Free · From the official HSK word list
How long will Chinese take you?
Your month for each HSK level, and today’s first words.
From HSK 1, at 20 new words a day
HSK 5 by April 2027
3,300 new words: about 5 months.
- HSK 28 November65% of a typical Chinese film’s words
- HSK 33 December73% of a typical Chinese film’s words
- HSK 4January 202780% of a typical Chinese film’s words
- HSK 5April 202785% of a typical Chinese film’s words
Start today: your first 20 HSK 2 words
The most common words of HSK 2, each with its sound. Keep them, and Review brings each one back until you know it.
- 就jiùthen
- 等děngto wait
- 着zhedurative 着: ongoing or continuous state — "-ing", "while"
- 自己zìjǐoneself
- 但dànbut
- 最zuìmost
- 让ràngto yield
- 地dìground
- 啊amodal particle: adds feeling — surprise, emphasis, urging, friendliness
- 从cóngfrom
- 时shítime
- 得déto obtain
- 过guòto pass
- 高gāohigh
- 出chūto go out
- 可能kěnéngmay
- 还是háishistill
- 已经yǐjīngalready
- 因为yīnwèibecause
- 快kuàifast
Now read at your level
How long does it take to learn Chinese?
The US Foreign Service Institute plans about 2,200 class hours for an English speaker to reach working level. Counted by words, the HSK list asks for 2,000 by HSK 4: about 7 months at ten new words a day, and 3 months at twenty.
How is my date worked out?
From the words on the official HSK list (2025 syllabus) between your level and your goal, at your new words a day, counted from today. Each word is one you keep and review until you know it. It is the time the words take; hearing them at speed and reading them in sentences take more, so treat each date as the soonest it can be.
How many new words a day should I learn?
As many as you can keep up every day. Each new word comes back in Review several times over the weeks after, so the reviews grow with your pace: five is a steady pace beside work or school, twenty a full-time one.
Can you learn Chinese in 6 months?
Six months is 1,820 words at 10 a day, past HSK 3, or 3,640 words at 20 a day, past HSK 5. That is enough to read graded stories and hold everyday conversations, not to work in Chinese.
More for the way there
Counted from the official HSK word list (2025 syllabus) and the subtitles of 117 Mandarin films. A date is the time the words take at your pace, so it moves when your pace does.