← HSK 3.0 vocabulary lists
HSK 3 vocabulary list
Every word in the official 2025 HSK 3 syllabus — with pinyin, part of speech and an English meaning. The last column shows where the word sat in the old HSK 2.0 system, so if you studied under the old exam you can see exactly what carried over.
507 words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Part of speech | Was HSK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 点 | diǎn | to touch briefly; to tap | measure word (noun) | 1 |
| 分 | fēn | to divide; to separate | measure word (verb, noun) | 3 |
| 回 | huí | to circle; to go back | verb (measure word) | 1 |
| 家 | jiā | home; family | noun, measure word (suffix) | 1 |
| 有些 | yǒuxiē | some; somewhat | pronoun (adverb) | — |
| 头 | tóu | head; hair style | noun (measure word, adjective) | — |
| 一会儿 | yíhuìr | a moment; a while | numeral, measure word (adverb) | 3 |
| 阿姨 | āyí | maternal aunt; step-mother | noun | 3 |
| 矮 | ǎi | (of a person) short; (of a wall etc) low | adjective | 3 |
| 爱人 | àiren | spouse (PRC); lover (non-PRC) | noun | — |
| 安静 | ānjìng | quiet; peaceful | adjective | 3 |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; secure | adjective | 4 |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold; to grasp | measure word, preposition | 3 |
| 搬 | bān | to move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky) | verb | 3 |
| 班级 | bānjí | class (group of students); grade (in school) | noun | — |
| 搬家 | bānjiā | to move house; to relocate | verb | — |
| 办 | bàn | to take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc) | verb | — |
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way of handling sth; means | noun | 3 |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office; business premises | noun | 3 |
| 半天 | bàntiān | half of the day; a long time | numeral, measure word | — |
| 帮助 | bāngzhù | assistance; aid | verb | 2 |
| 饱 | bǎo | to eat till full; satisfied | adjective | 3 |
| 报纸 | bàozhǐ | newspaper; newsprint | noun | 2 |
| 北 | běi | north; (classical) to be defeated | noun | — |
| 北方 | běifāng | north; the northern part a country | noun | 3 |
| 被 | bèi | quilt; to cover (with) | preposition | 3 |
| 笔记 | bǐjì | to take down (in writing); notes | noun | — |
| 比较 | bǐjiào | to compare; to contrast | verb, preposition, adverb | 3 |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook (stationery); (computing) laptop | noun | 4 |
| 比如 | bǐrú | for example; for instance | verb | 5 |
| 比赛 | bǐsài | competition (sports etc); match | verb, noun | 3 |
| 必须 | bìxū | to have to; must | adverb | 3 |
| 变 | biàn | to change; to become different | verb | — |
| 遍 | biàn | everywhere; all over | measure word | 4 |
| 变成 | biànchéng | to change into; to turn into | verb | — |
| 变化 | biànhuà | (intransitive) to change; to vary | verb, noun | 3 |
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | play; show | verb | 3 |
| 别的 | biéde | else; other | pronoun | — |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others | pronoun | 3 |
| 宾馆 | bīnguǎn | guesthouse; lodge | noun | 3 |
| 冰 | bīng | ice; to chill sth | noun (verb) | — |
| 冰激凌 | bīngjīlíng | ice cream | noun | — |
| 冰箱 | bīngxiāng | refrigerator; (old) icebox | noun | 3 |
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient | noun | — |
| 不但 | búdàn | not only (... but also ...) | conjunction | 4 |
| 不见 | bújiàn | not to see; not to meet | verb | — |
| 不用 | búyòng | need not | adverb | — |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct | — | |
| 不久 | bùjiǔ | not long (after); before too long | adjective | — |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question | verb, adjective | — |
| 才 | cái | ability; talent | adverb | 3 |
| 菜单 | càidān | menu | noun | 3 |
| 参加 | cānjiā | to participate; to take part | verb | 3 |
| 草 | cǎo | grass; straw | noun | 3 |
| 草地 | cǎodì | lawn; meadow | noun | — |
| 层 | céng | to pile on top of one another; layer | measure word | 3 |
| 查 | chá | surname Zha; to research | verb | — |
| 差 | chà | difference; discrepancy | adjective, verb | 3 |
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | almost; nearly | adjective, adverb | 4 |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste; to try (food) | verb | 4 |
| 常 | cháng | surname Chang; always | adverb | — |
| 常见 | cháng jiàn | commonly seen; common | — | |
| 常用 | cháng yòng | in common usage | — | |
| 常常 | chángcháng | frequently; often | adverb | — |
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt; blouse | noun | 3 |
| 成绩 | chéngjì | achievement; performance records | noun | 3 |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city; town | noun | 3 |
| 迟到 | chídào | to arrive late | verb | 3 |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey) | verb | 4 |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born | verb | 4 |
| 出院 | chūyuàn | to leave hospital; to be discharged from hospital | verb | — |
| 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school | noun | — |
| 除了 | chúle | apart from; besides | preposition | 3 |
| 船 | chuán | boat; vessel | noun | 2 |
| 春天 | chūntiān | spring (season) | noun | — |
| 词典 | cídiǎn | dictionary; also written | noun | 4 |
| 聪明 | cōngmíng | intelligent; clever | adjective | 3 |
| 打扫 | dǎsǎo | to clean; to sweep | verb | 3 |
| 打算 | dǎsuàn | to plan; to intend | verb, noun | 3 |
| 大概 | dàgài | roughly; probably | adjective, adverb (noun) | 4 |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup | noun | — |
| 大小 | dàxiǎo | large and small; size | noun | — |
| 大熊猫 | dàxióngmāo | giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | noun | — |
| 大衣 | dàyī | overcoat; topcoat | noun | — |
| 带 | dài | band; belt | verb (noun) | 3 |
| 担心 | dānxīn | anxious; worried | verb | 3 |
| 蛋糕 | dàngāo | cake | noun | 3 |
| 当然 | dāngrán | only natural; as it should be | adverb | 3 |
| 到处 | dàochù | everywhere | adverb | 4 |
| 得 | dé | to obtain; to get | verb | 2 |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to obtain | verb | — |
| 得分 | défēn | to score a point (in a competition, test etc); score | verb, noun | — |
| 的话 | dehuà | if (coming after a conditional clause) | particle | — |
| 得 | děi | to obtain; to get | verb | 2 |
| 灯 | dēng | lamp; light | noun | 3 |
| 地 | dì | -ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct | noun | 3 |
| 地点 | dìdiǎn | place; site | noun | — |
| 地方 | dìfang | region; regional (away from the central administration) | noun | 3 |
| 地图 | dìtú | map | noun | 3 |
| 电 | diàn | lightning; electricity | noun (verb) | — |
| 电梯 | diàntī | elevator; escalator | noun | 3 |
| 电子书 | diànzǐshū | electronic book; e-book | noun | — |
| 丢 | diū | to lose; to put aside | verb | 4 |
| 东 | dōng | surname Dong; east | noun | 3 |
| 东北 | dōngběi | Northeast China; Manchuria | noun | — |
| 东方 | dōngfāng | the East; the Orient | noun | — |
| 东南 | dōngnán | southeast | noun | — |
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | winter | noun | — |
| 懂得 | dǒngde | to understand; to know | verb | — |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal | noun | 3 |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | zoo | noun | — |
| 短 | duǎn | short; brief | adjective | 3 |
| 短裤 | duǎnkù | short pants; shorts | noun | — |
| 段 | duàn | surname Duan; paragraph | measure word | 3 |
| 锻炼 | duànliàn | to toughen; to temper | verb | 3 |
| 对话 | duìhuà | to talk (with sb); dialogue | verb | 4 |
| 饿 | è | hungry; to starve (sb) | adjective | — |
| 而且 | érqiě | (not only ...) but also; moreover | conjunction | 3 |
| 耳朵 | ěrduo | ear; handle (on a cup) | noun | 3 |
| 耳机 | ěrjī | headphones; earphones | noun | — |
| 发 | fā | to send out; to show (one's feeling) | verb | 4 |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | to have a high temperature (from illness); to have a fever | verb | 3 |
| 发生 | fāshēng | to happen; to occur | verb | 4 |
| 发现 | fāxiàn | to notice; to become aware of | verb | 3 |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | development; growth | verb | 4 |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable | adjective | 3 |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles | noun | — |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way | noun | 4 |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction; orientation | noun | 4 |
| 房子 | fángzi | house; building (single- or two-story) | noun | — |
| 放 | fàng | to put; to place | verb | 3 |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday or vacation | verb | — |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | to feel relieved; to feel reassured | verb | 3 |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to dismiss students at the end of the school day | verb | — |
| 分开 | fēnkāi | to separate; to part | verb | — |
| 风 | fēng | wind; news | noun | — |
| 封 | fēng | surname Feng; to confer | measure word (verb) | — |
| 夫妻 | fūqī | husband and wife; married couple | noun | — |
| 服务 | fúwù | to serve; service | verb | — |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby; neighboring | noun | 3 |
| 复习 | fùxí | to review; revision | verb | 3 |
| 该 | gāi | should; ought to | verb | — |
| 干净 | gānjìng | clean; neat | adjective | 3 |
| 感兴趣 | gǎn xìngqù | to be interested | — | |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel; to sense | verb | — |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | to catch cold; (common) cold | noun, verb | 3 |
| 干 | gàn | old variant of; dry | verb | 4 |
| 刚 | gāng | hard; firm | adverb | — |
| 刚才 | gāngcái | just now; a moment ago | noun | 3 |
| 刚刚 | gānggāng | just recently; just a moment ago | adverb | 4 |
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high speed rail | noun | — |
| 根据 | gēnjù | according to; based on | verb, preposition (noun) | 3 |
| 更 | gèng | to change or replace; to experience | adverb | 3 |
| 公斤 | gōngjīn | kilogram (kg) | measure word | 2 |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park (for public recreation) | noun | 3 |
| 工作日 | gōngzuòrì | workday; working day | noun | — |
| 故事 | gùshi | old practice; narrative | noun | 3 |
| 刮 | guā | to scrape; to blow | verb | 3 |
| 关 | guān | surname Guan; mountain pass | verb (noun) | 3 |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film | verb | — |
| 关系 | guānxì | relation; relationship | noun (verb) | 3 |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to be concerned about; to care about | verb | 3 |
| 关于 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning | preposition | 3 |
| 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to; to follow sth closely | verb | — |
| 国家 | guójiā | country; nation | noun | 3 |
| 过节 | guòjié | to celebrate a festival; after the celebrations (i.e. once the festival is over) | verb | — |
| 过去 | guòqù | (in the) past; former | noun | 3 |
| 海 | hǎi | surname Hai; ocean | noun | — |
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid; to be scared | verb | 3 |
| 好多 | hǎoduō | many; quite a lot | numeral | — |
| 好久 | hǎojiǔ | quite a while | adjective | — |
| 好像 | hǎoxiàng | as if; to seem like | verb, adverb | 4 |
| 号码 | hàomǎ | number | noun | 4 |
| 河 | hé | river; (bound form) the Yellow River | noun | 3 |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; fitting | adjective | 4 |
| 黑板 | hēibǎn | blackboard | noun | 3 |
| 红绿灯 | hóng-lǜdēng | traffic light; traffic signal | noun | — |
| 后来 | hòulái | afterwards; later | noun | 4 |
| 后年 | hòunián | the year after next | noun | — |
| 后天 | hòutiān | the day after tomorrow; life after birth | noun | — |
| 护照 | hùzhào | passport | noun | 3 |
| 花园 | huāyuán | garden (for flowers, ornamental plants etc); (landscaped) park | noun | 3 |
| 画家 | huàjiā | painter | noun | — |
| 欢迎 | huānyíng | to welcome; welcome | verb | 2 |
| 还 | huán | surname Huan; still | verb | 2 |
| 环境 | huánjìng | environment; circumstances | noun | 3 |
| 换 | huàn | to exchange; to change (clothes etc) | verb | 3 |
| 黄色 | huángsè | yellow; vulgar | noun | — |
| 回答 | huídá | to reply; to answer | verb | 2 |
| 会 | huì | can; to have the skill | noun | 1 |
| 会议 | huìyì | meeting; conference | noun | 3 |
| 或 | huò | maybe; perhaps | conjunction (adverb) | — |
| 或者 | huòzhě | or; possibly | conjunction | 3 |
| 鸡 | jī | fowl; chicken | noun | — |
| 几乎 | jīhū | almost; nearly | adverb | 3 |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance | noun | 3 |
| 极 | jí | extremely; pole (geography, physics) | adverb | 3 |
| 急 | jí | urgent; pressing | adjective, verb | — |
| 记 | jì | to record; to note | verb | — |
| 季 | jì | surname Ji; season | noun | — |
| 季节 | jìjié | time; season | noun | 3 |
| 加 | jiā | Canada; surname Jia | verb | — |
| 假期 | jiàqī | vacation | noun | — |
| 坚持 | jiānchí | to persevere with; to persist in | verb | 4 |
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | inspection; to examine | verb | 3 |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple; not complicated | adjective | 3 |
| 检票 | jiǎnpiào | to inspect a ticket; to examine a ballot | verb | — |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | health; healthy | adjective | 3 |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet; to see each other | verb | 3 |
| 讲 | jiǎng | to speak; to explain | verb | 3 |
| 角 | jiǎo | surname Jue; angle | measure word | 3 |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot; leg (of an animal or an object) | noun | 3 |
| 接 | jiē | to receive; to answer (the phone) | verb | 3 |
| 街 | jiē | street | noun | — |
| 节 | jié | joint; node | measure word, noun (verb) | 5 |
| 结婚 | jiéhūn | to marry; to get married | verb | 3 |
| 节目 | jiémù | (TV or radio) program; show | noun | 3 |
| 节日 | jiérì | holiday; festival | noun | 3 |
| 结束 | jiéshù | termination; to finish | verb | 3 |
| 解决 | jiějué | to solve; to resolve | verb | 3 |
| 姐妹 | jiěmèi | sisters; siblings | noun | — |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow; to lend | verb | 3 |
| 斤 | jīn | catty; (PRC) weight equal to 500 g | measure word | — |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass; to go through | verb, noun | 3 |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager; director | noun | 3 |
| 久 | jiǔ | (of a period of time) long | adjective | 3 |
| 酒 | jiǔ | wine (esp. rice wine); liquor | noun | — |
| 旧 | jiù | old; opposite: new | adjective | 3 |
| 句 | jù | sentence; clause | measure word | — |
| 句子 | jùzi | sentence | noun | 3 |
| 决定 | juédìng | to decide (to do something); to resolve | verb, noun | 3 |
| 卡 | kǎ | to stop; to block | noun | — |
| 开花 | kāihuā | to bloom; to blossom | verb | — |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to hold a meeting; to attend a meeting | verb | — |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) | verb | — |
| 开心 | kāixīn | to feel happy; to rejoice | adjective | 5 |
| 看来 | kànlái | apparently; it seems that | verb | 5 |
| 可 | kě | (prefix) can; may | conjunction (adverb) | — |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | adjective | 3 |
| 可爱 | kě’ài | adorable; cute | adjective | 3 |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however | conjunction | 4 |
| 刻 | kè | quarter (hour); moment | measure word (verb) | 3 |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook | noun | — |
| 客人 | kèrén | visitor; guest | noun | 3 |
| 课文 | kèwén | text | noun | — |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode) | noun | 3 |
| 哭 | kū | to cry; to weep | verb | 3 |
| 筷子 | kuàizi | chopsticks | noun | 3 |
| 矿泉水 | kuàngquánshuǐ | mineral water | noun | 5 |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) | verb | 5 |
| 蓝 | lán | surname Lan; blue | adjective | 3 |
| 老 | lǎo | prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a fam… | adjective, prefix (adverb) | 3 |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly | noun | — |
| 离开 | líkāi | to depart; to leave | verb | 3 |
| 礼物 | lǐwù | gift; present | noun | 3 |
| 历史 | lìshǐ | history | noun | 3 |
| 脸 | liǎn | face | noun | 3 |
| 练 | liàn | to practice; to train | verb | — |
| 练习 | liànxí | to practice; exercise | verb, noun | 3 |
| 凉快 | liángkuai | pleasantly cool (weather etc); to cool oneself | adjective | 4 |
| 辆 | liàng | classifier for vehicles | measure word | 3 |
| 聊 | liáo | (coll.) to chat; (literary) temporarily | verb | — |
| 聊天儿 | liáotiānr | to chat; to have a chat | verb | — |
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to realize | verb | 3 |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbor | noun | 3 |
| 留学 | liúxué | to study abroad | verb | 4 |
| 留学生 | liúxuéshēng | student studying abroad; returned student | noun | — |
| 楼梯 | lóutī | stair; staircase | noun | — |
| 路边 | lùbiān | curb; roadside | noun | — |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | crossing; intersection (of roads) | noun | — |
| 马 | mǎ | surname Ma; horse | noun | 3 |
| 马路 | mǎlù | street; road | noun | — |
| 马上 | mǎshàng | at once; right away | adverb | 3 |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased | verb | 3 |
| 毛 | máo | surname Mao; hair | measure word (noun) | 5 |
| 米 | mǐ | surname Mi; uncooked rice | measure word | 3 |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing | noun | — |
| 明白 | míngbai | clear; obvious | adjective, verb | 3 |
| 名单 | míngdān | list of names | noun | — |
| 名人 | míngrén | personage; celebrity | noun | — |
| 南 | nán | surname Nan; Taiwan pr. | noun | 3 |
| 难 | nán | difficult (to...); problem | adjective (verb) | 3 |
| 南方 | nánfāng | south; southern direction | noun | — |
| 难过 | nánguò | to feel sad; to feel unwell | adjective | 3 |
| 难看 | nánkàn | ugly; unsightly | adjective | 5 |
| 男人 | nánrén | a man; a male | noun | 2 |
| 男生 | nánshēng | schoolboy; male student | noun | — |
| 难题 | nántí | difficult problem | noun | — |
| 难听 | nántīng | unpleasant to hear; coarse | adjective | — |
| 年级 | niánjí | grade; year (in school, college etc) | noun | 3 |
| 年轻 | niánqīng | young | adjective | 3 |
| 牛 | niú | surname Niu; ox | noun (adjective) | — |
| 努力 | nǔlì | to make an effort; to try hard | verb, adjective | 3 |
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman; wife | noun | 2 |
| 女生 | nǚshēng | schoolgirl; female student | noun | — |
| 爬 | pá | to crawl; to climb | verb | — |
| 怕 | pà | surname Pa; to be afraid | verb (adverb) | — |
| 拍照 | pāizhào | to take a picture | verb | — |
| 盘子 | pánzi | tray; plate | noun | 3 |
| 胖 | pàng | healthy; at ease | adjective | 3 |
| 啤酒 | píjiǔ | beer (loanword) | noun | 3 |
| 平时 | píngshí | ordinarily; in normal times | noun | 4 |
| 瓶子 | píngzi | bottle | noun | 4 |
| 骑 | qí | (Tw) saddle horse; mounted soldier | verb | 3 |
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange; odd | adjective | 3 |
| 其实 | qíshí | actually; in fact | adverb | 3 |
| 其他 | qítā | other; (sth or sb) else | pronoun | 3 |
| 起 | qǐ | to rise; to raise | verb (measure word) | — |
| 起飞 | qǐfēi | (of an aircraft or rocket) to take off; to lift off | verb | 4 |
| 汽车 | qìchē | car; automobile | noun | — |
| 铅笔 | qiānbǐ | (lead) pencil | noun | 3 |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last | noun | — |
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday | noun | — |
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; distinct | adjective, verb | 3 |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to request leave of absence | verb | 4 |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to give a dinner party; to entertain guests | verb | 4 |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | autumn | noun | — |
| 球场 | qiúchǎng | stadium; sports ground | noun | — |
| 裙子 | qúnzi | skirt | noun | 3 |
| 然后 | ránhòu | then; after that | conjunction | 3 |
| 热情 | rèqíng | cordial; enthusiastic | adjective | 3 |
| 认得 | rènde | to recognize; to remember sth (or sb) on seeing it | verb | — |
| 认为 | rènwéi | to believe; to think | verb | 3 |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | conscientious; earnest | adjective | 3 |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy; straightforward | adjective | 3 |
| 如果 | rúguǒ | if; in case | conjunction | 3 |
| 伞 | sǎn | umbrella; parasol | noun | 3 |
| 扫 | sǎo | to sweep (with a brush or broom); to sweep away | verb | — |
| 沙发 | shāfā | sofa (loanword); (Internet slang) the first reply or replier to a forum post | noun | 4 |
| 山 | shān | surname Shan; mountain | noun | — |
| 上衣 | shàngyī | jacket; upper outer garment | noun | — |
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon; ladle | noun | — |
| 身边 | shēnbiān | at one's side; on hand | noun | — |
| 身高 | shēngāo | (a person's) height | noun | — |
| 声 | shēng | sound; voice | noun, measure word | — |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | to live; life | noun, verb | 4 |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious | verb | 3 |
| 声音 | shēngyīn | voice; sound | noun | 3 |
| 市 | shì | market; city | noun | — |
| 试 | shì | to test; to try | verb | 4 |
| 室 | shì | surname Shi; room | noun | — |
| 世界 | shìjiè | world | noun | 3 |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to accept | verb | 4 |
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive | verb | — |
| 受 | shòu | to receive; to accept | verb | — |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin; to lose weight | adjective | 3 |
| 受到 | shòudào | to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punished etc) | verb | 4 |
| 叔叔 | shūshu | father's younger brother; paternal uncle | noun | 3 |
| 树 | shù | tree; to cultivate | noun | 3 |
| 数学 | shùxué | mathematics | noun | — |
| 刷 | shuā | a brush; to paint | verb | 3 |
| 双 | shuāng | two; double | measure word | 3 |
| 水平 | shuǐpíng | horizontal; level | noun | 3 |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver | noun | 3 |
| 四季 | sìjì | four seasons, namely: spring, summer, autumn and winter | noun | — |
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun; sunlight | noun | 3 |
| 糖 | táng | sugar; sweets | noun | 3 |
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special | adjective, adverb | 3 |
| 提高 | tígāo | to raise; to increase | verb | 3 |
| 体育 | tǐyù | sports; physical education | noun | 3 |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | gym; gymnasium | noun | — |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | adjective | 3 |
| 跳 | tiào | to jump; to hop | verb | — |
| 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear (sth said); one hears (that) | verb | — |
| 挺 | tǐng | straight; erect | adverb (verb) | 4 |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; co-worker | noun | 3 |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent | verb | 3 |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) | noun | 3 |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden; abrupt | adjective | 3 |
| 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | library | noun | 3 |
| 腿 | tuǐ | leg; hip bone | noun | 3 |
| 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is | noun | — |
| 外卖 | wàimài | (of a restaurant) to provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeout (business) | verb, noun | — |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language | noun | — |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete; to accomplish | verb | 3 |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl; cup | noun | 3 |
| 晚点 | wǎndiǎn | (of trains etc) late; delayed | verb | — |
| 晚会 | wǎnhuì | evening party | noun | — |
| 网球 | wǎngqiú | tennis; tennis ball | noun | 4 |
| 网站 | wǎngzhàn | website | noun | 4 |
| 忘记 | wàngjì | to forget | verb | 3 |
| 为 | wèi | as (in the capacity of); to take sth as | preposition | 2 |
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of | preposition | 3 |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | bathroom; toilet | noun | 5 |
| 文化 | wénhuà | culture; civilization | noun | 3 |
| 屋子 | wūzi | house; room | noun | 5 |
| 西 | xī | the West; Spanish | noun | 3 |
| 西北 | xīběi | Northwest China (Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang); northwest | noun | — |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident | noun | — |
| 西瓜 | xīguā | watermelon | noun | 2 |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest | noun | — |
| 习惯 | xíguàn | habit; custom | verb, noun | 3 |
| 喜爱 | xǐ’ài | to like; to love | verb | — |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer | noun | 4 |
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to bathe; to take a shower | verb | 3 |
| 夏天 | xiàtiān | summer | noun | — |
| 先 | xiān | beforehand; first | adverb | 3 |
| 香蕉 | xiāngjiāo | banana | noun | 3 |
| 相信 | xiāngxìn | to believe; to be convinced | verb | 3 |
| 箱子 | xiāngzi | suitcase; chest | noun | — |
| 向 | xiàng | surname Xiang; towards | verb, preposition | 2 |
| 像 | xiàng | to resemble; to be like | verb (adverb, noun) | 3 |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera; at the opportune moment | noun | — |
| 小区 | xiǎoqū | housing estate; community | noun | — |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care | verb, adjective | 3 |
| 校园 | xiàoyuán | campus | noun | — |
| 校长 | xiàozhǎng | (college, university) president; headmaster | noun | 3 |
| 鞋 | xié | shoe | noun | 3 |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | chest; heart | noun | — |
| 新年 | xīnnián | New Year | noun | — |
| 新闻 | xīnwén | news | noun | 3 |
| 新鲜 | xīnxiān | fresh (experience, food etc); freshness | adjective | 3 |
| 信 | xìn | letter; mail | verb, noun | 3 |
| 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | credit card | noun | 4 |
| 行 | xíng | (bound form) row; line | verb, adjective | 4 |
| 行李 | xíngli | luggage | noun | — |
| 兴趣 | xìngqù | interest (desire to know about sth); interest (thing in which one is interested) | noun | 3 |
| 休假 | xiūjià | to go on vacation; to have a holiday | verb | — |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need; to want | verb, noun | 3 |
| 选 | xuǎn | to choose; to pick | verb | — |
| 选择 | xuǎnzé | to select; to pick | verb | 3 |
| 学期 | xuéqī | term; semester | noun | 5 |
| 牙 | yá | tooth; ivory | noun | — |
| 牙刷 | yáshuā | toothbrush | noun | — |
| 羊 | yáng | surname Yang; sheep | noun | — |
| 养 | yǎng | to raise (animals); to bring up (children) | verb | — |
| 要求 | yāoqiú | to request; to require | verb, noun | 3 |
| 页 | yè | head; page | measure word | 4 |
| 一定 | yídìng | surely; certainly | adjective, adverb | 3 |
| 一共 | yígòng | in total; altogether | adverb | 3 |
| 一块儿 | yíkuàir | together; in the same place | noun, adverb | — |
| 一样 | yíyàng | same; like | adjective | 3 |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later | noun | 3 |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly | noun | 3 |
| 以上 | yǐshàng | that level or higher; that amount or more | noun | — |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than | noun | — |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless referring to one's own c… | verb | 3 |
| 以下 | yǐxià | that level or lower; that amount or less | noun | — |
| 一般 | yìbān | same; ordinary | adjective | 3 |
| 一边 | yìbiān | one side; either side | adverb | 3 |
| 一直 | yìzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously | adverb | 3 |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music | noun | 3 |
| 银行 | yínháng | bank | noun | 3 |
| 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card | noun | — |
| 饮料 | yǐnliào | drink; beverage | noun | 4 |
| 应该 | yīnggāi | ought to; should | verb | 3 |
| 影响 | yǐngxiǎng | influence; effect | verb, noun | 3 |
| 用 | yòng | to use; to make use of | verb | 3 |
| 邮件 | yóujiàn | mail; post | noun | — |
| 游客 | yóukè | traveler; tourist | noun | — |
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game; to play | noun | 3 |
| 邮箱 | yóuxiāng | mailbox; post office box | noun | — |
| 有关 | yǒuguān | to have sth to do with; to relate to | verb, preposition | — |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known | adjective | 3 |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful | adjective | — |
| 又 | yòu | (once) again; also | adverb | 3 |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton; shuttlecock | noun | 4 |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language | noun | 4 |
| 雨衣 | yǔyī | raincoat | noun | — |
| 遇到 | yùdào | to meet; to run into | verb | 3 |
| 遇见 | yùjiàn | to meet | verb | — |
| 园 | yuán | surname Yuan; land used for growing plants | noun | — |
| 员 | yuán | (bound form) person engaged in a certain field of activity; (bound form) member | suffix | — |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want | verb | 3 |
| 越 | yuè | generic word for peoples or states of south China or south Asia at different historical periods; to exceed | adverb | 3 |
| 月亮 | yuèliang | the moon | noun | 3 |
| 运动会 | yùndònghuì | sports competition | noun | — |
| 运动员 | yùndòngyuán | athlete | noun | — |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to); (dialect) I or me | pronoun | 4 |
| 脏 | zāng | viscera; (anatomy) organ | adjective | 4 |
| 怎么办 | zěnme bàn | what's to be done | — | |
| 怎样 | zěnyàng | how; what kind | pronoun | — |
| 站 | zhàn | station; to stand | verb | 3 |
| 张 | zhāng | surname Zhang; to open up | verb, measure word | 2 |
| 长 | zhǎng | long; (bound form) length | verb, suffix | 2 |
| 着急 | zháojí | to worry; to feel anxious | adjective | 3 |
| 照 | zhào | to shine; to illuminate | verb | — |
| 照顾 | zhàogù | to take care of; to show consideration | verb | 3 |
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photograph; picture | noun | 3 |
| 照相 | zhàoxiàng | to take a photograph | verb | — |
| 直到 | zhídào | until | verb | — |
| 只 | zhǐ | grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels… | adverb | 3 |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper; classifier for documents, letters etc | noun | — |
| 只能 | zhǐ néng | can only; obliged to do sth | — | |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only | adverb, conjunction | — |
| 只要 | zhǐyào | so long as; provided | conjunction | 4 |
| 只有 | zhǐyǒu | only have ...; there is only ... | conjunction | — |
| 中 | zhōng | (bound form) China; Chinese | noun | — |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | the middle; the inside | noun | 3 |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end | adverb | 3 |
| 种 | zhǒng | species; kind | measure word | 3 |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important; significant | adjective | 3 |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | noun | 3 |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal | adjective | 3 |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to | verb | 3 |
| 住院 | zhùyuàn | to stay in hospital; to be hospitalized | verb | — |
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | Chinese character dictionary; (coll.) dictionary | noun | 3 |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle; bike | noun | 2 |
| 子 | zi | son; child | suffix | — |
| 总 | zǒng | (bound form) general; overall | adverb (verb, adjective) | — |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always | adverb | 3 |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth; beak | noun | 4 |
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | best; had better ... | adverb | 4 |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final; last | noun | 4 |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently; soon | noun | 3 |
| 做客 | zuòkè | to be a guest or visitor | verb | — |
| 作业 | zuòyè | school assignment; homework | noun | 3 |
Source: official HSK 3.0 (2025) syllabus. Updated 2026-09-08. A dash in the last column means the word had no level in the old HSK 2.0 system — it is either new in 2025 or simply wasn't on the old lists.
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