HSK 3 vocabulary list

• 相信xiāng xìnto be convinced (that sth is true); to believe; to accept sth as true
• 香蕉xiāng jiāobanana
• 向xiàngsurname Xiang
• 像xiàngto resemble; to be like; to look as if; such as; appearance; image; portrait; image under a mapping (math.)
• 小心xiǎo xīnto be careful; to take care
• 校长xiào zhǎng(college, university) president; headmaster
• 新闻xīn wénnews
• 新鲜xīn xiānfresh (experience, food etc); freshness; novel; uncommon
• 信用卡xìn yòng kǎcredit card
• 行李箱xíng li xiāngsuitcase; baggage compartment; overhead bin
• 熊猫xióng māopanda; CL:隻|只[zhi1]
• 需要xū yàoto need; to want; to demand; to require; needs
• 选择xuǎn zéto select; to pick; choice; option; alternative
• 要求yāo qiúto request; to require; requirement; to stake a claim; to ask; to demand
• 爷爷yé ye(coll.) father's father; paternal grandfather
• 一般yī bānsame; ordinary; so-so; common; general; generally; in general
• 一边yī biānone side; either side; on the one hand; on the other hand; doing while
• 一定yī dìngsurely; certainly; necessarily; fixed; a certain (extent etc); given; particular; must
• 一共yī gòngaltogether
• 一会儿yī huì ra moment; a while; in a moment; now...now...; also pr. [yī huǐ r]
• 一样yī yàngsame; like; equal to; the same as; just like
• 一直yī zhístraight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through
• 以前yǐ qiánbefore; formerly; previous; ago
• 音乐yīn yuèmusic
• 银行yín hángbank
• 饮料yǐn liàodrink; beverage
• 应该yīng gāiought to; should; must
• 影响yǐng xiǎnginfluence; effect; to influence; to affect (usually adversely); to disturb
• 用yòngto use; to employ; to have to; to eat or drink; expense or outlay; usefulness; hence; therefore
• 游戏yóu xìgame; to play
• 有名yǒu míngfamous; well-known
• 又yòu(once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway
• 遇到yù dàoto meet; to run into; to come across
• 元yuánsurname Yuan; the Yuan or Mongol dynasty (1279-1368)
• 愿意yuàn yìto wish; to want; ready; willing (to do sth)
• 月亮yuè liangthe moon
• 越yuègeneric word for peoples or states of south China or south Asia at different historical periods; abbr. for Vietnam 越南
• 站zhànstation; to stand; to halt; to stop; branch of a company or organization; website
• 张zhāngsurname Zhang
• 着急zháo jíto worry; to feel anxious; to feel a sense of urgency; to be in a hurry; Taiwan pr. [zhāo jí]
• 照顾zhào guto take care of; to show consideration; to attend to; to look after
• 照片zhào piànphotograph; picture
• 照相机zhào xiàng jīcamera; CL:台[tai2],部[bu4],架[jia4]
• 只zhīonly; merely; just; but
• 只有zhǐ yǒuonly have ...; there is only ...; (used in combination with 才) it is only if one ... (that one can ...) (Example: 只有通过治疗才能痊愈 "the only way to cure it is with therapy"); it is only ... (who ...) (Example: 要 "only men would have such a requirement"); (used to indicate that one has no alternative) one can only (do a certain thing) (Example: 服 "the only thing you can do is give in")
• 才cáiability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable individual; then and only then; just now; (before an expression of quantity) only
• 中间zhōng jiānthe middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among; during; in the meantime
• 中文zhōng wénChinese language
• 终于zhōng yúat last; in the end; finally; eventually
• 种zhǒngseed; species; kind; type; classifier for types, kinds, sorts
• 心xīnheart; mind; intention; center; core
• 重要zhòng yàoimportant; significant; major
• 周末zhōu mòweekend
• 主要zhǔ yàomain; principal; major; primary
• 注意zhù yìto take note of; to pay attention to
• 自己zì jǐoneself; one's own
• 自行车zì xíng chēbicycle; bike
• 总是zǒng shìalways
• 嘴zuǐmouth; beak; nozzle; spout (of teapot etc)
• 最后zuì hòufinal; last; finally; ultimate

Frequently asked questions

How many words do you need for HSK 3?

On the current exam (HSK 2.0), HSK 3 requires 600 words in total, counted from HSK 1. Under the new HSK 3.0 standard, level 3 covers 2,245 words in total.

What is in this HSK 3 vocabulary list?

606 Chinese words that the HSK Ace dictionary places at HSK 3, 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 3

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