HSK levels explained

HSK 1 characters to read

The 246 characters the 2025 HSK syllabus asks you to recognize when reading at HSK 1 (认读字), in its order. Tap one to watch it written stroke by stroke.

Test yourself

Test yourself hides the pinyin and meaning until you point at a character.

  1. 爱àito love10 strokes
  2. 八bāeight2 strokes
  3. 爸bàdad8 strokes
  4. 吧bachecking a guess: "…, right?", "I suppose", "surely not …?"7 strokes
  5. 白báiwhite5 strokes
  6. 百bǎihundred6 strokes
  7. 班bānclass10 strokes
  8. 半bànhalf5 strokes
  9. 包bāobag5 strokes
  10. 杯bēicup8 strokes
  11. 本běnthis5 strokes
  12. 边biānside5 strokes
  13. 便biànthen9 strokes
  14. 病bìngillness10 strokes
  15. 不bùnot4 strokes
  16. 菜càidish11 strokes
  17. 茶chátea9 strokes
  18. 常chángoften11 strokes
  19. 唱chàngto sing11 strokes
  20. 超chāoultra-12 strokes
  21. 车chēcar4 strokes
  22. 吃chīto eat6 strokes
  23. 出chūto go out5 strokes
  24. 穿chuānto wear9 strokes
  25. 床chuángbed7 strokes
  26. 打dǎto play (a ball game, cards)5 strokes
  27. 大dàbig3 strokes
  28. 蛋dànegg11 strokes
  29. 到dàoto arrive8 strokes
  30. 道dàoto say12 strokes
  31. 得déto obtain11 strokes
  32. 的desentence-final 的: affirms the statement — "that is how it is"8 strokes
  33. 弟dìyounger brother7 strokes
  34. 第dì(prefix) marks an ordinal number (as in 第一)11 strokes
  35. 点diǎnto point out9 strokes
  36. 电diànelectricity5 strokes
  37. 东dōngeast5 strokes
  38. 都dōuall10 strokes
  39. 读dúto read10 strokes
  40. 对duìright5 strokes
  41. 多duōmany6 strokes
  42. 儿érson2 strokes
  43. 二èrtwo2 strokes
  44. 饭fànmeal7 strokes
  45. 房fánghouse8 strokes
  46. 飞fēito fly3 strokes
  47. 非fēinot8 strokes
  48. 分fēnpoint4 strokes
  49. 服fúclothes8 strokes
  50. 高gāohigh10 strokes
  51. 哥gēolder brother10 strokes
  52. 歌gēsong14 strokes
  53. 个gèthe general measure word for people and things3 strokes
  54. 给gěito give9 strokes
  55. 工gōngwork3 strokes
  56. 公gōng(archaic) sir4 strokes
  57. 狗gǒudog8 strokes
  58. 关guānto close6 strokes
  59. 贵guìexpensive9 strokes
  60. 国guócountry8 strokes
  61. 果guǒfruit8 strokes
  62. 还háialso7 strokes
  63. 孩háichild9 strokes
  64. 汉hànHan Chinese5 strokes
  65. 好hǎogood6 strokes
  66. 号hàoday of the month5 strokes
  67. 喝hēto drink12 strokes
  68. 和héand8 strokes
  69. 很hěnvery9 strokes
  70. 后hòuafter6 strokes
  71. 候hòuto wait10 strokes
  72. 话huàwords8 strokes
  73. 欢huānhappy6 strokes
  74. 回huíto return6 strokes
  75. 会huìwill6 strokes
  76. 火huǒfire4 strokes
  77. 机jīmachine6 strokes
  78. 鸡jīchicken7 strokes
  79. 几jǐhow many2 strokes
  80. 家jiāhome10 strokes
  81. 间jiānperiod of time (as in 期间)7 strokes
  82. 见jiànto see4 strokes
  83. 件jiànitem6 strokes
  84. 叫jiàoto be called5 strokes
  85. 姐jiěolder sister8 strokes
  86. 今jīnnow4 strokes
  87. 九jiǔnine2 strokes
  88. 觉juéto feel9 strokes
  89. 开kāito turn on4 strokes
  90. 看kànto look at9 strokes
  91. 可kěbut5 strokes
  92. 客kèguest9 strokes
  93. 课kèclass10 strokes
  94. 口kǒumouth3 strokes
  95. 块kuàilump7 strokes
  96. 来láito come7 strokes
  97. 老lǎoold6 strokes
  98. 了lesentence-final 了: change of state or new situation — "now", "already"2 strokes
  99. 冷lěngcold7 strokes
  100. 里lǐinside7 strokes
  101. 两liǎngtwo (of something)7 strokes
  102. 亮liàngbright9 strokes
  103. 零língzero13 strokes
  104. 六liùsix4 strokes
  105. 妈māmom6 strokes
  106. 吗maquestion particle: turns a statement into a yes/no question6 strokes
  107. 买mǎito buy6 strokes
  108. 卖màito sell8 strokes
  109. 忙mángbusy6 strokes
  110. 猫māocat11 strokes
  111. 么mesuffix3 strokes
  112. 没méidid not7 strokes
  113. 妹mèiyounger sister8 strokes
  114. 们menplural suffix for people: -s5 strokes
  115. 米mǐrice6 strokes
  116. 面miànnoodles9 strokes
  117. 名míngname6 strokes
  118. 明míngbright8 strokes
  119. 哪nǎwhere (as in 哪儿, 哪里)9 strokes
  120. 那nàthen6 strokes
  121. 奶nǎimilk5 strokes
  122. 男nánmale7 strokes
  123. 脑nǎobrain10 strokes
  124. 呢neasks "and…?" / "what about…?", or softens a question8 strokes
  125. 能néngcan10 strokes
  126. 你nǐyou7 strokes
  127. 年niányear6 strokes
  128. 您nínyou (polite)11 strokes
  129. 牛niúcow4 strokes
  130. 女nǚwoman3 strokes
  131. 朋péngfriend8 strokes
  132. 漂piāoto float14 strokes
  133. 苹píngapple8 strokes
  134. 七qīseven2 strokes
  135. 期qīperiod12 strokes
  136. 起qǐto rise10 strokes
  137. 气qìair4 strokes
  138. 千qiānthousand3 strokes
  139. 前qiánfront9 strokes
  140. 钱qiánmoney10 strokes
  141. 请qǐngplease10 strokes
  142. 去qùto go5 strokes
  143. 热rèhot10 strokes
  144. 人rénperson2 strokes
  145. 认rènto recognize4 strokes
  146. 日rìday4 strokes
  147. 三sānthree3 strokes
  148. 商shāngcommerce11 strokes
  149. 上shàngup3 strokes
  150. 少shǎofew4 strokes
  151. 谁shéiwho10 strokes
  152. 什shénwhat4 strokes
  153. 生shēngto give birth to5 strokes
  154. 师shīteacher6 strokes
  155. 十shíten2 strokes
  156. 时shíwhen7 strokes
  157. 识shíto know7 strokes
  158. 士shìscholar3 strokes
  159. 市shìcity5 strokes
  160. 事shìthing8 strokes
  161. 视shìto look at8 strokes
  162. 是shìis9 strokes
  163. 手shǒuhand4 strokes
  164. 书shūbook4 strokes
  165. 水shuǐwater4 strokes
  166. 睡shuìto sleep13 strokes
  167. 说shuōto speak9 strokes
  168. 司sīdepartment (of a ministry)5 strokes
  169. 四sìfour5 strokes
  170. 岁suìyears old6 strokes
  171. 他tāhe5 strokes
  172. 它tāit5 strokes
  173. 她tāshe6 strokes
  174. 太tài(prefix) highest4 strokes
  175. 题títopic15 strokes
  176. 天tiānheaven4 strokes
  177. 条tiáostrip7 strokes
  178. 听tīngto listen7 strokes
  179. 同tóngsame6 strokes
  180. 外wàibesides5 strokes
  181. 玩wánto play8 strokes
  182. 晚wǎnlate11 strokes
  183. 喂wèito feed12 strokes
  184. 文wénwriting4 strokes
  185. 问wènto ask6 strokes
  186. 我wǒI7 strokes
  187. 五wǔfive4 strokes
  188. 午wǔnoon4 strokes
  189. 西xīwest6 strokes
  190. 息xībreath10 strokes
  191. 习xíto practice3 strokes
  192. 喜xǐhappy12 strokes
  193. 系xìto be7 strokes
  194. 下xiàlatter3 strokes
  195. 先xiānfirst6 strokes
  196. 现xiànnow8 strokes
  197. 想xiǎngto think13 strokes
  198. 小xiǎosmall3 strokes
  199. 校xiàoschool10 strokes
  200. 些xiēsome8 strokes
  201. 写xiěto write5 strokes
  202. 谢xièto thank12 strokes
  203. 新xīnnew13 strokes
  204. 星xīngstar9 strokes
  205. 兴xīngto rise6 strokes
  206. 休xiūto rest6 strokes
  207. 学xuéto study8 strokes
  208. 雪xuěsnow11 strokes
  209. 样yàngappearance10 strokes
  210. 要yàoto want9 strokes
  211. 也yěalso3 strokes
  212. 一yīone1 strokes
  213. 衣yīclothes6 strokes
  214. 医yīmedicine7 strokes
  215. 宜yísuitable8 strokes
  216. 以yǐwith4 strokes
  217. 椅yǐchair12 strokes
  218. 影yǐngshadow15 strokes
  219. 友yǒufriend4 strokes
  220. 有yǒuto have6 strokes
  221. 雨yǔrain8 strokes
  222. 语yǔlanguage9 strokes
  223. 元yuányuan (unit of Chinese money)4 strokes
  224. 院yuàncourtyard9 strokes
  225. 月yuèmoon4 strokes
  226. 再zàiagain (later)6 strokes
  227. 在zàito be present6 strokes
  228. 早zǎoearly6 strokes
  229. 怎zěnhow9 strokes
  230. 找zhǎoto look for7 strokes
  231. 这zhèthis7 strokes
  232. 真zhēnreally10 strokes
  233. 正zhèngexactly5 strokes
  234. 知zhīto know8 strokes
  235. 只zhǐonly5 strokes
  236. 中zhōngChina4 strokes
  237. 钟zhōngsurname Zhong9 strokes
  238. 住zhùto live7 strokes
  239. 桌zhuōtable10 strokes
  240. 子zi(suffix) noun suffix (as in 桌子)3 strokes
  241. 字zìcharacter6 strokes
  242. 租zūto rent10 strokes
  243. 昨zuóyesterday9 strokes
  244. 作zuòto do7 strokes
  245. 坐zuòto sit7 strokes
  246. 做zuòto do11 strokes

Characters and levels from the HSK 考试大纲 (Center for Language Education and Cooperation, November 2025). Strokes from Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License). Meanings from our own dictionary.