HSK 1 vocabulary list

• 右yòu(bound form) right; right-hand side; (bound form) (politics) right of center; (bound form) (old) west; (literary) the right side as the side of precedence
• 国guósurname Guo
• 饭fàncooked rice; meal; (loanword) fan; devotee
• 一半yī bànhalf
• 家人jiā rénfamily member; (old) servant
• 有时yǒu shísometimes; now and then
• 进去jìn qùto go in
• 没什么méi shén menothing; it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind
• 路上lù shangon the road; on a journey; road surface
• 有时候yǒu shí housometimes
• 北běinorth; (classical) to be defeated
• 进来jìn láito come in
• 好看hǎo kàngood-looking; nice-looking; good (of a movie, book, TV show etc); embarrassed; humiliated
• 女生nǚ shēngschoolgirl; female student; girl
• 雨yǔrain
• 车上chē shàngCar
• 考kǎoto beat; to hit; variant of 考; to inspect; to test; to take an exam
• 地上dì shangon the ground; on the floor
• 记住jì zhuto remember; to bear in mind; to learn by heart
• 下次xià cìnext time
• 学院xué yuàncollege; educational institute; school; faculty
• 老人lǎo rénold man or woman; the elderly; one's aged parents or grandparents
• 那边nà bianover there; yonder
• 在家zài jiāto be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 差); (Buddhism etc) to remain a layman (as opposed to becoming a monk or a nun 家)
• 网上wǎng shàngonline
• 明年míng niánnext year
• 妹mèiyounger sister
• 这儿zhè rhere
• 不对bù duìincorrect; wrong; amiss; abnormal; queer
• 是不是shì bù shìis or isn't; yes or no; whether or not
• 开车kāi chēto drive a car
• 干什么gàn shén mewhat are you doing?; what's he up to?
• 奶nǎibreast; milk; to breastfeed
• 门口mén kǒudoorway; gate
• 常常cháng chángfrequently; often
• 这边zhè biānthis side; here
• 男生nán shēngschoolboy; male student; boy; guy (young adult male)
• 火车huǒ chētrain
• 上次shàng cìlast time
• 上学shàng xuéto go to school; to attend school
• 女朋友nǚ péng yougirlfriend
• 上课shàng kèto go to class; to attend class; to go to teach a class
• 听见tīng jiànto hear
• 新年xīn niánNew Year
• 男朋友nán péng youboyfriend
• 下班xià bānto finish work; to get off work
• 读书dú shūto read a book; to study; to attend school
• 那儿nà rthere
• 姐jiěolder sister
• 坐下zuò xiato sit down
• 白天bái tiāndaytime; during the day; day
• 请问qǐng wènExcuse me, may I ask...?
• 哪些nǎ xiēwhich ones?; who?; what?
• 晚饭wǎn fànevening meal; dinner; supper
• 小学xiǎo xuéelementary school; primary school
• 国外guó wàiabroad; external (affairs); overseas; foreign
• 中学zhōng xuémiddle school
• 商场shāng chǎngshopping mall; shopping center; department store; emporium; the business world
• 楼下lóu xiàdownstairs
• 外国wài guóforeign (country)

Frequently asked questions

How many words do you need for HSK 1?

On the current exam (HSK 2.0), HSK 1 requires 150 words in total. Under the new HSK 3.0 standard, level 1 covers 500 words in total.

What is in this HSK 1 vocabulary list?

369 Chinese words that the HSK Ace dictionary places at HSK 1, sorted by frequency. Each one has pinyin, an English meaning, audio and a stroke-order animation. The set draws on both HSK 2.0 and HSK 3.0, so its size differs from the official counts.

Practice HSK 1

See how many of these words you can use under exam conditions, or learn to write them stroke by stroke.