HSK 3.0 Chinese Character Syllabus

The HSK 3.0 Chinese Character Syllabus splits its required characters into two learning categories. Recognize characters — read and understand them, but you are not required to write them by hand. Writing characters — besides recognizing them, you should be able to write them, with their structure and stroke order shown. Each character also links to the words it forms (word radiation), turning a single character into vocabulary you can use. Browse the HSK 3.0 character list by level and type below.

HSK 1 HSK 2 HSK 3 HSK 4 HSK 5 HSK 6

All Recognize Write

246 required characters in HSK 1 — 95 writing, 151 recognize-only.

爱

to love; to like

八

eight

爸

father (in a family term)

百

hundred

半

half

边

side; edge

不

not; no

茶

tea

打

to hit; to make (a call)

大

big; large; on a large scale

的

(particle) 's; of; attributive marker

点

point; dot; o'clock; a little

对

correct; right; towards; to face

多

many; much; more

儿

child; son; retroflex suffix (-r)

二

two

分

to divide; minute; part (fēn); share (fèn)

哥

older brother

个

measure word (general); individual

工

work; worker

口

mouth; measure word (people)

国

country; nation

还

still; also (hái); to return (huán)

汉

Chinese (Han); man

好

good; fine; well; to like (hào)

和

and; with; harmonious

很

very

后

behind; after; later

会

can; to know how; meeting

几

how many; several (jǐ); seat (jī)

家

family; home; suffix (professional)

间

room; between; measure word for rooms

叫

to call; to be called

姐

older sister

今

now; present

男

male; man

九

nine

可

can; may; worth; but

来

to come

了

(particle) completion; change of state (le); to finish (liǎo)

两

two (with measure word)

六

six

妈

mother (in 妈妈)

吗

(particle) yes/no question

么

(suffix in question words like 什么)

没

not have; not (méi)

们

plural suffix (persons)

名

name; famous

那

that; there

你

you

年

year

七

seven

去

to go (away)

人

person; people

日

sun; day

三

three

少

few; little; young (shào)

上

up; above; to go (to); to attend

什

(in 什么) what

生

to be born; raw; person (suffix); life

十

ten

时

time; hour

是

to be; yes

书

book; to write

说

to speak; to say

四

four

岁

year (of age); measure word for age

他

he; him

她

she; her

天

sky; day

同

same; together; with

文

language; writing; culture

我

I; me

五

five

午

noon

习

to practice; habit

下

down; below; to go down; next

小

small; little

现

now; present; to appear

写

to write

学

to study; to learn

要

to want; to need; will (future)

也

also; too

一

one; a; (yí/yì allomorphs)

以

to use; with; (in 可以) can

有

to have; there is

语

language; speech

月

moon; month

在

at; in; on; (progressive) -ing

这

this

中

middle; center; China (in 中国)

子

child; suffix (noun marker: zi)

女

female; woman

字

character; word; letter

作

to do; to make; (in 工作) work