Some pinyin already → HSK 1 pass 23 steps 6–8 weeks at 30 min/day

Pass HSK 1 — the shortest honest route

You can read pinyin and know a few words. This is what is left between you and the certificate.

What you can do at the end

Score above 80% on HSK 1 mock tests — comfortably clear of the real 60% pass line.

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11 of these steps have a short Check yourself — a few questions taken from that step's own page: its words, its sentences or its grammar drill. Passing one ticks the step; missing one tells you which page to reread. It is optional, and every step stays open either way.

HSK 1 Ready — complete

Score above 80% on HSK 1 mock tests — comfortably clear of the real 60% pass line.

Pick your next path

Weeks 1–2 — vocabulary first

Nothing else matters until the words are in.

See the whole word list
All 150 words on one page, searchable, with audio. Read it once so you know the size of the job.
HSK 1 flashcards, words 1–75
Five new words a day. Shuffle on every third session.
Word Rain
Arcade review — you cannot think about the answer for ten seconds in a real exam either.
Print the list as a PDF
Have the words on paper. The button is at the top of the word-list table.

Weeks 3–4 — the nine patterns

HSK 1 grammar is genuinely small.

Word order
Subject + Verb + Object, with time and place before the verb.
是 sentences and 很
我很好, not 我是好.
的 for possession
我的书 — and when to drop the 的.
不 vs 没
The two negations, and why 有 only takes 没.
吗 and 呢 questions
Add one character, change nothing else.
Question words stay in place
你吃什么？ — never move the question word to the front.
有 sentences
Have, and there is.
Where time words go
Before the verb. Always. This is the most common error in the exam.
二 vs 两
两个人 but 二月. One rule, tested every time.
HSK 1 flashcards, words 76–150
Finish the list while the grammar is going in.

Weeks 5–6 — listening

Half the exam, and the half people neglect.

Listening Comprehension Quiz
Daily. HSK 1 audio plays twice and is slow — this is very winnable.
Number & Date Quiz
Times, prices and dates come up constantly in HSK 1 listening.
Pinyin Listening Dictation
Harder than the exam, which is the point.
Read two HSK 1 stories
Reading at your level makes the listening easier — the words become familiar shapes.

Weeks 7–8 — test mode

Practise the exam, not the subject.

First mock test
Twenty questions, ten minutes. Write down the score honestly.
Drill every weak word
The test hands you the list. Put those words back into the flashcards.
HSK Vocabulary Quiz
A second angle on the same words.
Mock test, twice a week
Every draw is random. Stop when you are consistently over 80%.
Read HSK Explained before test day
Registration, ID, timing and what the room is like — do not learn this on the day.

Or take a different route

Absolute beginner → HSK 1

Chinese from Zero

31 steps · 10–12 weeks at 20–30 min/day You have never studied Chinese. Start here and do these thirty things in this order.
HSK 1 → HSK 2 pass

Pass HSK 2

22 steps · 8–10 weeks at 30 min/day You have HSK 1. This is exactly what HSK 2 adds — and nothing that it doesn't.
Any level — reading and handwriting

Characters from Zero

23 steps · 8 weeks at 20 min/day Characters are not thousands of unrelated pictures. They are a few hundred parts, recombined.
No Chinese → able to get through a trip

Ready for a trip to China in 30 days

24 steps · 4 weeks at 15–20 min/day You have a departure date. This is what to do with the weeks before it — and what to skip.

Not sure this is the right path?

Take the 5-question placement quiz — it recommends a path and a starting HSK level in about a minute. Or browse everything at once in the Pinyin Learning Center.

Where to go next

How to Learn Chinese: Methods Compared Structured Learning Paths All HSK Vocabulary Lists Check Your Tones With Your Voice How Long It Takes to Learn Chinese Chinese Dictionary