New HSK (3.0) · 2025 syllabus
HSK 3 word list
HSK 3 adds 500 words to the 500 from earlier levels, for 1,000 in total. The new words are listed below; switch to “All words” to see the full list up to HSK 3.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Old HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 阿姨 | āyí | aunt; (polite address for a woman of one's parents' age) | 3 |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (height); low | 3 |
| 爱人 | àiren | spouse; husband or wife | – |
| 安静 | ānjìng | quiet | 3 |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; safety | 4 |
| 把 | bǎ | (marks the object before the verb: 把书放好); (measure word for chairs, umbrellas) | 3 |
| 搬 | bān | to move; to carry | 3 |
| 班级 | bānjí | class (group of students) | – |
| 搬家 | bānjiā | to move house | – |
| 办 | bàn | to do; to handle; to arrange | – |
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way; method | 3 |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office | 3 |
| 半天 | bàntiān | half a day; a long time | – |
| 帮助 | bāngzhù | to help; help | 2 |
| 饱 | bǎo | full (after eating) | 3 |
| 报纸 | bàozhǐ | newspaper | 2 |
| 北 | běi | north | – |
| 北方 | běifāng | the north | 3 |
| 被 | bèi | (marks a passive sentence: by) | 3 |
| 笔记 | bǐjì | notes | – |
| 比较 | bǐjiào | to compare; rather; fairly | 3 |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook; laptop | 4 |
| 比如 | bǐrú | for example | 5 |
| 比赛 | bǐsài | match; competition | 3 |
| 必须 | bìxū | must; have to | 3 |
| 变 | biàn | to change | – |
| 遍 | biàn | (measure word for actions, from start to finish), as in 再说一遍 "say it once more" | 4 |
| 变成 | biànchéng | to turn into; to become | – |
| 变化 | biànhuà | change; to change | 3 |
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | to perform; performance | 3 |
| 别的 | biéde | other | – |
| 别人 | biérén | other people | 3 |
| 宾馆 | bīnguǎn | hotel | 3 |
| 冰 | bīng | ice | – |
| 冰激凌 | bīngjīlíng | ice cream | – |
| 冰箱 | bīngxiāng | fridge | 3 |
| 病人 | bìngrén | patient (sick person) | – |
| 不但 | búdàn | not only | 4 |
| 不见 | bújiàn | to be missing; to be gone | – |
| 不用 | búyòng | no need to | – |
| 不同 | bùtóng | different | – |
| 不久 | bùjiǔ | soon; not long after | – |
| 不行 | bùxíng | no good; won't do | – |
| 才 | cái | only then; only; just | 3 |
| 菜单 | càidān | menu | 3 |
| 参加 | cānjiā | to take part in; to join | 3 |
| 草 | cǎo | grass | 3 |
| 草地 | cǎodì | lawn; meadow | – |
| 层 | céng | floor; storey; layer | 3 |
| 查 | chá | to check; to look up | – |
| 差 | chà | poor (quality); to be short of | 3 |
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | almost; about the same | 4 |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste | 4 |
| 常 | cháng | often | – |
| 常见 | chángjiàn | common | – |
| 常用 | chángyòng | commonly used | – |
| 常常 | chángcháng | often | – |
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt | 3 |
| 成绩 | chéngjì | results; grades; score | 3 |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city | 3 |
| 迟到 | chídào | to be late | 3 |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off | 4 |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born | 4 |
| 出院 | chūyuàn | to leave hospital | – |
| 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school | – |
| 除了 | chúle | apart from; except | 3 |
| 船 | chuán | boat; ship | 2 |
| 春天 | chūntiān | spring | – |
| 词典 | cídiǎn | dictionary | 4 |
| 聪明 | cōngmíng | clever; smart | 3 |
| 打扫 | dǎsǎo | to clean; to sweep | 3 |
| 打算 | dǎsuàn | to plan; plan | 3 |
| 大概 | dàgài | probably; roughly | 4 |
| 大人 | dàren | adult | – |
| 大小 | dàxiǎo | size | – |
| 大熊猫 | dàxióngmāo | giant panda | – |
| 大衣 | dàyī | overcoat | – |
| 带 | dài | to bring; to take along | 3 |
| 担心 | dānxīn | to worry | 3 |
| 蛋糕 | dàngāo | cake | 3 |
| 当然 | dāngrán | of course | 3 |
| 到处 | dàochù | everywhere | 4 |
| 得 | dé | to get; to obtain | 2 |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to receive | – |
| 得分 | défēn | to score; score | – |
| 的话 | dehuà | (after a clause) if… | – |
| 得 | děi | to have to; must | 2 |
| 灯 | dēng | lamp; light | 3 |
| 地 | dì | ground; land | 3 |
| 地点 | dìdiǎn | place (where something happens) | – |
| 地方 | dìfang | place | 3 |
| 地图 | dìtú | map | 3 |
| 电 | diàn | electricity | – |
| 电梯 | diàntī | lift; elevator | 3 |
| 电子书 | diànzǐshū | e-book | – |
| 丢 | diū | to lose (something) | 4 |
| 东 | dōng | east | 3 |
| 东北 | dōngběi | northeast | – |
| 东方 | dōngfāng | the east | – |
| 东南 | dōngnán | southeast | – |
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | winter | – |
| 懂得 | dǒngde | to understand; to know (how) | – |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal | 3 |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | zoo | – |
| 短 | duǎn | short (length, time) | 3 |
| 短裤 | duǎnkù | shorts | – |
| 段 | duàn | (measure word for a section, a period of time, a stretch of road) | 3 |
| 锻炼 | duànliàn | to exercise; to work out | 3 |
| 对话 | duìhuà | dialogue; conversation | 4 |
| 饿 | è | hungry | 3 |
| 而且 | érqiě | and also; moreover | 3 |
| 耳朵 | ěrduo | ear | 3 |
| 耳机 | ěrjī | headphones; earphones | – |
| 发 | fā | to send; to issue | 4 |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | to have a fever | 3 |
| 发生 | fāshēng | to happen | 4 |
| 发现 | fāxiàn | to discover; to find | 3 |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | to develop; development | 4 |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | 3 |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles | – |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way | 4 |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction | 4 |
| 房子 | fángzi | house; flat | – |
| 放 | fàng | to put; to place | 3 |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday | – |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | to stop worrying; to feel at ease | 3 |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to finish school (for the day) | – |
| 分开 | fēnkāi | to separate; to part | – |
| 风 | fēng | wind | – |
| 封 | fēng | (measure word for letters) | – |
| 夫妻 | fūqī | husband and wife | – |
| 服务 | fúwù | to serve; service | – |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby | 3 |
| 复习 | fùxí | to review; to revise | 3 |
| 该 | gāi | should; ought to | – |
| 干净 | gānjìng | clean | 3 |
| 感兴趣 | gǎnxìngqù | to be interested (in) | – |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel | – |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | to catch a cold; a cold | 3 |
| 干 | gàn | to do; to work | 4 |
| 刚 | gāng | just (now); only just | – |
| 刚才 | gāngcái | just now; a moment ago | 3 |
| 刚刚 | gānggāng | just now; only just | 4 |
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high-speed rail | – |
| 根据 | gēnjù | according to; basis | 3 |
| 更 | gèng | even more; more | 3 |
| 公斤 | gōngjīn | kilogram | 2 |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park | 3 |
| 工作日 | gōngzuòrì | working day; weekday | – |
| 故事 | gùshi | story | 3 |
| 刮 | guā | to blow (of wind); to scrape | 3 |
| 关 | guān | to close; to turn off | 3 |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a device) | – |
| 关系 | guānxì | relationship; connection | 3 |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to care about | 3 |
| 关于 | guānyú | about; concerning | 3 |
| 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to; to follow | – |
| 国家 | guójiā | country; nation | 3 |
| 过节 | guòjié | to celebrate a festival | – |
| 过去 | guòqù | the past; in the past | 3 |
| 海 | hǎi | sea | – |
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid | 3 |
| 好多 | hǎoduō | a lot of; many | – |
| 好久 | hǎojiǔ | a long time | – |
| 好像 | hǎoxiàng | to seem; as if | 4 |
| 号码 | hàomǎ | number | 4 |
| 河 | hé | river | 3 |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; right | 4 |
| 黑板 | hēibǎn | blackboard | 3 |
| 红绿灯 | hóng-lǜdēng | traffic lights | – |
| 后来 | hòulái | later; afterwards | 4 |
| 后年 | hòunián | the year after next | – |
| 后天 | hòutiān | the day after tomorrow | – |
| 护照 | hùzhào | passport | 3 |
| 花园 | huāyuán | garden | 3 |
| 画家 | huàjiā | painter; artist | – |
| 欢迎 | huānyíng | to welcome; welcome | 2 |
| 还 | huán | to return; to give back | 2 |
| 环境 | huánjìng | environment; surroundings | 3 |
| 换 | huàn | to change; to exchange | 3 |
| 黄色 | huángsè | yellow | – |
| 回答 | huídá | to answer; answer | 2 |
| 会 | huì | meeting | 1 |
| 会议 | huìyì | meeting; conference | 3 |
| 或 | huò | or | – |
| 或者 | huòzhě | or | 3 |
| 鸡 | jī | chicken | – |
| 几乎 | jīhū | almost | 3 |
| 机会 | jīhuì | chance; opportunity | 3 |
| 极 | jí | extremely | 3 |
| 急 | jí | urgent; in a hurry; anxious | – |
| 记 | jì | to remember; to write down | – |
| 季 | jì | season | – |
| 季节 | jìjié | season | 3 |
| 加 | jiā | to add; plus | – |
| 假期 | jiàqī | holiday; vacation | – |
| 坚持 | jiānchí | to keep at it; to insist | 4 |
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | to check; to examine | 3 |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple | 3 |
| 检票 | jiǎnpiào | to check tickets | – |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | healthy; health | 3 |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet | 3 |
| 讲 | jiǎng | to speak; to explain; to tell (a story) | 3 |
| 角 | jiǎo | jiao (one tenth of a yuan) | 3 |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot | 3 |
| 接 | jiē | to pick up (someone); to receive; to answer (the phone) | 3 |
| 街 | jiē | street | – |
| 节 | jié | (measure word for lessons and classes); festival | 5 |
| 结婚 | jiéhūn | to get married | 3 |
| 节目 | jiémù | programme; show | 3 |
| 节日 | jiérì | festival; holiday | 3 |
| 结束 | jiéshù | to end; to finish | 3 |
| 解决 | jiějué | to solve | 3 |
| 姐妹 | jiěmèi | sisters | – |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow; to lend | 3 |
| 斤 | jīn | jin (half a kilogram) | – |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass (by, through); process | 3 |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager | 3 |
| 久 | jiǔ | long (time) | 3 |
| 酒 | jiǔ | alcohol; wine | – |
| 旧 | jiù | old (not new) | 3 |
| 句 | jù | (measure word for sentences) | – |
| 句子 | jùzi | sentence | 3 |
| 决定 | juédìng | to decide; decision | 3 |
| 卡 | kǎ | card | – |
| 开花 | kāihuā | to bloom | – |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to have a meeting | – |
| 开机 | kāijī | to turn on (a device) | – |
| 开心 | kāixīn | happy | 5 |
| 看来 | kànlái | it seems | 5 |
| 可 | kě | but; (stressing) really | – |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | 3 |
| 可爱 | kě’ài | cute; lovely | 3 |
| 可是 | kěshì | but | 4 |
| 刻 | kè | quarter (of an hour) | 3 |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook | – |
| 客人 | kèrén | guest | 3 |
| 课文 | kèwén | text (of a lesson) | – |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioning | 3 |
| 哭 | kū | to cry | 3 |
| 筷子 | kuàizi | chopsticks | 3 |
| 矿泉水 | kuàngquánshuǐ | mineral water | 5 |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from | 5 |
| 蓝 | lán | blue | 3 |
| 老 | lǎo | old; (before a surname, friendly address) 老王 | 3 |
| 老人 | lǎorén | elderly person | – |
| 离开 | líkāi | to leave | 3 |
| 礼物 | lǐwù | gift; present | 3 |
| 历史 | lìshǐ | history | 3 |
| 脸 | liǎn | face | 3 |
| 练 | liàn | to practise | – |
| 练习 | liànxí | to practise; exercise | 3 |
| 凉快 | liángkuai | cool (pleasantly) | 4 |
| 辆 | liàng | (measure word for vehicles) | 3 |
| 聊 | liáo | to chat | – |
| 聊天儿 | liáotiānr | to chat | – |
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to find out | 3 |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbour | 3 |
| 留学 | liúxué | to study abroad | 4 |
| 留学生 | liúxuéshēng | international student | – |
| 楼梯 | lóutī | stairs | – |
| 路边 | lùbiān | roadside | – |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | intersection; crossing | – |
| 马 | mǎ | horse | 3 |
| 马路 | mǎlù | road; street | – |
| 马上 | mǎshàng | right away; immediately | 3 |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied | 3 |
| 毛 | máo | mao (one tenth of a yuan, spoken) | 5 |
| 米 | mǐ | metre; rice (uncooked) | 3 |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of | – |
| 明白 | míngbai | to understand; clear | 3 |
| 名单 | míngdān | list of names | – |
| 名人 | míngrén | famous person | – |
| 南 | nán | south | 3 |
| 难 | nán | difficult | 3 |
| 南方 | nánfāng | the south | – |
| 难过 | nánguò | sad; to feel bad | 3 |
| 难看 | nánkàn | ugly | 5 |
| 男人 | nánrén | man | 2 |
| 男生 | nánshēng | boy; male student | – |
| 难题 | nántí | difficult problem | – |
| 难听 | nántīng | unpleasant to hear | – |
| 年级 | niánjí | grade; year (in school) | 3 |
| 年轻 | niánqīng | young | 3 |
| 牛 | niú | cow; ox | – |
| 努力 | nǔlì | to try hard; hard-working | 3 |
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman | 2 |
| 女生 | nǚshēng | girl; female student | – |
| 爬 | pá | to climb; to crawl | – |
| 怕 | pà | to be afraid of | – |
| 拍照 | pāizhào | to take a photo | – |
| 盘子 | pánzi | plate; dish | 3 |
| 胖 | pàng | fat; plump | 3 |
| 啤酒 | píjiǔ | beer | 3 |
| 平时 | píngshí | usually; normally | 4 |
| 瓶子 | píngzi | bottle | 4 |
| 骑 | qí | to ride (a bike, horse) | 3 |
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange | 3 |
| 其实 | qíshí | actually; in fact | 3 |
| 其他 | qítā | other | 3 |
| 起 | qǐ | to rise; to start | – |
| 起飞 | qǐfēi | to take off (plane) | 4 |
| 汽车 | qìchē | car | – |
| 铅笔 | qiānbǐ | pencil | 3 |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last | – |
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday | – |
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; to understand clearly | 3 |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to ask for leave | 4 |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to treat (pay for others) | 4 |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | autumn | – |
| 球场 | qiúchǎng | sports field; court | – |
| 裙子 | qúnzi | skirt | 3 |
| 然后 | ránhòu | then; after that | 3 |
| 热情 | rèqíng | warm; enthusiastic | 3 |
| 认得 | rènde | to recognize | – |
| 认为 | rènwéi | to think; to believe | 3 |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | serious; careful | 3 |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy | 3 |
| 如果 | rúguǒ | if | 3 |
| 伞 | sǎn | umbrella | 3 |
| 扫 | sǎo | to sweep | – |
| 沙发 | shāfā | sofa | 4 |
| 山 | shān | mountain; hill | – |
| 上衣 | shàngyī | jacket; top | – |
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon | 5 |
| 身边 | shēnbiān | at one's side | – |
| 身高 | shēngāo | height (of a person) | – |
| 声 | shēng | sound; (measure word for sounds) | – |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | life; to live | 4 |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry | 3 |
| 声音 | shēngyīn | sound; voice | 3 |
| 市 | shì | city | – |
| 试 | shì | to try | 4 |
| 室 | shì | room | – |
| 世界 | shìjiè | world | 3 |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to collect | 4 |
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive | – |
| 受 | shòu | to receive; to suffer | – |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin | 3 |
| 受到 | shòudào | to receive (praise, help, influence) | 4 |
| 叔叔 | shūshu | uncle (father's younger brother; polite address for a man) | 3 |
| 树 | shù | tree | 3 |
| 数学 | shùxué | maths | 3 |
| 刷 | shuā | to brush; to swipe (a card) | 3 |
| 双 | shuāng | pair (measure word) | 3 |
| 水平 | shuǐpíng | level; standard | 3 |
| 司机 | sījī | driver | 3 |
| 四季 | sìjì | the four seasons | – |
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun | 3 |
| 糖 | táng | sugar; sweets | 3 |
| 特别 | tèbié | special; especially | 3 |
| 提高 | tígāo | to raise; to improve | 3 |
| 体育 | tǐyù | sport; physical education | 3 |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | gym; sports hall | – |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | 3 |
| 跳 | tiào | to jump | – |
| 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear (that); people say | – |
| 挺 | tǐng | quite; rather | 4 |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague | 3 |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree | 3 |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair | 3 |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden; suddenly | 3 |
| 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | library | 3 |
| 腿 | tuǐ | leg | 3 |
| 外地 | wàidì | other parts of the country | – |
| 外卖 | wàimài | takeaway; food delivery | – |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language | – |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete; to finish | 3 |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl | 3 |
| 晚点 | wǎndiǎn | delayed; late (train, flight) | – |
| 晚会 | wǎnhuì | evening party | – |
| 网球 | wǎngqiú | tennis | 4 |
| 网站 | wǎngzhàn | website | 4 |
| 忘记 | wàngjì | to forget | 3 |
| 为 | wèi | for | 2 |
| 为了 | wèile | in order to; for | 3 |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | toilet; bathroom | 5 |
| 文化 | wénhuà | culture | 3 |
| 屋子 | wūzi | room | 5 |
| 西 | xī | west | 3 |
| 西北 | xīběi | northwest | – |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West | – |
| 西瓜 | xīguā | watermelon | 2 |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest | – |
| 习惯 | xíguàn | habit; to be used to | 3 |
| 喜爱 | xǐ’ài | to like; to love | – |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine | 4 |
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to take a bath or shower | 3 |
| 夏天 | xiàtiān | summer | – |
| 先 | xiān | first; before | 3 |
| 香蕉 | xiāngjiāo | banana | 3 |
| 相信 | xiāngxìn | to believe | 3 |
| 箱子 | xiāngzi | box; suitcase | – |
| 向 | xiàng | toward; to | 2 |
| 像 | xiàng | to look like; like | 3 |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera | – |
| 小区 | xiǎoqū | residential area; housing estate | – |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful | 3 |
| 校园 | xiàoyuán | campus | – |
| 校长 | xiàozhǎng | head teacher; principal | 3 |
| 鞋 | xié | shoe | 3 |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | in one's heart; in one's mind | – |
| 新年 | xīnnián | New Year | – |
| 新闻 | xīnwén | news | 3 |
| 新鲜 | xīnxiān | fresh | 3 |
| 信 | xìn | letter; to believe | 3 |
| 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | credit card | 4 |
| 行 | xíng | OK; all right | 4 |
| 行李 | xíngli | luggage | – |
| 兴趣 | xìngqù | interest | 3 |
| 休假 | xiūjià | to be on leave; holiday | – |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need; need | 3 |
| 选 | xuǎn | to choose | – |
| 选择 | xuǎnzé | to choose; choice | 3 |
| 学期 | xuéqī | term; semester | 5 |
| 牙 | yá | tooth | – |
| 牙刷 | yáshuā | toothbrush | – |
| 羊 | yáng | sheep; goat | – |
| 养 | yǎng | to raise (animals); to keep (a pet) | – |
| 要求 | yāoqiú | to ask (for); requirement | 3 |
| 页 | yè | page | 4 |
| 一定 | yídìng | certainly; surely | 3 |
| 一共 | yígòng | altogether; in total | 3 |
| 一块儿 | yíkuàir | together | – |
| 一样 | yíyàng | the same | 3 |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later | 3 |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; in the past | 3 |
| 以上 | yǐshàng | above; more than | – |
| 以外 | yǐwài | other than; beyond | – |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think (wrongly); to assume | 3 |
| 以下 | yǐxià | below; less than | – |
| 一般 | yìbān | ordinary; usually | 3 |
| 一边 | yìbiān | (一边…一边…) while; at the same time | 3 |
| 一直 | yìzhí | all along; always; straight on | 3 |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music | 3 |
| 银行 | yínháng | bank | 3 |
| 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card | – |
| 饮料 | yǐnliào | drink | 4 |
| 应该 | yīnggāi | should | 3 |
| 影响 | yǐngxiǎng | to affect; influence | 3 |
| 用 | yòng | to use | 3 |
| 邮件 | yóujiàn | email; mail | – |
| 游客 | yóukè | tourist | – |
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game | 3 |
| 邮箱 | yóuxiāng | email address; mailbox | – |
| 有关 | yǒuguān | related to | – |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous | 3 |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful | – |
| 又 | yòu | again; and also | 3 |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton | 4 |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language | 4 |
| 雨衣 | yǔyī | raincoat | – |
| 遇到 | yùdào | to come across; to meet | 3 |
| 遇见 | yùjiàn | to run into (someone) | – |
| 园 | yuán | garden; park | – |
| 员 | yuán | member; person (in a job), as in 服务员 | – |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to be willing | 3 |
| 越 | yuè | (越…越…) the more… the more… | 3 |
| 月亮 | yuèliang | moon | 3 |
| 运动会 | yùndònghuì | sports meet | – |
| 运动员 | yùndòngyuán | athlete | – |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we (including you) | 4 |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty | 4 |
| 怎么办 | zěnmebàn | what to do | – |
| 怎样 | zěnyàng | how | – |
| 站 | zhàn | to stand | 3 |
| 张 | zhāng | (measure word for flat things: paper, tables, tickets); to open | 2 |
| 长 | zhǎng | to grow | 2 |
| 着急 | zháojí | worried; anxious | 3 |
| 照 | zhào | to take (a photo); to shine | – |
| 照顾 | zhàogù | to look after | 3 |
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photo | 3 |
| 照相 | zhàoxiàng | to take a photo | – |
| 直到 | zhídào | until | – |
| 只 | zhǐ | only | 3 |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper | – |
| 只能 | zhǐnéng | can only | – |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | only; just | – |
| 只要 | zhǐyào | as long as | 4 |
| 只有 | zhǐyǒu | only (if) | – |
| 中 | zhōng | middle; in; among | – |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | middle; between | 3 |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | finally; at last | 3 |
| 种 | zhǒng | kind; type | 3 |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important | 3 |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | 3 |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; mainly | 3 |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to pay attention; to be careful | 3 |
| 住院 | zhùyuàn | to be in hospital | – |
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | character dictionary | 3 |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle | 2 |
| 子 | zi | (noun ending, as in 桌子) | – |
| 总 | zǒng | always | – |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always | 3 |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth | 4 |
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | had better; best | 4 |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | last; finally | 4 |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently | 3 |
| 做客 | zuòkè | to be a guest | – |
| 作业 | zuòyè | homework | 3 |
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 3 words
HSK 3 adds 500 words, for 1,000 in total. This is a big step: the list now covers health, the environment, school life, work and Chinese customs, and pinyin is no longer printed on the test.
How these words appear on the test
Without pinyin, you need to recognise every word by its characters. Gap-fill questions often target measure words (封, 双, 层, 辆) and abstract words like 办法, 成绩 and 机会. The writing section asks you to write a sentence using a given word.
What to focus on
- Measure words new at this level: 把, 遍, 层, 段, 封, 节, 句, 辆, 双, 张, 种.
- Words for conditions and reasons: 为了, 如果, 只要, 除了, 而且, 一定.
- Verbs of change and decision: 变, 变成, 决定, 打算, 选择, 准备, 解决.
- Sentence patterns with 把 and 被, which the grammar list also introduces at this level.
Health and body
感冒 发烧 健康 锻炼 头发 耳朵 脸 腿 脚
School and work
成绩 复习 作业 年级 会议 经理 办公室 同事 请假
Nature and seasons
春天 夏天 秋天 冬天 季节 太阳 月亮 河 山 环境
How this list compares with the old HSK 3
Of the 500 new HSK 3 words, 230 were also HSK 3 words on the HSK 2.0 lists, 18 were at a lower old level, 66 were at a higher old level, and 186 were not on the old lists at all. If you studied with an older HSK 3 book or deck, the old vs new word list comparison shows exactly which words to add.
Characters at this level
HSK 3 adds 284 characters to recognise (655 in total) and 150 to write by hand (250 in total). See the HSK 3 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 3 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.