How to learn HSK vocabulary

How many words a day?

Work backwards from your test date. This table shows how many new words a day you need to cover each level’s new words in 8, 16 or 26 weeks, studying every day:

For most adults, 10–20 new words a day is sustainable alongside work or school; more than about 30 tends to pile up reviews faster than you can clear them. Reviews take more time than new words: with spaced repetition, expect roughly 5–10 minutes of review for every five new words a day, once the system is running.

Spaced repetition, in short

You review a word just before you are likely to forget it. Each time you remember it, the gap grows: a day, three days, a week, a month. Each time you forget, it comes back sooner. This is far more efficient than going through a list from top to bottom. Anki, WordSwing and many apps use this method.

Anki or an app?

• Anki is free on most platforms and completely flexible. You build or download decks and choose the settings. It suits people who like control and are willing to set it up. Every word list on this site can be downloaded as an Anki file.
• Integrated apps, such as WordSwing, handle the schedule for you and connect words to audio, reading and listening. They suit people who want to open the app and start.

Either works. What matters is reviewing most days. A tool you use daily beats a better tool you open twice a month.

Learn words, not just characters

The HSK lists and tests words, and most words have two characters. Knowing 机 helps with 手机, 飞机 and 机场, so characters make new words easier. But the meaning of a word is not always the sum of its characters: 东西 means “thing”, and 小心 means “be careful”. Learn each word as a unit, then notice the characters it shares with others.

Learn words in sentences

A word on a card is easy to recognise on its own and easy to miss in a sentence. Learn each new word with one short sentence, and with its usual partner words: 提高水平, 解决问题, 参加比赛. Many test questions check exactly these combinations, especially in the word-bank and cloze sections.

Sound first

Half the test is listening. Every time you learn a word, hear it and say it. A word you have only read is a word you may miss in the audio. Tones matter: 买 (mǎi, buy) and 卖 (mài, sell) differ only in tone.

A daily routine (30 minutes)

1. Reviews first (10–15 minutes). Clear today’s due words.
2. New words (5–10 minutes). 10–15 new words with audio and an example sentence each.
3. Use them (10 minutes). Read a short graded text or do a few practice questions at your level, and notice the words you just learned.

Common mistakes

• Learning too many new words at once, then giving up when reviews pile up.
• Only going from Chinese to English. Also practise hearing the word and recognising it, which is what the test asks.
• Studying the wrong list. The new HSK lists are larger than the old ones; check you are using the 2025 lists.
• Never reading. Words become fast and automatic through reading and listening, not only through cards.

Frequency and the HSK lists

The HSK lists are not simply the most frequent words in Chinese. They are chosen to match the tasks and topics of each level, so some common words appear late and some less common but useful words appear early. For the test, follow the HSK list; for general reading, frequency lists are a useful supplement.