HSK vocabulary lists
HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is China’s standardized Chinese proficiency test, and its vocabulary lists are the most widely used syllabus for learning Mandarin words in order. The HSK 2.0 syllabus runs from HSK 1 to HSK 6 and covers 4,999 words in total, each level building on the one before it. The HSK 3.0 reform reorganizes the same ground into nine levels in seven bands — see the HSK 3.0 explainer for what changed and how the two map onto each other.
This page links every list Talkhao publishes. Each level page carries the complete word list with pinyin, English and example sentences, and every list can be downloaded as a CSV or a PDF.
| Level | Words | Cumulative | Word list | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 150 | 150 | HSK 1 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
| HSK 2 | 149 | 299 | HSK 2 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
| HSK 3 | 300 | 599 | HSK 3 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
| HSK 4 | 600 | 1,199 | HSK 4 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
| HSK 5 | 1,300 | 2,499 | HSK 5 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
| HSK 6 | 2,500 | 4,999 | HSK 6 vocabulary list | CSV · PDF |
HSK 3.0 bands
The 2026 syllabus splits the same vocabulary into seven bands: levels 1 to 6, and levels 7–9 as one. These are the bands Talkhao publishes as word lists:
- HSK 3.0 Level 1 — 303 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 2 — 408 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 3 — 644 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 4 — 639 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 5 — 633 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 6 — 318 words
- HSK 3.0 Level 7–9 (Advanced) — 1,570 words
Vocabulary by topic
Smaller themed sets, useful when a whole level is too much at once:
Measure words
Common Chinese classifiers paired with nouns across HSK levels:
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Which level is this word?
Type or paste a Chinese word — you get its HSK 2.0 level and its HSK 3.0 band.
Wondering what changed in the 2026 syllabus? HSK 3.0 explained →