HSK 2 vocabulary list

• 气qìgas; air; smell; weather; to make angry; to annoy; to get angry; vital energy; qi
• 酒jiǔwine (esp. rice wine); liquor; spirits; alcoholic beverage
• 它们tā menthey (for inanimate objects)
• 边biānside; edge; margin; border; boundary; simultaneously
• 做到zuò dàoto accomplish; to achieve
• 怎样zěn yànghow; what kind
• 变成biàn chéngto change into; to turn into; to become
• 只能zhǐ néngcan only; obliged to do sth; to have no other choice
• 怕pàsurname Pa
• 度dùto pass; to spend (time); measure; limit; extent; degree of intensity; degree (angles, temperature etc); kilowatt-hour; classifier for events and occurrences
• 面前miàn qiánin front of; facing; (in the) presence (of)
• 同样tóng yàngsame; equal; equivalent
• 身边shēn biānat one's side; on hand
• 越来越yuè lái yuèmore and more
• 查chásurname Zha
• 市shìmarket; city
• 不少bù shǎomany; a lot; not few
• 改gǎito change; to alter; to transform; to correct
• 就要jiù yàowill; shall; to be going to
• 加油jiā yóuto add oil; to top up with gas; to refuel; to accelerate; to step on the gas; (fig.) to make an extra effort; to cheer sb on
• 海hǎisurname Hai
• 晚安wǎn ānGood night!; Good evening!
• 提出tí chūto raise (an issue); to propose; to put forward; to suggest; to post (on a website); to withdraw (cash)
• 通tōngto go through; to know well; (suffix) expert; to connect; to communicate; open; to clear; classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc
• 收到shōu dàoto receive
• 正是zhèng shìis precisely
• 排páia row; a line; to set in order; to arrange; to line up; to eliminate; to drain; to push open; platoon; raft; classifier for lines, rows etc
• 留下liú xiàto leave behind; to stay behind; to remain; to keep; not to let (sb) go
• 心里xīn lichest; heart; mind
• 全国quán guówhole nation; nationwide; countrywide; national
• 街jiēstreet
• 笔bǐpen; pencil; writing brush; to write or compose; the strokes of Chinese characters; classifier for sums of money, deals
• 鞋xiéshoe
• 听说tīng shuōto hear (sth said); one hears (that); hearsay; listening and speaking
• 油yóuoil; fat; grease; petroleum; to apply tung oil, paint or varnish; oily; greasy; glib; cunning
• 流liúto flow; to disseminate; to circulate or spread; to move or drift; to degenerate; to banish or send into exile; stream of water or sth resembling one; class, rate or grade
• 表biǎoexterior surface; family relationship via females; to show (one's opinion); a model; a table (listing information); a form; a meter (measuring sth)
• 养yǎngto raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets); to support; to give birth
• 鸡jīfowl; chicken; (slang) prostitute
• 瓶píngbottle; vase; pitcher; classifier for wine and liquids
• 普通pǔ tōngcommon; ordinary; general; average
• 不够bù gòunot enough; insufficient; inadequate
• 怎么办zěn me bànwhat's to be done
• 想法xiǎng fǎway of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth)
• 不行bù xíngwon't do; be out of the question; be no good; not work; not be capable
• 级jílevel; grade; rank; step (of stairs); classifier: step, level
• 网wǎngnet; network
• 长大zhǎng dàto grow up
• 交给jiāo gěito give; to deliver; to hand over
• 封fēngsurname Feng
• 蛋dànvariant of 蜑
• 科kēbranch of study; administrative section; division; field; branch; stage directions; family (taxonomy); rules; laws; to mete out (punishment); to levy (taxes etc); to fine sb
• 词cíold variant of 词
• 取得qǔ déto acquire; to get; to obtain
• 想起xiǎng qǐto recall; to think of; to call to mind
• 纸zhǐvariant of 纸
• 一生yī shēngall one's life; throughout one's life
• 急jíurgent; pressing; rapid; hurried; worried; to make (sb) anxious
• 小组xiǎo zǔgroup
• 酒店jiǔ diànwine shop; pub (public house); hotel; restaurant; (Tw) hostess club

Frequently asked questions

How many words do you need for HSK 2?

On the current exam (HSK 2.0), HSK 2 requires 300 words in total, counted from HSK 1. Under the new HSK 3.0 standard, level 2 covers 1,272 words in total.

What is in this HSK 2 vocabulary list?

481 Chinese words that the HSK Ace dictionary places at HSK 2, 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 2

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