HSK 1 Vocabulary List — All 150 Words

The complete official HSK 1 word list with Simplified & Traditional characters, pinyin, English meanings, example sentences, and audio. Search it, sort it, print it as a free PDF, then check yourself with a 20-question mock test. No sign-up.

150 words known in total at this level · ≈ CEFR A1
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150
new words at this level
(174 unique characters)
40
exam questions in ~40 min
(20 listening + 20 reading)
120/200
points to pass (60%)
pinyin shown on every question
40–60
study hours
(≈ 2–3 months at 30 min/day)

HSK 1 Vocabulary List — All 150 Words

Chinese · Pinyin · English — free from ThePureLanguage.com/hsk/hsk-1

The full HSK 1 word list

150 of 150 words shown — click a column header to sort, click 🔊 to hear it
# 汉字 Hanzi Pinyin English & example Audio
1
ài
to love; to like
我爱我的家。 Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā. — I love my family.
2
eight
我们八点看电视。 Wǒmen bā diǎn kàn diànshì. — We watch TV at eight o'clock.
3 爸爸 bàba
dad; father
我爸爸是医生。 Wǒ bàba shì yīshēng. — My dad is a doctor.
4 杯子 bēizi
cup; glass
这个杯子很漂亮。 Zhège bēizi hěn piàoliang. — This cup is very pretty.
5 北京 Běijīng
Beijing
我住在北京。 Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng. — I live in Beijing.
6 běn
measure word for books; volume
这本书很好。 Zhè běn shū hěn hǎo. — This book is very good.
7 不客气
不客氣
bú kèqi
you're welcome; don't mention it
谢谢你!— 不客气! Xièxie nǐ! — Bú kèqi! — Thank you! — You're welcome!
8
no; not
我不是老师。 Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī. — I am not a teacher.
9 cài
dish; vegetable
这个菜很好吃。 Zhège cài hěn hǎochī. — This dish is delicious.
10 chá
tea
请给我一杯茶。 Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi chá. — Please give me a cup of tea.
11 chī
to eat
你吃饭了吗? Nǐ chīfàn le ma? — Have you eaten yet?
12 出租车
出租車
chūzūchē
taxi
我们坐出租车去。 Wǒmen zuò chūzūchē qù. — We'll go by taxi.
13 打电话
打電話
dǎ diànhuà
to make a phone call
我明天给你打电话。 Wǒ míngtiān gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà. — I'll call you tomorrow.
14
big; large
这个房间很大。 Zhège fángjiān hěn dà. — This room is very big.
15 de
possessive particle
这是我的书。 Zhè shì wǒ de shū. — This is my book.
16
diǎn
o'clock; dot; point
现在几点? Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? — What time is it now?
17 电脑
電腦
diànnǎo
computer
我的电脑很小。 Wǒ de diànnǎo hěn xiǎo. — My computer is very small.
18 电视
電視
diànshì
television; TV
他在看电视。 Tā zài kàn diànshì. — He is watching TV.
19 电影
電影
diànyǐng
movie; film
我喜欢看电影。 Wǒ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng. — I like watching movies.
20 东西
東西
dōngxi
thing; stuff
你想买什么东西? Nǐ xiǎng mǎi shénme dōngxi? — What things do you want to buy?
21 dōu
all; both
我们都爱吃米饭。 Wǒmen dōu ài chī mǐfàn. — We all love eating rice.
22
to read; to read aloud
他在读书。 Tā zài dú shū. — He is reading.
23 对不起
對不起
duìbuqǐ
sorry; excuse me
对不起,我来晚了。 Duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le. — Sorry, I'm late.
24 duō
many; much
学校里人很多。 Xuéxiào li rén hěn duō. — There are many people in the school.
25 多少 duōshao
how many; how much
这个多少钱? Zhège duōshao qián? — How much is this?
26 儿子
兒子
érzi
son
他的儿子是医生。 Tā de érzi shì yīshēng. — His son is a doctor.
27 èr
two
现在是二月。 Xiànzài shì èr yuè. — It is February now.
28 饭店
飯店
fàndiàn
restaurant; hotel
我们在饭店吃饭。 Wǒmen zài fàndiàn chī fàn. — We eat at a restaurant.
29 飞机
飛機
fēijī
airplane
我坐飞机去北京。 Wǒ zuò fēijī qù Běijīng. — I fly to Beijing.
30 分钟
分鐘
fēnzhōng
minute
我们有二十分钟。 Wǒmen yǒu èrshí fēnzhōng. — We have twenty minutes.
31 高兴
高興
gāoxìng
happy; glad
认识你我很高兴。 Rènshi nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng. — I'm glad to meet you.
32
general measure word
我有一个儿子。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge érzi. — I have a son.
33 工作 gōngzuò
to work; job
他在银行工作。 Tā zài yínháng gōngzuò. — He works at a bank.
34 gǒu
dog
我很喜欢狗。 Wǒ hěn xǐhuan gǒu. — I like dogs very much.
35 汉语
漢語
Hànyǔ
Chinese language; Mandarin
我会说一点儿汉语。 Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Hànyǔ. — I can speak a little Chinese.
36 hǎo
good; well
今天天气很好。 Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo. — The weather is very good today.
37
hào
date of the month; number
今天是六月八号。 Jīntiān shì liù yuè bā hào. — Today is June 8th.
38
to drink
我每天喝茶。 Wǒ měitiān hē chá. — I drink tea every day.
39
and; with
我和他是同学。 Wǒ hé tā shì tóngxué. — He and I are classmates.
40 hěn
very
她很高兴。 Tā hěn gāoxìng. — She is very happy.
41 后面
後面
hòumiàn
behind; back
他在我后面。 Tā zài wǒ hòumiàn. — He is behind me.
42 huí
to return; to go back
我下午回家。 Wǒ xiàwǔ huí jiā. — I am going home in the afternoon.
43
huì
can; know how to
我会说汉语。 Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ. — I can speak Chinese.
44
how many; several
你几岁? Nǐ jǐ suì? — How old are you?
45 jiā
home; family
我家有四口人。 Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén. — There are four people in my family.
46 jiào
to be called; to call
你叫什么名字? Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — What is your name?
47 今天 jīntiān
today
今天是星期一。 Jīntiān shì xīngqīyī. — Today is Monday.
48 jiǔ
nine
他九岁。 Tā jiǔ suì. — He is nine years old.
49
kāi
to open; to drive
他会开车。 Tā huì kāichē. — He can drive.
50 kàn
to look; to watch
我喜欢看书。 Wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū. — I like to read books.
51 看见
看見
kànjiàn
to see; to catch sight of
我看见你的猫了。 Wǒ kànjiàn nǐ de māo le. — I saw your cat.
52
kuài
yuan (money); piece
苹果三块钱。 Píngguǒ sān kuài qián. — The apples are three yuan.
53
lái
to come
请你来我家。 Qǐng nǐ lái wǒ jiā. — Please come to my house.
54 老师
老師
lǎoshī
teacher
王老师教数学。 Wáng lǎoshī jiāo shùxué. — Teacher Wang teaches math.
55 le
completed action particle
他去学校了。 Tā qù xuéxiào le. — He went to school.
56 lěng
cold
今天很冷。 Jīntiān hěn lěng. — It is very cold today.
57
inside; in
猫在家里。 Māo zài jiā li. — The cat is in the house.
58 liù
six
我们六点吃饭。 Wǒmen liù diǎn chī fàn. — We eat at six o'clock.
59
ma
yes/no question particle
你是学生吗? Nǐ shì xuésheng ma? — Are you a student?
60 妈妈
媽媽
māma
mom; mother
妈妈,我爱你! Māma, wǒ ài nǐ! — Mom, I love you!
61
mǎi
to buy
我想买一杯咖啡。 Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì bēi kāfēi. — I want to buy a cup of coffee.
62
māo
cat
她的猫很小。 Tā de māo hěn xiǎo. — Her cat is very small.
63 没关系
沒關係
méi guānxi
it doesn't matter; never mind
对不起!— 没关系。 Duìbuqǐ! — Méi guānxi. — Sorry! — It doesn't matter.
64 没有
沒有
méiyǒu
to not have; there is not
我没有钱。 Wǒ méiyǒu qián. — I don't have money.
65 米饭
米飯
mǐfàn
cooked rice
我想吃米饭。 Wǒ xiǎng chī mǐfàn. — I want to eat rice.
66 名字 míngzi
name
你的名字怎么写? Nǐ de míngzi zěnme xiě? — How is your name written?
67 明天 míngtiān
tomorrow
明天见! Míngtiān jiàn! — See you tomorrow!
68
which
你是哪国人? Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? — Which country are you from?
69 哪儿
哪兒
nǎr
where
你去哪儿? Nǐ qù nǎr? — Where are you going?
70
that; those
那是我的学校。 Nà shì wǒ de xuéxiào. — That is my school.
71 ne
question particle
我很好,你呢? Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne? — I am fine, and you?
72 néng
can; to be able to
你能来我家吗? Nǐ néng lái wǒ jiā ma? — Can you come to my house?
73
you
你叫什么名字? Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — What is your name?
74 nián
year
我学了一年汉语。 Wǒ xué le yì nián Hànyǔ. — I studied Chinese for one year.
75 女儿
女兒
nǚ'ér
daughter
我女儿今年三岁。 Wǒ nǚ'ér jīnnián sān suì. — My daughter is three years old this year.
76 朋友 péngyou
friend
他是我最好的朋友。 Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou. — He is my best friend.
77 漂亮 piàoliang
pretty; beautiful
这条裙子很漂亮。 Zhè tiáo qúnzi hěn piàoliang. — This skirt is very pretty.
78 苹果
蘋果
píngguǒ
apple
这个苹果很大。 Zhège píngguǒ hěn dà. — This apple is very big.
79
seven
他七点回家。 Tā qī diǎn huí jiā. — He goes home at seven o'clock.
80 前面 qiánmiàn
front; ahead
请看前面。 Qǐng kàn qiánmiàn. — Please look ahead.
81
qián
money
我没带钱。 Wǒ méi dài qián. — I didn't bring money.
82
qǐng
please; to invite
请喝茶。 Qǐng hē chá. — Please have some tea.
83
to go
我们去公园吧。 Wǒmen qù gōngyuán ba. — Let's go to the park.
84
hot
今天天气很热。 Jīntiān tiānqì hěn rè. — The weather is very hot today.
85 rén
person; people
他是中国人。 Tā shì Zhōngguó rén. — He is Chinese.
86 认识
認識
rènshi
to know (someone); to recognize
我认识她。 Wǒ rènshi tā. — I know her.
87 sān
three
我有三本书。 Wǒ yǒu sān běn shū. — I have three books.
88 商店 shāngdiàn
shop; store
商店里东西很多。 Shāngdiàn li dōngxi hěn duō. — The store has many things.
89 shàng
on; above
书在桌子上。 Shū zài zhuōzi shang. — The book is on the table.
90 上午 shàngwǔ
morning
我上午学习汉语。 Wǒ shàngwǔ xuéxí Hànyǔ. — I study Chinese in the morning.
91 shǎo
few; little
商店里人很少。 Shāngdiàn li rén hěn shǎo. — There are few people in the store.
92
shéi
who
她是谁? Tā shì shéi? — Who is she?
93 什么
什麼
shénme
what
这是什么? Zhè shì shénme? — What is this?
94 shí
ten
我有十块钱。 Wǒ yǒu shí kuài qián. — I have ten yuan.
95 时候
時候
shíhou
time; moment
你什么时候回家? Nǐ shénme shíhou huí jiā? — When are you going home?
96 shì
to be
这是我的书。 Zhè shì wǒ de shū. — This is my book.
97
shū
book
我爱看书。 Wǒ ài kàn shū. — I love reading books.
98 shuǐ
water
我想喝点水。 Wǒ xiǎng hē diǎn shuǐ. — I'd like to drink some water.
99 水果 shuǐguǒ
fruit
我爱吃水果。 Wǒ ài chī shuǐguǒ. — I love eating fruit.
100 睡觉
睡覺
shuìjiào
to sleep
我十一点睡觉。 Wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào. — I go to bed at eleven o'clock.
101
shuō
to speak; to say
他会说三种语言。 Tā huì shuō sān zhǒng yǔyán. — He can speak three languages.
102
four
现在四点。 Xiànzài sì diǎn. — It is four o'clock now.
103
suì
years old
他今年二十岁。 Tā jīnnián èrshí suì. — He is twenty years old this year.
104
he; him
他是我的朋友。 Tā shì wǒ de péngyou. — He is my friend.
105
she; her
她是老师。 Tā shì lǎoshī. — She is a teacher.
106 tài
too; extremely
这个太大了。 Zhège tài dà le. — This is too big.
107 天气
天氣
tiānqì
weather
今天天气怎么样? Jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng? — How is the weather today?
108
tīng
to listen
请听老师说。 Qǐng tīng lǎoshī shuō. — Please listen to the teacher.
109 同学
同學
tóngxué
classmate
他们是我的同学。 Tāmen shì wǒ de tóngxué. — They are my classmates.
110 wèi
hello (on the phone)
她每天早上喂院子里的鸟。 Tā měi tiān zǎoshang wèi yuànzi lǐ de niǎo. — She feeds the birds in the yard every morning.
111
I; me
我是学生。 Wǒ shì xuésheng. — I am a student.
112 我们
我們
wǒmen
we; us
我们是朋友。 Wǒmen shì péngyou. — We are friends.
113
five
我儿子五岁。 Wǒ érzi wǔ suì. — My son is five years old.
114 喜欢
喜歡
xǐhuan
to like
我喜欢看电影。 Wǒ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng. — I like watching movies.
115 xià
under; below; next
猫在椅子下。 Māo zài yǐzi xià. — The cat is under the chair.
116 下午 xiàwǔ
afternoon
我下午去学校。 Wǒ xiàwǔ qù xuéxiào. — I am going to school in the afternoon.
117 下雨 xià yǔ
to rain
明天会下雨。 Míngtiān huì xià yǔ. — It will rain tomorrow.
118 先生 xiānsheng
Mr.; sir
王先生是老师。 Wáng xiānsheng shì lǎoshī. — Mr. Wang is a teacher.
119 现在
現在
xiànzài
now
现在几点了? Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le? — What time is it now?
120 xiǎng
to want to; to think
我想回家。 Wǒ xiǎng huí jiā. — I want to go home.
121 xiǎo
small; little
我有一只小猫。 Wǒ yǒu yì zhī xiǎo māo. — I have a little cat.
122 小姐 xiǎojiě
Miss; young lady
王小姐,你好! Wáng xiǎojiě, nǐ hǎo! — Hello, Miss Wang!
123 xiē
some; a few
这些书都是我的。 Zhèxiē shū dōu shì wǒ de. — These books are all mine.
124
xiě
to write
我会写汉字。 Wǒ huì xiě Hànzì. — I can write Chinese characters.
125 谢谢
謝謝
xièxie
thank you
谢谢你的帮助。 Xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù. — Thank you for your help.
126 星期 xīngqī
week
星期天我不工作。 Xīngqītiān wǒ bù gōngzuò. — I don't work on Sunday.
127 学生
學生
xuésheng
student
我是大学生。 Wǒ shì dàxuéshēng. — I am a university student.
128 学习
學習
xuéxí
to study; to learn
我喜欢学习汉语。 Wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí Hànyǔ. — I like studying Chinese.
129 学校
學校
xuéxiào
school
我们学校很大。 Wǒmen xuéxiào hěn dà. — Our school is very big.
130
one
我有一个苹果。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge píngguǒ. — I have an apple.
131 一点儿
一點兒
yìdiǎnr
a little; a bit
我想喝一点儿茶。 Wǒ xiǎng hē yìdiǎnr chá. — I would like a little tea.
132 医生
醫生
yīshēng
doctor
她想做医生。 Tā xiǎng zuò yīshēng. — She wants to be a doctor.
133 医院
醫院
yīyuàn
hospital
医院在学校后面。 Yīyuàn zài xuéxiào hòumiàn. — The hospital is behind the school.
134 衣服 yīfu
clothes
妈妈在买衣服。 Māma zài mǎi yīfu. — Mom is buying clothes.
135 椅子 yǐzi
chair
那个椅子是我的。 Nàge yǐzi shì wǒ de. — That chair is mine.
136 yǒu
to have; there is
我有两个姐姐。 Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè jiějie. — I have two older sisters.
137 yuè
month; moon
我五月去中国。 Wǒ wǔ yuè qù Zhōngguó. — I am going to China in May.
138 再见
再見
zàijiàn
goodbye
老师,再见! Lǎoshī, zàijiàn! — Goodbye, teacher!
139 zài
at; in; to be at
我在家。 Wǒ zài jiā. — I am at home.
140 怎么
怎麼
zěnme
how
这个字怎么读? Zhège zì zěnme dú? — How is this character pronounced?
141 怎么样
怎麼樣
zěnmeyàng
how about; how is it
这个电影怎么样? Zhège diànyǐng zěnmeyàng? — How is this movie?
142
zhè
this; these
这是我的书。 Zhè shì wǒ de shū. — This is my book.
143 中国
中國
Zhōngguó
China
我想去中国旅行。 Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó lǚxíng. — I want to travel to China.
144 中午 zhōngwǔ
noon
我中午不睡觉。 Wǒ zhōngwǔ bú shuìjiào. — I don't nap at noon.
145 zhù
to live; to stay
你住在哪儿? Nǐ zhù zài nǎr? — Where do you live?
146 桌子 zhuōzi
table; desk
桌子上有一个杯子。 Zhuōzi shang yǒu yí ge bēizi. — There is a cup on the table.
147
character; word
这个字怎么写? Zhège zì zěnme xiě? — How do you write this character?
148 昨天 zuótiān
yesterday
昨天他没有来。 Zuótiān tā méiyǒu lái. — He didn't come yesterday.
149 zuò
to do; to make
你在做什么? Nǐ zài zuò shénme? — What are you doing?
150 zuò
to sit; to take (transport)
请坐! Qǐng zuò! — Please sit down!
The word order follows the standard pinyin-alphabetical HSK 1 list. Traditional characters are shown under the Simplified form when they differ. Download the whole list as a PDF for a clean handout — all 150 words, typeset, free and with no sign-up. All six HSK PDFs are on one page, with what is in each file and what you may do with it. Word list: official HSK 1 list (2012 standard); definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Free HSK 1 vocabulary mock test — 20 questions, 10 minutes

Check whether the words are really sticking. The mock test draws 20 random questions from the 150-word list — half ask the meaning of a Chinese word, half ask you to pick the right word for an English meaning — with a 10-minute timer.

  • Score 60% or more and you're at the real HSK 1 pass line (120/200).
  • You get a weak-word report at the end — every word you missed, with pinyin and meaning.
  • Retake as often as you like; every test is a fresh random draw.

This one is vocabulary only. For the whole paper — listening, reading, timed and scored out of 200 against the real pass mark — sit the full HSK 1 practice test.

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HSK 1 grammar in 9 patterns

HSK 1 grammar is small — if you can use these nine patterns with the 150 words above, you can say everything the exam expects.

  1. Subject + Verb + Object word order我学习汉语。 Wǒ xuéxí Hànyǔ. — I study Chinese.
  2. 是 sentences他是老师。 Tā shì lǎoshī. — He is a teacher.
  3. Adjectives take 很, not 是我很好。 Wǒ hěn hǎo. — I am fine.
  4. 的 for possession这是我的书。 Zhè shì wǒ de shū. — This is my book.
  5. 吗 and 呢 questions你是学生吗?我很好,你呢? Are you a student? I'm fine, and you?
  1. 不 vs 没有 negation我不是老师。我没有猫。 I'm not a teacher. I don't have a cat.
  2. Question words stay in place你叫什么名字? Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — What's your name?
  3. Time before the verb我下午去学校。 Wǒ xiàwǔ qù xuéxiào. — I go to school in the afternoon.
  4. Measure word 个我有一个儿子。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge érzi. — I have one son.
Want the full explanation of any of these? Each one has its own page in the Chinese Grammar Library — structure formula, six example sentences with audio, the mistakes English speakers make, and a five-question drill. Background reading: Chinese Grammar Patterns for Beginners and Essential Chinese Measure Words.

HSK 1 study plan

Thirty minutes a day is enough. Each phase uses free tools on this site — nothing to install, nothing to pay for.

Days 1–30 — Sounds & first words

Days 31–60 — Full list & grammar

  • Finish words 51–150 (5 words/day), reviewing older words with shuffled flashcards.
  • Learn the 9 grammar patterns above; check yourself in the Sentence Builder.
  • Start ear training with the Listening Comprehension Quiz.

Days 61–90 — Test mode

HSK 1 — frequently asked questions

How many words do you need to know for HSK 1?

The official HSK 1 vocabulary list contains exactly 150 words, built from about 174 unique Chinese characters. They cover the most essential everyday topics: numbers, family, time and dates, food and drink, places, and basic verbs like 是 (to be), 有 (to have), 去 (to go) and 喜欢 (to like).

What is the HSK 1 exam format and pass score?

HSK 1 has two sections: Listening (20 questions, about 15 minutes) and Reading (20 questions, 17 minutes) — 40 questions in about 35–40 minutes total. Each section is worth 100 points for a 200-point maximum, and you pass with 120 points (60%). There is no writing section, and every question shows pinyin alongside the characters.

How long does it take to prepare for HSK 1?

Most learners need roughly 40–60 hours of study to pass HSK 1 — about 2 to 3 months at 30 minutes per day. If you already read pinyin comfortably, you can move faster; the 30/60/90-day study plan on this page breaks the 150 words and core grammar into daily steps.

Do I need to write Chinese characters for HSK 1?

No. HSK 1 has no writing section, and every question in the exam displays pinyin above the Chinese characters. You need to recognize the characters and understand them by ear, but you are never asked to write them by hand.

Is this the HSK 2.0 or HSK 3.0 word list?

This is the official 150-word HSK 1 list from the HSK 2.0 standard, which is what the internationally administered HSK 1 exam and most textbooks and apps still follow. The newer HSK 3.0 framework (announced in 2021) defines nine levels with much larger word bands — around 500 words at its first level — but the 150-word list on this page remains the practical standard for the HSK 1 test.

Can I download the HSK 1 word list as a PDF?

Yes — click the Print / Save as PDF button above the table and choose 'Save as PDF' in your browser's print dialog. You get a clean, ad-free list of all 150 words with characters, pinyin and English meanings, free and with no sign-up.

More background: HSK Explained — levels, format and study plan · handwriting practice: printable 田字格 sheets

Where next?

move up to the HSK 2 vocabulary list, see all HSK levels at a glance, read HSK Explained to plan the whole journey, or explore every study tool in the Pinyin Learning Center.