HSK 1: your first 30 days
Ten short lessons over 30 days: the four tones, the main grammar patterns of HSK 1 and about 100 of its most useful words.
我是学生。I’m a student.
Ten lessons in 30 days十课
你好
Lesson 1
What HSK 1 is, and your first five words
The three word lists, the four tones, and why you say ní hǎo.
是
Lesson 2
People and 是
我, 你, 他 and 们, and how to say who someone is.
几
Lesson 3
Numbers
一 to 十, 零 and 两, and when to ask 几 or 多少.
星期
Lesson 4
Dates and time
Years, months, weekdays and the clock.
吃
Lesson 5
Food and drink
吃, 喝, and the difference between 想 and 要.
在
Lesson 6
Places and 在
Where things are, and the place before the verb.
什么
Lesson 7
Asking questions
吗, 什么, 谁, 哪, 怎么 and 呢.
看
Lesson 8
Everyday verbs
Ten verbs, and 在 and 了 with them.
个
Lesson 9
Measure words
个, 本, 只, 口 and 块.
读
Lesson 10
Your first text
A short text with HSK 1 words only.
Read the first one第一课
This is the email you get first, as it arrives. If you like it, one click in it sends you the rest.
Leon from Dengdeng
HSK 1, day 1: what it is, and your first five words
Hey, I’m Leon, the founder of Dengdeng.
What HSK 1 is. HSK is the official Chinese proficiency test. From 13 December 2026, the HSK 1 exam follows the 2025 syllabus, which has 300 words. You’ll see two other lists too: the 2021 standard, where band 1 has 500 words, and the old HSK 1 from 2010, which had 150. Books and apps use all three, so check which list a book follows.
Today: five words
- 你 nǐ
- you
- 好 hǎo
- good
- 我 wǒ
- I, me
- 是 shì
- to be
- 不 bù
- not
The four tones. mā is high and flat, má rises, mǎ dips low, mà falls. A syllable with no mark, like the ma in 吗, is short and light.
Together, 你好 is “hello”. Both words have the third tone, the low dip. When two third tones come together, the first one rises, so you say ní hǎo.
Why are you learning Chinese? Reply and tell me.
Leon
