HSK 1 vocabulary list: all 160 words

How to use this list

Read each row across: characters, then pinyin, then meaning. Say the word aloud before you look at the English — HSK 1 is half a listening exam, and a word you have only ever read is a word you will miss when someone says it.

Then cover a column. Hide the English and recall the meaning; hide the Chinese and produce the word. That second direction is harder and it is the one the reading section actually tests.

Work in topic groups rather than straight down the list. The groups below are how the words cluster in real use, so learning 家 with 爸爸 and 妈妈 gives you three words that appear in the same sentence rather than three unrelated ones.

The complete HSK 1 vocabulary list

All 160 words, grouped by topic.

What HSK 1 actually tests

Two sections: listening and reading. There is no writing section and no speaking section at HSK 1, so you are never asked to produce a character from memory. Recognition is enough.

The pass mark is 120 out of 200. Both sections are worth 100. Because listening is half the paper, the single most useful thing you can do with this list is hear every word rather than only read it. Our HSK 1 course, now on the HSK 3.0 Band 1 syllabus, has audio for every word it teaches, and most of its lessons are free.

For the current format and test dates, check the official test operator.

Where to go next

When you can recognise most of this list, sit a free practice test to see what sticks under time pressure. Then move to HSK 2, which adds another 150 words to the syllabus. The all-levels vocabulary hub has the counts for every level.