New HSK (3.0) · 2025 syllabus
HSK 2 word list
HSK 2 adds 200 words to the 300 from earlier levels, for 500 in total. The new words are listed below; switch to “All words” to see the full list up to HSK 2.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Old HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 啊 | a | (particle softening a sentence or showing surprise) | 3 |
| 爱好 | àihào | hobby; to be keen on | 3 |
| 白色 | báisè | white | – |
| 班 | bān | class (group of students); shift | 3 |
| 帮 | bāng | to help | – |
| 帮忙 | bāngmáng | to help; to do a favor | 3 |
| 包 | bāo | bag; to wrap | 3 |
| 本子 | běnzi | notebook | – |
| 比 | bǐ | to compare; (in comparisons) than | 2 |
| 笔 | bǐ | pen | – |
| 别 | bié | don't | 2 |
| 不错 | búcuò | not bad; pretty good | – |
| 不好意思 | bùhǎoyìsi | sorry; to feel embarrassed | 5 |
| 长 | cháng | long | 2 |
| 车站 | chēzhàn | station; bus stop | – |
| 出 | chū | to go out; to come out | 2 |
| 出国 | chūguó | to go abroad | – |
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out | – |
| 出门 | chūmén | to go out (of the house) | – |
| 出去 | chūqù | to go out | – |
| 床 | chuáng | bed | – |
| 词 | cí | word | – |
| 次 | cì | time (occurrence), as in 三次 "three times" | 2 |
| 从 | cóng | from | 2 |
| 从小 | cóngxiǎo | since childhood | – |
| 错 | cuò | wrong; mistake | 2 |
| 打 | dǎ | to hit; to play (ball games); to make (a call) | – |
| 打车 | dǎchē | to take a taxi | – |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open; to turn on | – |
| 但 | dàn | but | – |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however | 2 |
| 得 | de | (particle after a verb before a description of how it is done, as in 说得很好) | 2 |
| 地 | de | (particle before a verb, like English "-ly") | 3 |
| 等 | děng | to wait | 4 |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | subway; metro | 3 |
| 点 | diǎn | to order (food); to tap; to nod | 1 |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand | 2 |
| 动 | dòng | to move | – |
| 饭馆 | fànguǎn | restaurant | 1 |
| 飞 | fēi | to fly | – |
| 高 | gāo | tall; high | 2 |
| 高中 | gāozhōng | senior high school | – |
| 告诉 | gàosu | to tell | 2 |
| 个子 | gèzi | height (of a person); build | 4 |
| 跟 | gēn | with; to follow | 3 |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | bus | – |
| 过 | guò | to cross; to pass; to spend (time); to celebrate | 4 |
| 过来 | guòlái | to come over | – |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate the New Year | – |
| 过去 | guòqù | to go over; to pass by | 3 |
| 过 | guo | (particle after a verb: have done before, as in 去过) | 4 |
| 还是 | háishi | or (in questions); still; had better | 3 |
| 黑色 | hēisè | black | – |
| 红茶 | hóngchá | black tea | – |
| 红色 | hóngsè | red | – |
| 后面 | hòumiàn | behind; back | 1 |
| 花 | huā | to spend (money, time) | 3 |
| 花 | huā | flower | 3 |
| 画 | huà | to draw; to paint; picture | 3 |
| 坏 | huài | bad; broken | 3 |
| 回来 | huílái | to come back | – |
| 回去 | huíqù | to go back | – |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport | 2 |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket | – |
| 记得 | jìde | to remember | 3 |
| 间 | jiān | (measure word for rooms) | – |
| 教 | jiāo | to teach | 3 |
| 教室 | jiàoshì | classroom | 2 |
| 介绍 | jièshào | to introduce | 2 |
| 进 | jìn | to enter; to go in | 2 |
| 近 | jìn | near; close | 2 |
| 进来 | jìnlái | to come in | – |
| 进去 | jìnqù | to go in | – |
| 经常 | jīngcháng | often | 3 |
| 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | hotel | – |
| 就 | jiù | then; just; right away; only | 2 |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee | 2 |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to begin; to start | 2 |
| 开学 | kāixué | to start school; term begins | – |
| 考 | kǎo | to take a test | – |
| 考试 | kǎoshì | exam; to take an exam | 2 |
| 可能 | kěnéng | possible; maybe | 2 |
| 裤子 | kùzi | trousers; pants | 3 |
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick; soon | 2 |
| 快乐 | kuàilè | happy | 2 |
| 快要 | kuàiyào | about to; soon | – |
| 篮球 | lánqiú | basketball | – |
| 累 | lèi | tired | 2 |
| 离 | lí | away from (distance), as in 离家很近 | 2 |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside | – |
| 楼 | lóu | building; floor (of a building) | 3 |
| 路 | lù | road; way | 2 |
| 路上 | lùshang | on the way | – |
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | to travel; tourism | 2 |
| 绿茶 | lǜchá | green tea | – |
| 绿色 | lǜsè | green | – |
| 慢 | màn | slow | 2 |
| 没意思 | méiyìsi | boring | – |
| 每 | měi | every; each | 2 |
| 门 | mén | door; gate | 2 |
| 门口 | ménkǒu | doorway; entrance | – |
| 门票 | ménpiào | admission ticket | – |
| 面 | miàn | (ending for place words, as in 前面, 外面) | – |
| 名 | míng | (measure word for people) name | – |
| 拿 | ná | to take; to hold; to carry | 3 |
| 那么 | nàme | so; like that; then | – |
| 那样 | nàyàng | like that; that kind | – |
| 奶茶 | nǎichá | milk tea | – |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | grandma (father's mother) | 3 |
| 男孩儿 | nánháir | boy | – |
| 鸟 | niǎo | bird | 3 |
| 女孩儿 | nǚháir | girl | – |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | beside; next to | 2 |
| 跑 | pǎo | to run | – |
| 跑步 | pǎobù | to run; to jog | 2 |
| 票 | piào | ticket | 2 |
| 妻子 | qīzi | wife | 2 |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to get up; to stand up | 4 |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | in front; ahead | 1 |
| 晴 | qíng | sunny; clear | 2 |
| 球 | qiú | ball | – |
| 让 | ràng | to let; to ask (someone to do something) | 2 |
| 肉 | ròu | meat | – |
| 商场 | shāngchǎng | shopping mall | – |
| 上来 | shànglái | to come up | – |
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | on top; above | – |
| 上去 | shàngqù | to go up | – |
| 上网 | shàngwǎng | to go online | 3 |
| 身体 | shēntǐ | body; health | 2 |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday | 2 |
| 时 | shí | time; when (as in …时) | – |
| 事情 | shìqing | matter; thing | 2 |
| 手 | shǒu | hand | – |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch | 2 |
| 书包 | shūbāo | schoolbag | – |
| 舒服 | shūfu | comfortable; feeling well | 3 |
| 送 | sòng | to give (as a gift); to send; to see someone off | 2 |
| 虽然 | suīrán | although | 3 |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | so; therefore | 2 |
| 疼 | téng | painful; to hurt | 3 |
| 踢 | tī | to kick; to play (football) | 2 |
| 题 | tí | question (on a test) | 2 |
| 条 | tiáo | (measure word for long thin things: roads, rivers, trousers) | 3 |
| 跳舞 | tiàowǔ | to dance | 2 |
| 头 | tóu | head; (measure word for cattle) | – |
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country | – |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside | – |
| 完 | wán | to finish; to be over | 2 |
| 万 | wàn | ten thousand | 3 |
| 往 | wǎng | toward | 4 |
| 网上 | wǎngshang | online | – |
| 忘 | wàng | to forget | – |
| 位 | wèi | (polite measure word for people) | 3 |
| 为什么 | wèishénme | why | 3 |
| 希望 | xīwàng | to hope; hope | 2 |
| 洗 | xǐ | to wash | 2 |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; restroom | 3 |
| 下来 | xiàlái | to come down | – |
| 下面 | xiàmiàn | below; under; next | – |
| 下去 | xiàqù | to go down; to go on (doing) | – |
| 小孩儿 | xiǎoháir | child; kid | – |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | when (someone) was little | – |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile | 2 |
| 姓 | xìng | surname; to be surnamed | 2 |
| 姓名 | xìngmíng | full name | – |
| 颜色 | yánsè | color | 2 |
| 眼睛 | yǎnjing | eye | 2 |
| 药 | yào | medicine | 2 |
| 药店 | yàodiàn | pharmacy | – |
| 爷爷 | yéye | grandpa (father's father) | 3 |
| 一会儿 | yíhuìr | a moment; in a moment | 3 |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already | 2 |
| 一起 | yìqǐ | together | 2 |
| 意思 | yìsi | meaning | 2 |
| 阴 | yīn | cloudy; overcast | 2 |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because | 2 |
| 游 | yóu | to swim; to tour | – |
| 游泳 | yóuyǒng | to swim; swimming | 2 |
| 有意思 | yǒuyìsi | interesting; fun | – |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes | – |
| 右 | yòu | right (side) | – |
| 右边 | yòubian | right side | 2 |
| 鱼 | yú | fish | 2 |
| 远 | yuǎn | far | 2 |
| 运动 | yùndòng | sport; to exercise | 2 |
| 站 | zhàn | station; stop | 3 |
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | husband | 2 |
| 这么 | zhème | so; this (much) | – |
| 这样 | zhèyàng | like this; this way | – |
| 着 | zhe | (particle after a verb: in a state of, as in 坐着) | 2 |
| 正 | zhèng | just (in the middle of doing) | 5 |
| 周 | zhōu | week | – |
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | to prepare; to plan to | 2 |
| 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself | 3 |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to leave | 2 |
| 走路 | zǒulù | to walk; on foot | – |
| 足球 | zúqiú | football; soccer | – |
| 最 | zuì | most | 2 |
| 左 | zuǒ | left | – |
| 左边 | zuǒbian | left side | 2 |
English meanings for HSK 1–4 are written by WordSwing for learners. “Old HSK” shows the level a word had on the HSK 2.0 lists, matched by characters; “new” means it was not on those lists.
About the HSK 2 words
HSK 2 adds 200 words, bringing the total to 500. The new words cover directions (前面, 旁边, 左边), getting around (地铁, 公交车, 打车, 机场), colours, and common verbs that move people and things (出来, 进去, 回来, 拿, 送).
How these words appear on the test
Pinyin is still printed. HSK 2 is the first level with a writing section, where you pick character components and write single missing characters, so start handwriting the most common words now.
What to focus on
- Direction verbs: 出来, 出去, 进来, 进去, 回来, 回去, 上来, 下去. Learn which way 来 and 去 point.
- Structural particles 的, 得, 地 and aspect particles 着, 过. Many gap-fill questions test them.
- Linking words: 因为, 所以, 虽然, 但是, 还是.
- New measure words: 次, 条, 位, 间, 头 for counting times, roads, people, rooms and animals.
Getting around
地铁 公交车 打车 机场 车站 路上 走路 跑步 飞
Describing things
红色 黑色 白色 绿色 长 高 远 近 快 慢 坏 错
Feelings and opinions
快乐 舒服 累 疼 希望 有意思 没意思 不错
How this list compares with the old HSK 2
Of the 200 new HSK 2 words, 70 were also HSK 2 words on the HSK 2.0 lists, 4 were at a lower old level, 43 were at a higher old level, and 83 were not on the old lists at all. If you studied with an older HSK 2 book or deck, the old vs new word list comparison shows exactly which words to add.
Characters at this level
HSK 2 adds 125 characters to recognise (371 in total) and 100 to write by hand (100 in total). See the HSK 2 character list for stroke order.
How to learn them
Learn words in short daily sessions with sound, then meet them again in reading. Our guide to learning HSK vocabulary explains a simple routine, and the HSK 2 guide explains how the words are tested.
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.