HSK guide
HSK 1
HSK 1 is the first level of the HSK, the standard Chinese test for learners. From 13 December 2026, the exam tests the 300 words of a new syllabus.
- Words
- 300
- Characters to read
- 246
- Characters to write
- None
- Grammar points
- 70
- Old HSK 1
- 150 words
- Dengdeng stories
- Beginner
Free HSK 1 word lists
Print them, tick the words you know, or keep them on your phone. Both lists put the most common words first, with pinyin and an English meaning.
Which HSK 1?
You will see three word counts for HSK 1. They come from three different lists.
| List | HSK 1 words | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| New exam (2025 syllabus) | 300 | The HSK exams from 13 December 2026 |
| 2021 standard | 500 | Many “HSK 3.0” books, apps and word lists made before 2026 |
| Old HSK (HSK 2.0) | 150 | The exam before December 2026 and most older course books |
The lists overlap a lot: 266 of the 300 new HSK 1 words are also in the first band of the 2021 standard. If you book the exam, check which version your test center runs. If you follow a course book, use the list it was written for.
The 50 most common HSK 1 words
These words come up most often in everyday Chinese, measured on film and TV subtitles. Tap a card to hear it. The full list of 300 is in the PDF.
How long HSK 1 takes
At 5 new words a day, the 300 words take about two months. That counts words only. Leave time to listen, and to learn the 70 grammar points, such as yes/no questions with .
The old HSK 1 was aimed at learners after one semester of classes, at two to three class hours a week.
The exam
The first exams on the new syllabus are on 13 December 2026. To sit that date, register by 16 November for a paper test or by 3 December for a test on a computer (Beijing time). Earlier dates use the old HSK.
The old HSK 1 has 40 questions, 20 for listening and 20 for reading, and takes about 40 minutes. It is scored out of 200, and 120 is a pass. Every question shows pinyin.
For the new format, sample papers, dates and test centers, use the official site, chinesetest.cn. We checked these facts on 11 November 2026.
Practice
The Dengdeng dictionary has a free HSK flashcard quiz in your browser. It uses the 2021 band 1 list, which shares 266 words with the new HSK 1.
To see what these words let you read, look at what you can read with HSK 1 and 2.
Read with your HSK 1 words
Dengdeng’s Beginner stories are written for learners around HSK 1 and 2. Tap any word for its pinyin and meaning, and practice it later with flashcards. One Beginner story is free every day.
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.
Questions
- How many words are in HSK 1?
- 300 in the new HSK 1 exam, from the 2025 syllabus. The old HSK 1 has 150 words, and the 2021 standard lists 500 for its first band.
- Do I need to write characters for HSK 1?
- No. At HSK 1 you read 246 characters and write none. HSK 2 adds 100 characters to write by hand.
- Is HSK 1 the same as HSK 3.0 level 1?
- HSK 3.0 is the name of the new nine-level system. Its exam syllabus from 2025 gives level 1 the 300 words on this page. The 2021 standard that came before it gave level 1 500 words, so older “HSK 3.0” lists are longer.
- How long does HSK 1 take?
- At 5 new words a day, the 300 words take about two months. Add time for listening practice and the 70 grammar points.
Word list: HSK (HSK exam syllabus, 2025), Center for Language Education and Cooperation. Old list: HSK 2.0 vocabulary. Word order: SUBTLEX-CH frequency. Meanings and audio: Dengdeng. See all HSK levels.
