HSK Level 1

HSK Level 1 is designed for beginners who want to have a basic understanding of Chinese.

Want to learn Chinese?

HSK Level 1 assesses the test taker's ability to understand and use simple Chinese phrases and expressions in everyday situations. It tests the fundamental building blocks of the Chinese language, including basic vocabulary, grammar patterns, and sentence structures.

The test consists of listening, reading, and writing sections. In the listening section, test takers listen to short dialogues and answer multiple-choice questions. The reading section tests comprehension by asking questions based on short passages or sentences. The writing section assesses the ability to write simple characters and short sentences.

The vocabulary and grammar covered in HSK Level 1 include topics such as greetings, numbers, dates, time, daily routines, and basic descriptions of people and objects. The emphasis is on practical language skills for everyday communication.

Achieving HSK Level 1 demonstrates that a learner has a basic foundation in Chinese and can understand and communicate in simple and routine situations. It is a good starting point for further language study and provides a solid base for progressing to higher levels of proficiency.

Overall, HSK Level 1 is aimed at beginners who have just started learning Chinese and want to assess their basic language skills. It serves as a stepping stone for further language development and serves as a recognized certification of Chinese language proficiency.

HSK Level 1 - 500 Basic words

Index Vocabulary Pinyin Meaning
1àito love
2爱好ài hàohobby
3eight
4爸爸|爸bàba|bàdad
5baa particle used at the end of a sentence
6báiwhite(adj.)
7白天bái tiānday
8bǎihundred
9bānclass
10bànhalf
11半年bàn niánhalf a year
12半天bàn tiānhalf day
13bāngto help
14帮忙bāng mángto help
15bāopackage
16包子bāo zibun
17bēicup (measure word)
18杯子bēi zicup
19běinorth
20北边běi biānnorth side
21北京běi jīngBeijing
22běna measure word for books
23本子běn zinotebook
24to compare
25biédon’t(adv.)
26别的bié deother
27别人bié·rénother people
28bìngsick/disease
29病人bìng rénpatient
30不大bú dànot big
31不对bú duìwrong/incorrect
32不客气bú kè qìyou’re welcome
33不用bú yòngno need to
34no/not
35càidish/cuisine
36chátea
37chàdiffer from/bad
38chángoften
39常常cháng chángoften
40chàngto sing
41唱歌chàng gēto sing songs
42chēcar
43车票chē piàoticket
44车上chē shàngin the car
45车站chē zhànstation
46chīto eat
47吃饭chī fànhave a meal
48chūout
49出来chū láito come
50出去chū qùto go out
51穿chuānto wear
52chuángbed
53measure word for times/frequency
54cóngfrom
55cuòwrong/incorrect
56to hit(verb)
57打车dǎ chēto take a taxi
58打电话dǎ diàn huàto make a phonecall
59打开dǎ kāito open
60打球dǎ qiúto play ball
61large/big
62大学dà xuéuniversity
63大学生dà xué shēnguniversity student
64dàoto reach
65得到dé dàoto get
66dea particle most often used before a verb or an adjective
67dea particle to show possessions
68děngto wait(verb)
69ground
70地点dìdiǎnlocation
71地方dìfangplace
72地上dì shàngon the ground
73地图dìtúmap
74弟弟|弟dì di|dìyounger brother
75第(第二)dì (dì èr)prefix to indicate ordinal number (second)
76diǎnspot
77diànelectricity
78电话diàn huàtelephone
79电脑diànnǎocomputer
80电视diànshìtelevision
81电视机diàn shì jītelevision
82电影diànyǐngmovie
83电影院diàn yǐng yuàncinema/movie theater
84dōngeast
85东边dōng biāneast side
86东西dōngxithing
87dòngto move
88动作dòngzuòaction
89dōuall
90to read
91读书dú shūto study
92duìcorrect
93对不起duìbuqǐI’m sorry.
94duōa lot of/many/much
95多少duōshaohow much
96饿èhungry
97儿子érzison
98èrtwo
99fànrice/meal
100饭店fàndiànrestaurant/hotel
101房间fángjiānroom
102房子fáng zihouse/building
103fàngto put/to let go
104放假fàng jiàto have a holiday
105放学fàng xuéafter school
106fēito fly
107飞机fēijīairplane
108非常fēichángvery
109fēnminute/a point(measure word)
110fēngwind
111gāndry
112干净gānjìngclean
113gànto do
114干什么gàn shén mewhat to do
115gāohigh
116高兴gāoxìnghappy
117告诉gàosuto tell
118哥哥|哥gē ge|gēelder brother
119song
120individual
121gěito give
122gēnwith
123工人gōngrénworker
124工作gōngzuòto work/job
125guānto close/to turn off
126关上guān shàngto close/to turn off
127guìexpensive
128guócountry
129国家guójiācountry
130国外guó wàioversea/abroad
131guòto pass
132háistill/also
133还是háishistill
134还有hái yǒualso/in addition/besides
135孩子háizichildren
136汉语hànyǔMandarin Chinese
137汉字hàn zìChinese character
138hǎogood
139好吃hǎochīdelicious
140好看hǎo kàngood looking/pretty
141好听hǎo tīngpleasant to hear
142好玩儿hǎo wánrfun/interesting
143hàodate/number
144to drink
145and
146hěnvery
147hòuback/after
148后边hòu biānbehind
149后天hòu tiānthe day after tomorrow
150huāflower
151huàwords
152huàibad/broken
153huánto return
154huíto return
155回答huídáto answer
156回到huí dàoto go back to (a place)
157回家huí jiāto go home
158回来huí láito come back
159回去huí qùto go back
160huìcan/be able to
161火车huǒ chētrain
162机场jīchǎngairport
163机票jī piàoair ticket
164鸡蛋jīdànegg
165several/a few
166to remember
167记得jìdéto remember
168记住jì zhùto keep in mind
169jiāhome
170家里jiā lǐat home
171家人jiā rénfamily
172jiānmeasure word for rooms
173jiànto see/to meet
174见面jiànmiànto meet
175jiāoto teach
176jiàoto call(verb)
177教学楼jiào xué lóuteaching building
178姐姐|姐jiě jie | jiěelder sister
179介绍jièshàoto introduce
180今年jīn niánthis year
181今天jīntiāntoday
182jìnto enter
183进来jìn láito come in
184进去jìn qùto go in
185jiǔnine
186jiùas soon as/right away/then
187觉得juédeto think/to feel
188kāito open
189开车kāi chēto drive a car
190开会kāi huìto have a meeting
191开玩笑kāiwánxiàoto joke
192kànto see
193看病kàn bìngto see a doctor
194看到kàn dàoto see
195看见kànjiànto see
196kǎoto test
197考试kǎoshìexamination
198thirsty
199course/lesson
200课本kè běntextbook
201课文kè wéntext (in textbooks)
202kǒumouth
203kuàidollars
204kuàifast
205láito come
206来到lái dàoto arrive/to come
207lǎoold
208老人lǎo rénthe elderly
209老师lǎoshīteacher
210lea particle used in many scenarios such as completed actions and change of status
211lèitired
212lěngcold
213inside
214里边lǐ biāninside
215liǎngtwo
216零|〇líng | língzero
217liùsix
218lóufloor
219楼上lóu shàngupstairs
220楼下lóu xiàdownstairs
221road
222路口lù kǒuintersection/road crossing
223路上lù shàngon the road
224妈妈|妈mā ma | māmom
225马路mǎ lùroad/street
226马上mǎshàngright away/immediately
227maquestion word for yes/no question
228mǎito buy
229mànslow/slowly
230mángbusy
231máoa fractional monetary unit in China (measure word)
232méino/not
233没关系méiguānxiit doesn't matter/it's ok
234没什么méi shén meit’s nothing/it doesn't matter
235没事儿méi shìrnever mind
236没有méi yǒuto not have
237妹妹|妹mèi mei | mèiyounger sister
238méndoor
239门口mén kǒudoorway/entrance
240门票mén piàoticket
241们(朋友们)men (péng yǒu men)plural marker for pronouns (friends)
242米饭mǐfàncooked rice
243面包miànbāobread
244面条儿miàn tiáornoodles
245名字míngziname
246明白míngbaiclear (adj.)/to understand(verb)
247明年míng niánnext year
248明天míngtiāntomorrow
249to take/to get
250which
251哪里nǎ lǐwhere
252哪儿nǎrwhere
253哪些nǎ xiēwhich one
254that(pronoun)
255那边nà biānthere
256那里nà lǐthere
257那儿nàrthere
258那些nà xiēthose
259nǎimilk
260奶奶nǎinaigrandma
261nánmale
262男孩儿nán háirboy
263男朋友nán péng yǒuboyfriend
264男人nán renman
265男生nán shēngboy
266nánsouth
267南边nán biānsouth side
268nánhard/difficult
269nea particle used in different scenarios
270néngcan/be able to
271you
272你们nǐ menyou (plural)
273niányear
274nínyou (respectully)
275牛奶niúnǎimilk
276female
277女儿nǚ’érdaughter
278女孩儿nǚ háirgirl
279女朋友nǚ péng yǒugirlfriend
280女人nǚ renwoman
281女生nǚ shēnggirl
282旁边pángbiānside
283pǎoto run
284朋友péngyoufriend
285piàoticket
286seven
287to get up
288起床qǐchuángto wake up
289起来qǐláito get up
290汽车qì chēcar
291qiánfront
292前边qián biānfront side
293前天qián tiānthe day before yesterday
294qiánmoney
295钱包qián bāowallet
296qǐngplease
297请假qǐngjiàto ask for leave of absence
298请进qǐng jìnplease come in
299请问qǐng wènexcuse me
300请坐qǐng zuòplease have a seat
301qiúball
302to go
303去年qùniánlast year
304hot
305rénpeople/person
306认识rènshito know somebody
307认真rènzhēnserious
308date/day
309日期rìqīdate
310ròumeat
311sānthree
312shānmountain
313商场shāng chǎngmall/shopping mall
314商店shāngdiànshop/store
315shàngon top
316上班shàngbānto go to work
317上边shàng biānabove
318上车shàng chēto get on a car
319上次shàng cìlast time
320上课shàng kèto attend class
321上网shàngwǎngto surf the Internet
322上午shàngwǔmorning
323上学shàng xuéto go to school
324shǎoless
325shéiwho
326身上shēn shàngon one’s body
327身体shēntǐbody
328什么shénmewhat
329生病shēngbìngto fall ill
330生气shēngqìangry
331生日shēngrìbirthday
332shíten
333时候shíhoumoment
334时间shíjiāntime
335shìthing/matter
336shìto try
337shìyes
338是不是shì bú shìisn’t it?
339shǒuhand
340手机shǒujīmobile phone
341shūbook
342书包shū bāoschool bag
343书店shū diànbookstore
344shùtree
345shuǐwater
346水果shuǐguǒfruits
347shuìto sleep
348睡觉shuìjiàoto sleep
349shuōspeak
350说话shuōhuàto talk
351four
352sòngto give
353suìyears old
354he
355他们tā menthey
356she
357她们tā menthey (for females)
358tàitoo (+ adj.)
359tiānday
360天气tiānqìweather
361tīngto listen
362听到tīng dàoto heard
363听见tīng jiànto hear
364听写tīng xiědictation/to dictate
365同学tóngxuéclassmate
366图书馆túshūguǎnlibrary
367wàioutside
368外边wài biānoutside
369外国wài guóforeign country
370外语wài yǔforeign language
371玩儿wánrto play
372wǎnlate
373晚饭wǎn fàndinner
374晚上wǎnshangat night
375网上wǎng shàngonline
376网友wǎng yǒuonline friend
377wàngto forget
378忘记wàngjìto forget
379wènask
380I
381我们wǒmenwe
382five
383午饭wǔ fànlunch
384西west
385西边xī biānwest side
386to wash
387洗手间xǐshǒujiānrestroom
388喜欢xǐhuanto like
389xiàbelow/down
390下班xià bānto get off work
391下边xià biānbelow/under
392下车xià chēto get off car
393下次xià cìnext time
394下课xià kèto finish class
395下午xiàwǔafternoon
396下雨xiàyǔto rain
397xiānbefore/first
398先生xiānshengMr.
399现在xiànzàinow
400xiǎngto think
401xiǎosmall
402小孩儿xiǎo háirchildren
403小姐xiǎojiěMiss
404小朋友xiǎo péng yǒuchildren
405小时xiǎoshíhour
406小学xiǎo xuéprimary school
407小学生xiǎo xué shēngprimary school student
408xiàoto laugh
409xiěto write
410谢谢xièxieto thank
411xīnnew
412新年xīn niánnew year
413星期xīngqīweek
414星期日xīng qī rìSunday
415星期天xīng qī tiānSunday
416xíngOK/be able to
417休息xiūxito rest
418xuéto learn
419学生xuéshengstudent
420学习xuéxíto learn
421学校xuéxiàoschool
422学院xué yuàncollege
423yàoto need/to want
424爷爷yéyegrandpa
425also
426page
427one
428衣服yīfuclothes
429医生yīshēngdoctor
430医院yīyuànhospital
431一半yí bànhalf
432一会儿yíhuìra little while
433一块儿yí kuàirtogether
434一下儿yí xiàra little while
435一样yíyàngthe same
436一边yìbiānone side
437一点儿yīdiǎnra little bit
438一起yìqǐtogether
439一些yì xiēsome
440yòngto use
441yǒuto have
442有的yǒu desome
443有名yǒumíngfamous
444有时候|有时yǒu shí hòu|yǒu shísometimes
445有(一)些yǒu (yì) xiēsome
446有用yǒu yònguseful
447yòuright (direction)
448右边yòubianright side
449rain
450yuáncurrency unit- Chinese yuan
451yuǎnfar
452yuèmonth/moon
453zàiagain
454再见zàijiàngoodbye
455zàistay/in/on/at
456在家zài jiāto be at home
457zǎoearly
458早饭zǎo fànbreakfast
459早上zǎoshangmorning
460怎么zěnmehow
461zhànstation(noun)
462zhǎoto look for
463找到zhǎo dàoto find
464zhèthis
465这边zhè biānthis side
466这里zhè lǐhere
467这儿zhèrhere
468这些zhè xiēthese
469zhea particle to show action in progress
470zhēnreally/real
471真的zhēn dereally/real
472zhèngjust/exactly(adv.)
473正在zhèngzàiin process of
474知道zhīdàoto know
475知识zhīshiknowledge
476zhōngmiddle
477中国zhōngguóChina
478中间zhōngjiānin the middle
479中文zhōngwénMandarin Chinese
480中午zhōngwǔnoon
481中学zhōng xuémiddle school
482中学生zhōng xué shēngmiddle school student
483zhòngheavy
484重要zhòngyàoimportant
485zhùto live
486准备zhǔnbèito prepare
487桌子zhuōzitable
488word/character
489子(桌子)zi(zhuō zi)noun suffix (table)
490zǒuto walk
491走路zǒu lùto walk
492zuìthe most
493最好zuìhǎothe best
494最后zuìhòuthe end
495昨天zuótiānyesterday
496zuǒleft(direction)
497左边zuǒbianleft side
498zuòto sit
499坐下zuò xiàto sit down
500zuòto do