HSK levels explained

HSK 3 characters to read

The 284 new characters the 2025 HSK syllabus asks you to recognize when reading at HSK 3 (认读字), in its order. Tap one to watch it written stroke by stroke.

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  1. 阿ēto flatter7 strokes
  2. 矮ǎishort (in height)13 strokes
  3. 安ānsafe6 strokes
  4. 把bǎused to bring the object before the verb7 strokes
  5. 般bānkind10 strokes
  6. 搬bānto move13 strokes
  7. 板bǎnboard8 strokes
  8. 办bànto do4 strokes
  9. 饱bǎofull (after eating)8 strokes
  10. 报bàoto report7 strokes
  11. 北běinorth5 strokes
  12. 被bèipassive 被: "by" — the subject has something done to it10 strokes
  13. 必bìcertainly5 strokes
  14. 变biànto change8 strokes
  15. 遍biàneverywhere12 strokes
  16. 宾bīnguest10 strokes
  17. 冰bīngice6 strokes
  18. 才cáitalent3 strokes
  19. 参cānto take part in8 strokes
  20. 草cǎograss9 strokes
  21. 层cénglayer7 strokes
  22. 查cháto check9 strokes
  23. 差chàbad9 strokes
  24. 尝chángto taste9 strokes
  25. 衬chènto line8 strokes
  26. 成chéngOK6 strokes
  27. 城chéngcity9 strokes
  28. 迟chílate7 strokes
  29. 持chíto hold9 strokes
  30. 初chūat first7 strokes
  31. 除chúexcept9 strokes
  32. 楚chǔclear13 strokes
  33. 处chùplace5 strokes
  34. 船chuánboat11 strokes
  35. 春chūnspring (season)9 strokes
  36. 聪cōngclever15 strokes
  37. 答dáto answer12 strokes
  38. 带dàibelt9 strokes
  39. 担dānto carry on a shoulder pole8 strokes
  40. 单dānorder8 strokes
  41. 当dāngwhen6 strokes
  42. 灯dēnglamp6 strokes
  43. 典diǎnclassic8 strokes
  44. 调tiáoto adjust10 strokes
  45. 定dìngto fix8 strokes
  46. 丢diūto throw6 strokes
  47. 冬dōngwinter5 strokes
  48. 短duǎnshort12 strokes
  49. 段duànsection9 strokes
  50. 锻duànto forge (metal)14 strokes
  51. 朵duǒclassifier for flowers and clouds6 strokes
  52. 饿èhungry10 strokes
  53. 而érand6 strokes
  54. 耳ěrear6 strokes
  55. 发fāto send5 strokes
  56. 法fǎmethod8 strokes
  57. 方fāngside4 strokes
  58. 放fàngto put8 strokes
  59. 风fēngwind4 strokes
  60. 封fēngto seal9 strokes
  61. 附fùto attach7 strokes
  62. 复fùto reply9 strokes
  63. 该gāithat8 strokes
  64. 概gàigeneral13 strokes
  65. 感gǎnsense13 strokes
  66. 干gāndry3 strokes
  67. 刚gāngjust (a moment ago)6 strokes
  68. 糕gāocake16 strokes
  69. 根gēnroot (math.)10 strokes
  70. 更gèngeven more7 strokes
  71. 共gòngtogether6 strokes
  72. 故gùtherefore9 strokes
  73. 顾gùcustomer (as in 顾客)10 strokes
  74. 瓜guāmelon5 strokes
  75. 刮guāto scrape8 strokes
  76. 怪guàistrange8 strokes
  77. 惯guànto be used to11 strokes
  78. 海hǎisea10 strokes
  79. 害hàiharm10 strokes
  80. 合héto close6 strokes
  81. 河hériver8 strokes
  82. 乎hū(suffix) after adjectives and verbs5 strokes
  83. 护hùto protect7 strokes
  84. 化huà(suffix) -ize4 strokes
  85. 环huánring8 strokes
  86. 换huànto change10 strokes
  87. 黄huángyellow11 strokes
  88. 婚hūnmarriage11 strokes
  89. 活huówork9 strokes
  90. 或huòor8 strokes
  91. 激jīto stir up16 strokes
  92. 级jílevel6 strokes
  93. 极jíextremely7 strokes
  94. 急jíanxious9 strokes
  95. 季jìseason (as in 季节, TV)8 strokes
  96. 绩jìachievement11 strokes
  97. 加jiāto add5 strokes
  98. 假jiǎfake11 strokes
  99. 坚jiānhard7 strokes
  100. 检jiǎnto check11 strokes
  101. 简jiǎnsimple13 strokes
  102. 健jiànhealthy10 strokes
  103. 讲jiǎngto speak6 strokes
  104. 蕉jiāobanana15 strokes
  105. 角jiǎocorner7 strokes
  106. 饺jiǎodumpling9 strokes
  107. 脚jiǎofoot11 strokes
  108. 较jiàoto compare10 strokes
  109. 接jiēto connect11 strokes
  110. 街jiēstreet12 strokes
  111. 节jiéfestival5 strokes
  112. 结jiéknot9 strokes
  113. 解jiěto solve13 strokes
  114. 界jièworld9 strokes
  115. 借jièto borrow10 strokes
  116. 斤jīnclassifier for jin, a unit of weight (half a kilogram)4 strokes
  117. 净jìngclean8 strokes
  118. 静jìngstill14 strokes
  119. 境jìngborder14 strokes
  120. 久jiǔlong (time)3 strokes
  121. 旧jiùold5 strokes
  122. 居jūto live8 strokes
  123. 句jùclassifier for phrases and lines of speech or verse5 strokes
  124. 据jùaccording to11 strokes
  125. 决juéto decide6 strokes
  126. 卡kǎcard5 strokes
  127. 康kānghealthy11 strokes
  128. 渴kěthirsty12 strokes
  129. 刻kèto carve8 strokes
  130. 空kōngempty8 strokes
  131. 哭kūto cry10 strokes
  132. 筷kuàichopsticks13 strokes
  133. 矿kuàngore8 strokes
  134. 蓝lánblue13 strokes
  135. 礼lǐgift5 strokes
  136. 李lǐplum7 strokes
  137. 理lǐto manage11 strokes
  138. 力lìforce2 strokes
  139. 历lìto go through4 strokes
  140. 脸liǎnface11 strokes
  141. 练liànto practice8 strokes
  142. 炼liànto temper9 strokes
  143. 凉liángcool10 strokes
  144. 辆liàngclassifier for vehicles11 strokes
  145. 聊liáoto chat11 strokes
  146. 料liàomaterial10 strokes
  147. 邻línneighbor7 strokes
  148. 凌língto approach10 strokes
  149. 马mǎ(vulgar) mother (used in curses as a stand-in for 妈)3 strokes
  150. 码mǎcode8 strokes
  151. 满mǎnfull13 strokes
  152. 毛máosurname Mao4 strokes
  153. 冒màoto emit9 strokes
  154. 末mòend5 strokes
  155. 目mùeye5 strokes
  156. 南nánsouth9 strokes
  157. 难nándifficult10 strokes
  158. 努nǔto exert7 strokes
  159. 爬páto climb8 strokes
  160. 怕pàto fear8 strokes
  161. 拍pāito take (a photo)8 strokes
  162. 盘pánplate11 strokes
  163. 胖pàngfat9 strokes
  164. 啤píbeer (short for 啤酒)11 strokes
  165. 片piànfilm4 strokes
  166. 平píng(sports) draw5 strokes
  167. 瓶píngbottle10 strokes
  168. 其qíhis8 strokes
  169. 奇qístrange8 strokes
  170. 骑qíto ride (a horse, bike, etc.)11 strokes
  171. 汽qìsteam7 strokes
  172. 铅qiānlead (metal)10 strokes
  173. 且qiěand5 strokes
  174. 轻qīngsoft9 strokes
  175. 清qīngclear11 strokes
  176. 秋qiūautumn9 strokes
  177. 求qiúto ask7 strokes
  178. 区qūarea4 strokes
  179. 趣qùinterest15 strokes
  180. 全quánwhole6 strokes
  181. 泉quánspring (of water)9 strokes
  182. 裙qúnskirt12 strokes
  183. 容róngto contain10 strokes
  184. 如rúsuch as6 strokes
  185. 赛sàicompetition14 strokes
  186. 伞sǎnumbrella6 strokes
  187. 扫sǎoto scan (as in 扫码)6 strokes
  188. 沙shāsand7 strokes
  189. 山shānmountain3 strokes
  190. 衫shānshirt8 strokes
  191. 烧shāoto cook10 strokes
  192. 勺sháospoon3 strokes
  193. 声shēngsound7 strokes
  194. 实shíreal8 strokes
  195. 史shǐhistory5 strokes
  196. 世shìworld5 strokes
  197. 适shìto fit9 strokes
  198. 收shōuto receive6 strokes
  199. 受shòuto receive8 strokes
  200. 瘦shòuthin14 strokes
  201. 叔shūuncle (father's younger brother)8 strokes
  202. 束shùsurname Shu7 strokes
  203. 树shùtree9 strokes
  204. 数shùnumber13 strokes
  205. 刷shuāto binge-watch8 strokes
  206. 双shuāngtwo4 strokes
  207. 算suànto calculate14 strokes
  208. 糖tángsugar16 strokes
  209. 特tèvery10 strokes
  210. 梯tīladder11 strokes
  211. 提títo mention12 strokes
  212. 甜tiánsweet11 strokes
  213. 挺tǐngquite9 strokes
  214. 突tūsuddenly9 strokes
  215. 图túpicture8 strokes
  216. 腿tuǐleg (of furniture)13 strokes
  217. 碗wǎnbowl13 strokes
  218. 卫wèito guard3 strokes
  219. 闻wénto hear9 strokes
  220. 屋wūhouse9 strokes
  221. 务wùaffair5 strokes
  222. 物wùthing8 strokes
  223. 戏xìplay6 strokes
  224. 夏xiàsummer10 strokes
  225. 鲜xiānfresh14 strokes
  226. 相xiāngeach other9 strokes
  227. 香xiāngfragrant9 strokes
  228. 箱xiāngbox15 strokes
  229. 响xiǎngto sound9 strokes
  230. 向xiàngtoward6 strokes
  231. 像xiànglike13 strokes
  232. 鞋xiéshoe15 strokes
  233. 心xīnheart4 strokes
  234. 信xìnletter9 strokes
  235. 行xíngto walk6 strokes
  236. 熊xióngbear14 strokes
  237. 须xūmust9 strokes
  238. 需xūto need14 strokes
  239. 选xuǎnto choose9 strokes
  240. 牙yátooth4 strokes
  241. 言yánwords7 strokes
  242. 演yǎnto act14 strokes
  243. 羊yángsheep6 strokes
  244. 阳yángsun6 strokes
  245. 养yǎngto raise (animals)9 strokes
  246. 业yèline of business5 strokes
  247. 页yèpage6 strokes
  248. 姨yíaunt (mother's sister)9 strokes
  249. 议yìto discuss5 strokes
  250. 易yìeasy8 strokes
  251. 音yīnsound9 strokes
  252. 银yínsilver11 strokes
  253. 饮yǐnto drink7 strokes
  254. 应yīngshould7 strokes
  255. 迎yíngto welcome7 strokes
  256. 用yòngto use5 strokes
  257. 邮yóupost7 strokes
  258. 又yòuagain (it already happened again)2 strokes
  259. 于yúsurname Yu3 strokes
  260. 羽yǔfeather6 strokes
  261. 育yùto give birth8 strokes
  262. 遇yùto meet12 strokes
  263. 园yuángarden7 strokes
  264. 员yuán(suffix) person working in a role (as in 服务员)7 strokes
  265. 愿yuànto wish14 strokes
  266. 越yuèVietnam (short for 越南)12 strokes
  267. 咱zán(coll.) we (including the listener)9 strokes
  268. 脏zāngdirty10 strokes
  269. 澡zǎobath16 strokes
  270. 择zéto choose8 strokes
  271. 展zhǎnto unfold10 strokes
  272. 张zhāngsurname Zhang7 strokes
  273. 照zhàoto photograph13 strokes
  274. 者zhě(suffix) -er8 strokes
  275. 直zhícontinuously8 strokes
  276. 纸zhǐpaper7 strokes
  277. 终zhōngend8 strokes
  278. 种zhòngto plant9 strokes
  279. 重chónglayer (as in 万重山)9 strokes
  280. 主zhǔmaster5 strokes
  281. 助zhùto help7 strokes
  282. 注zhùto annotate8 strokes
  283. 总zǒngchief9 strokes
  284. 嘴zuǐmouth16 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.