HSK word lists
The new HSK syllabus, released in November 2025, lists 11,000 words across nine levels. Each list below has every word for its level with pinyin and an English meaning. You can search, mark the words you know, and download the list for Anki or a spreadsheet.
| Level | New words | Total words | Characters to read | Characters to write |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 words | 300 | 300 | 246 | – |
| HSK 2 words | 200 | 500 | 371 | 100 |
| HSK 3 words | 500 | 1,000 | 655 | 250 |
| HSK 4 words | 1,000 | 2,000 | 1,096 | 400 |
| HSK 5 words | 1,600 | 3,600 | 1,527 | 550 |
| HSK 6 words | 1,800 | 5,400 | 1,940 | 700 |
| HSK 7–9 words | 5,600 | 11,000 | 3,088 | 1,200 |
Counts are taken from the official 2025 syllabus. Character totals are cumulative.
How to use a word list
A word list tells you what the test can use. It is a checklist, not a study method on its own. Most people do best with a few new words a day, reviewed with audio, and then met again in reading and listening.
- Start with the new words at your level. Each list has a “new at this level” view, so you don’t repeat what you already know.
- Learn words in phrases. 提高水平 is easier to remember, and more useful on the test, than 提高 on its own.
- Check yourself. The vocabulary quiz picks 30 random words from any level and tests meaning or sound.
- Use the lists to check reading. The text level checker shows which words in any Chinese text are on which HSK level.
Word guides
- How to learn HSK vocabulary: a daily routine that works with a full-time job.
- Measure words by level: which measure word goes with which noun.
- Word pairs learners mix up: 的 / 得 / 地, 会 / 能, 以为 / 认为 and more.
- Vocabulary quiz and the text level checker.
- Characters by level, with stroke order for the handwriting lists.
About the meanings
The syllabus lists the Chinese words, their pinyin and part of speech, but no English. We wrote short learner meanings for HSK 1–4. Meanings for HSK 5 and above are adapted from the CC-CEDICT dictionary and may list more than one sense.
Sources
- HSK 考试大纲 (HSK Test Syllabus), released November 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). Checked 2026-10-20.
- CC-CEDICT Chinese–English dictionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) — MDBG / CC-CEDICT contributors (not official). Checked 2026-10-20.