
我回家。
I’m going home.我看书。
I read a book.他是我的朋友。
He is my friend.今天我回家。
Today I’m going home.我喜欢他。
I like him.请听我说。
Please listen to me.it; it (pronoun for an animal)
代she
代they; them
代they; them
代they; them (females)
代highest; greatest
副day; sky
名、量weather
名to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey
动to hear
动to study at the same school; fellow student
名outside; in addition
名outside; outer surface
名to play; to have fun
动evening; night
形evening meal; dinner
名evening; night
名hey; to feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc)
叹to ask; to inquire
动question; problem
名I; me; my
代we; us; ourselves; our
代five; 5
数lunch
名to like; to be fond of
动down; downwards
名、动、量to rain
—to finish work; to get off work; next service (train, bus etc)
动to finish class; to get out of class
动afternoon; p.m.
名teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)
名now; at present; currently
名to think (about); to think of; to devise
动small; tiny
形、前缀child; kid
名hour
名elementary school; primary school
名primary school student; schoolchild
名classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several
量to write
动to thank; thanks
动new; newly
形week; day of the week
名Sunday
名Sunday
名rest; to rest
动to learn; to study
动student; schoolchild
名to learn; to study
动school
名snow; (literary) to wipe away (a humiliation etc)
名to want; to need; to ask for; will; shall; about to
动also; too; as well; (not ...) either; (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊[a5]
副one; single
数clothes
名doctor; medical practitioner
名hospital
名half
数(after a verb) a bit; a little (indicating brief duration, or softening the tone, or suggesting giving sth a try)
数量、（副）chair
名erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3]
数量some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er
数量to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)
动(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
代slightly; a little
副some; somewhat; rather; a bit
代、（副）rain
名currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan); (bound form) first; original; primary
量moon; month
名again; once more; re-; further; beyond this point of time
副to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
动、介、副goodbye; see you again later
动early; morning
形breakfast
名early morning
名how?; what?
代how?; how about?
代to try to find; to look for
动(pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun)
代this side; here
代(pronoun) this; (adjective) this
代here
代here
代these
代really; truly
副、（形）to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing
副grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
量to know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhi1dao5]
动China
名Chinese language
名noon; midday
名middle school
名middle-school student; high school student
名to live; to reside; to stay; to stop; to cease
动table; desk
名letter; symbol
名yesterday
名to sit; to take a seat
动to make; to produce; to write; to compose
动to prepare a meal; to cook
—Vocabulary levels, pinyin, parts of speech, and counts follow the official 2025 HSK examination syllabus, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and effective July 2026. English glosses are adapted from CC-CEDICT under CC BY-SA 4.0; context may change the best translation.