New HSK (3.0) · 2025 syllabus
HSK 2 characters
The syllabus has two character lists for each level: characters to recognise when reading, and a shorter list to write by hand. HSK 2 adds 125 reading characters (371 in total) and 100 handwriting characters (100 in total).
How characters are tested at HSK 2
HSK 2 is the first level with writing. In the sample paper you choose the right component (such as 氵 or 子) for a picture, and write one missing character in a sentence with pinyin given. The 100 characters in the HSK 1–2 handwriting list are the ones to practise.
HSK 2 handwriting characters (100)
Pick a character to watch its stroke order, then switch to “Write” and draw it yourself. The tool checks each stroke.
Choose a character
HSK 2 reading characters (125)
New characters to recognise at this level, with a reading and the first words on the HSK lists that use them.
- 啊 a · (particle softening a sentence or showing surprise)
- 帮 bāng · to help 帮忙、帮助、帮手
- 备 bèi · to prepare; to equip; fully; completely 准备、具备、设备
- 比 bǐ · to compare; (in comparisons) than 比较、比如、比赛
- 笔 bǐ · pen 笔记、铅笔、笔记本
- 表 biǎo · form; table; watch 手表、表演、表格
- 别 bié · don't 别的、别人、特别
- 步 bù · step 跑步、散步、步行
- 场 chǎng · (measure word for games, films, performances, rain) 机场、商场、球场
- 词 cí · word 词典、词语、词汇
- 次 cì · time (occurrence), as in 三次 "three times" 此次、其次、再次
- 从 cóng · from 从小、从此、从来
- 错 cuò · wrong; mistake 不错、错过、错误
- 但 dàn · but 但是、不但、但愿
- 地 de · (particle before a verb, like English "-ly") 地铁、草地、地点
- 等 děng · to wait 等到、等待、等候
- 店 diàn · shop; store 饭店、商店、书店
- 懂 dǒng · to understand 懂得、懂事
- 动 dòng · to move 运动、动物、动物园
- 啡 fēi · (used in loanwords for its phonetic value) 咖啡
- 夫 fū · husband; man 丈夫、夫妻、大夫
- 告 gào · to say; to tell; to announce; to report; to denounce 告诉、广告、报告
- 跟 gēn · with; to follow 跟前、跟随、跟踪
- 馆 guǎn 饭馆、宾馆、体育馆
- 过 guò · to cross; to pass; to spend (time); to celebrate 过来、过年、过去
- 黑 hēi · black; dark; sinister 黑色、黑板、黑暗
- 红 hóng · red; popular; revolutionary 红茶、红色、红绿灯
- 花 huā · to spend (money, time) 花园、开花、鲜花
- 画 huà · to draw; to paint; picture 画家、动画、国画
- 坏 huài · bad; broken 坏处、破坏、损坏
- 己 jǐ · self; oneself 自己、知己、各抒己见
- 记 jì · to remember; to write down 记得、笔记、忘记
- 交 jiāo · to hand in; to pay; to make (friends) 公交车、交警、交流
- 教 jiāo · to teach 教室、教练、教师
- 介 jiè · to introduce; to lie between 介绍、中介、简介
- 进 jìn · to enter; to go in 进来、进去、进入
- 近 jìn · near; close 附近、最近、将近
- 经 jīng · classics; sacred book; scripture 经常、已经、经过
- 睛 jīng · eye; eyeball 眼睛、画龙点睛、目不转睛
- 酒 jiǔ · alcohol; wine 酒店、啤酒、白酒
- 就 jiù · then; just; right away; only 就是、成就、就业
- 咖 gā 咖啡
- 考 kǎo · to take a test 考试、报考、高考
- 裤 kù 裤子、短裤、牛仔裤
- 快 kuài · fast; quick; soon 快乐、快要、凉快
- 篮 lán · basket (receptacle); basket (in basketball) 篮球、摇篮
- 乐 lào 快乐、音乐、乐观
- 累 lèi · tired 积累、劳累、累赘
- 离 lí · away from (distance), as in 离家很近 离开、距离、远离
- 留 liú · to stay; to leave (behind); to keep 留学、留学生、留下
- 楼 lóu · building; floor (of a building) 楼梯、楼道、阁楼
- 路 lù · road; way 路上、走路、路边
- 旅 lǚ · trip; travel 旅游、旅馆、旅客
- 绿 lù 绿茶、绿色、红绿灯
- 慢 màn · slow 缓慢、傲慢、怠慢
- 每 měi · every; each
- 门 mén · door; gate 出门、门口、门票
- 拿 ná · to take; to hold; to carry 拿手、桑拿
- 鸟 niǎo · bird 鸟巢
- 旁 páng · one side; other 旁边、旁人、偏旁
- 跑 pǎo · to run 跑步、跑道、奔跑
- 票 piào · ticket 机票、门票、检票
- 妻 qī · wife 妻子、夫妻
- 情 qíng · feelings; emotion; sentiment; passion; situation; condition 事情、热情、爱情
- 晴 qíng · sunny; clear 晴朗
- 球 qiú · ball 篮球、足球、球场
- 然 rán · correct; right 虽然、当然、然后
- 让 ràng · to let; to ask (someone to do something) 转让、避让、让步
- 肉 ròu · meat 肌肉
- 色 sè · color; look 白色、黑色、红色
- 绍 shào · to continue; to carry on 介绍
- 身 shēn · body; (measure word for outfits) 身体、身边、身高
- 始 shǐ · to begin; to start 开始、始终、原始
- 试 shì · to try 考试、笔试、面试
- 室 shì · room 教室、办公室、卧室
- 舒 shū · to stretch; to unfold 舒服、舒适、舒畅
- 思 sī · to think; to consider 意思、没意思、有意思
- 送 sòng · to give (as a gift); to send; to see someone off 发送、配送、赠送
- 诉 sù 告诉、投诉、起诉
- 虽 suī · although; even though 虽然、虽说
- 所 suǒ · classifier for houses, small buildings, institutions etc; actually; place 所以、厕所、所有
- 疼 téng · painful; to hurt 疼痛、心疼、疼爱
- 踢 tī · to kick; to play (football)
- 体 tī 身体、体育、体育馆
- 跳 tiào · to jump 跳舞、跳高、跳远
- 铁 tiě · iron (metal); arms; weapons 地铁、高铁、铁路
- 头 tóu · head; (measure word for cattle) 头发、点头、馒头
- 完 wán · to finish; to be over 完成、完全、完美
- 万 wàn · ten thousand 千万、万一、万物
- 网 wǎng · net; web; network; to net; to catch with a net 上网、网上、网球
- 往 wǎng · toward 往往、交往、前往
- 忘 wàng · to forget 忘记、难忘、遗忘
- 望 wàng · full moon; to hope; to expect 希望、失望、看望
- 为 wèi · for 因为、为什么、认为
- 位 wèi · (polite measure word for people) 车位、单位、各位
- 舞 wǔ · to dance; to wield; to brandish 跳舞、舞蹈、舞台
- 希 xī · to hope; to admire 希望
- 洗 xǐ · to wash 洗手间、洗澡、洗衣机
- 笑 xiào · to laugh; to smile 好笑、笑话、开玩笑
- 姓 xìng · surname; to be surnamed 姓名、贵姓、老百姓
- 颜 yán · color; face 颜色、五颜六色、容颜
- 眼 yǎn · classifier for wells, cave-dwellings etc; eye (双); (often used with 一) a look; a glance 眼睛、眼镜、眼前
- 药 yào · medicine 药店、药品、药物
- 爷 yé · grandpa; old gentleman 爷爷、大爷、姥爷
- 已 yǐ · already 已经、早已、不已
- 意 yì · idea; thought; meaning; sense; intention; feeling; inclination; state of mind 意思、没意思、有意思
- 因 yīn · cause; reason; because 因为、因此、原因
- 阴 yīn · cloudy; overcast 阴暗、阴历、阴谋
- 泳 yǒng · swimming; to swim 游泳
- 游 yóu · to swim; to tour 旅游、游泳、游客
- 右 yòu · right (side) 右边、左右、座右铭
- 鱼 yú · fish 钓鱼、鲨鱼、鳄鱼
- 远 yuǎn · far 永远、远离、长远
- 运 yùn · to move; to transport; to use 运动、运动会、运动员
- 站 zhàn · station; stop 车站、网站、加油站
- 长 cháng · long 校长、队长、家长
- 丈 zhàng · measure of length, ten Chinese feet (3.3 m); to measure 丈夫
- 周 zhōu · week 周末、周围、四周
- 着 zhe · (particle after a verb: in a state of, as in 坐着) 着急、接着、随着
- 准 zhǔn · accurate; to allow 准备、标准、准确
- 自 zì · from 自己、来自、自行车
- 走 zǒu · to walk; to leave 走路、行走、走廊
- 足 zú · foot; leg; sufficient; ample; as much as; fully 足球、不足、充足
- 最 zuì · most 最好、最后、最近
- 左 zuǒ · left 左边、左右、左顾右盼
How to learn characters faster
- Learn components, not just whole characters. 氵 (water), 扌 (hand), 讠 (speech), 木 (tree) and 口 (mouth) appear in hundreds of characters and hint at meaning.
- Follow the basic stroke order. Top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside, close the box last. Correct order makes handwriting faster and neater.
- Learn characters inside words. 机 is easier to remember as part of 手机, 飞机 and 机场.
- Write a little every day. Ten characters a day, written three times each from memory, is better than a long session once a week.
Stroke animations use Hanzi Writer with stroke data from Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License). Readings for characters that are not words on their own are from CC-CEDICT.
Sources
- HSK 考试大纲 (HSK Test Syllabus), released November 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). Checked 2026-10-20.
- HSK 3.0 sample papers, answer keys and audio (levels 1–9, speaking 3–6) — Chinese Testing International (CTI). Checked 2026-10-20.
- CC-CEDICT Chinese–English dictionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) — MDBG / CC-CEDICT contributors (not official). Checked 2026-10-20.