HSK levels explained

HSK 2 characters to read

The 125 new characters the 2025 HSK syllabus asks you to recognize when reading at HSK 2 (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. 啊amodal particle: adds feeling — surprise, emphasis, urging, friendliness10 strokes
  2. 帮bāngto help9 strokes
  3. 备bèito prepare8 strokes
  4. 比bǐthan4 strokes
  5. 笔bǐpen10 strokes
  6. 表biǎowatch8 strokes
  7. 别biédon’t (do something)7 strokes
  8. 步bùstep7 strokes
  9. 场chǎngplace6 strokes
  10. 词cíwords7 strokes
  11. 次cìnext6 strokes
  12. 从cóngfrom4 strokes
  13. 错cuòwrong13 strokes
  14. 但dànbut7 strokes
  15. 地dìground6 strokes
  16. 等děngetc.12 strokes
  17. 店diànshop8 strokes
  18. 懂dǒngto understand15 strokes
  19. 动dòngto move6 strokes
  20. 啡fēiused for the sound "fei"11 strokes
  21. 夫fūhusband4 strokes
  22. 告gàoto sue7 strokes
  23. 跟gēnto follow13 strokes
  24. 馆guǎnhall11 strokes
  25. 过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever6 strokes
  26. 黑hēiblack12 strokes
  27. 红hóngred6 strokes
  28. 花huāflower7 strokes
  29. 画huàto draw8 strokes
  30. 坏huàibad7 strokes
  31. 己jǐoneself3 strokes
  32. 记jìrecord5 strokes
  33. 交jiāoto hand over6 strokes
  34. 教jiāoto teach11 strokes
  35. 介jièto lie between4 strokes
  36. 进jìnto enter7 strokes
  37. 近jìnnear7 strokes
  38. 经jīngto pass through8 strokes
  39. 睛jīngeye13 strokes
  40. 酒jiǔalcohol10 strokes
  41. 就jiùthen12 strokes
  42. 咖kācoffee8 strokes
  43. 考kǎoto take an exam6 strokes
  44. 裤kùtrousers12 strokes
  45. 快kuàifast7 strokes
  46. 篮lánbasket16 strokes
  47. 乐lèhappy5 strokes
  48. 累lèitired11 strokes
  49. 离líto leave10 strokes
  50. 留liúto keep10 strokes
  51. 楼lóubuilding (with more than one story)13 strokes
  52. 路lùroad13 strokes
  53. 旅lǚto travel10 strokes
  54. 绿lǜgreen11 strokes
  55. 慢mànslow14 strokes
  56. 每měieach7 strokes
  57. 门méndoor3 strokes
  58. 拿náto take10 strokes
  59. 鸟niǎobird5 strokes
  60. 旁pángside10 strokes
  61. 跑pǎoto run (a program, test, model)12 strokes
  62. 票piàoticket11 strokes
  63. 妻qīwife8 strokes
  64. 情qíngfeeling11 strokes
  65. 晴qíngclear12 strokes
  66. 球qiúball11 strokes
  67. 然ránright12 strokes
  68. 让ràngto yield5 strokes
  69. 肉ròumeat6 strokes
  70. 色sècolor6 strokes
  71. 绍shàoto introduce8 strokes
  72. 身shēnbody7 strokes
  73. 始shǐbeginning8 strokes
  74. 试shìto try8 strokes
  75. 室shìroom9 strokes
  76. 舒shūto stretch12 strokes
  77. 思sīto think9 strokes
  78. 送sòngto give (as a present)9 strokes
  79. 诉sùto tell7 strokes
  80. 虽suīalthough9 strokes
  81. 所suǒbefore a verb: "what/that which is …"8 strokes
  82. 疼téngto ache10 strokes
  83. 踢tīto kick15 strokes
  84. 体tǐbody7 strokes
  85. 跳tiàoto jump13 strokes
  86. 铁tiěiron (metal)10 strokes
  87. 头tóuhead5 strokes
  88. 完wánto finish7 strokes
  89. 万wànten thousand3 strokes
  90. 网wǎngnetwork6 strokes
  91. 往wǎngtoward8 strokes
  92. 忘wàngto forget7 strokes
  93. 望wàngto look11 strokes
  94. 为wèibecause of4 strokes
  95. 位wèiplace7 strokes
  96. 舞wǔdance14 strokes
  97. 希xīto hope7 strokes
  98. 洗xǐto wash9 strokes
  99. 笑xiàoto laugh10 strokes
  100. 姓xìngsurname8 strokes
  101. 颜yánface15 strokes
  102. 眼yǎneye11 strokes
  103. 药yàomedicine9 strokes
  104. 爷yé(coll.) grandfather (paternal)6 strokes
  105. 已yǐalready3 strokes
  106. 意yìidea13 strokes
  107. 因yīnbecause6 strokes
  108. 阴yīnovercast6 strokes
  109. 泳yǒngto swim8 strokes
  110. 游yóuto travel12 strokes
  111. 右yòuright (side)5 strokes
  112. 鱼yúfish8 strokes
  113. 远yuǎnfar7 strokes
  114. 运yùngames (short for 运动会: 奥运, 亚运)7 strokes
  115. 站zhànstation10 strokes
  116. 长chánglong4 strokes
  117. 丈zhàngzhang (unit of length, about 3.3 m)3 strokes
  118. 周zhōusurname Zhou8 strokes
  119. 着zhedurative 着: ongoing or continuous state — "-ing", "while"11 strokes
  120. 准zhǔnaccurate10 strokes
  121. 自zìself6 strokes
  122. 走zǒuto go7 strokes
  123. 足zúenough7 strokes
  124. 最zuìmost12 strokes
  125. 左zuǒleft5 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.