HSK 1 Vocabulary

To protect and care for someone with deep heartfelt affection; To love, cherish, or enjoy doing something

Two strokes parting to denote the number eight; Eight

father; dad

A mouth-sound particle built from 口 plus phonetic 巴 to soften a spoken utterance; Sentence-final modal particle for suggestions, requests, agreement, or uncertainty

daytime; day

A full count of ten tens, marked by adding one stroke to 白; One hundred

Half, semi-, midway, or partial.

steamed stuffed bun; baozi

A sick person lying in a bed (疒), showing illness or disease; Illness, sickness, disease

Negation of an action, quality, or state; Not

you're welcome; don't mention it

don't; do not

Edible green plants gathered or plucked from the ground; Vegetables, dishes, cuisine, or food in general

The bitter leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant steeped in hot water as a drink; Tea, tea leaves, the brewed beverage, or things related to tea

supermarket

A wheeled cart or chariot used to carry goods, people, or soldiers; Any wheeled vehicle such as a car, bus, train, or cart

To take food into the mouth, chew, and swallow; To eat, absorb, take in, or endure something (losses, hardship, surprise)

taxi; cab

to make a phone call

A person with arms and legs spread wide, taking up the largest possible space; Big, large, great, major

everyone; everybody

university; college

university student; college student

To arrive at a place after traveling or moving toward it; To reach a destination, time, or extent

A mark of clarity aiming at the exact noun a modifier applies to; The ubiquitous possessive or descriptive particle meaning 's or "of"

younger brother

A precise point or dot marking one position on a scale or dial; O'clock

telephone; phone call

computer

television; TV

movie; film

cinema; movie theater

thing; object; stuff

A walled capital where people and goods all gather together; All

to read a book; to study; to attend school

Matched face-to-face and measured to be exactly fitting; Correct, right

to be sorry; to let someone down

Two stacked pieces of meat representing abundance and a large quantity; Many, much, more

how many; how much

son

Two parallel strokes representing the number two; Two

restaurant; hotel

room

very; extremely; highly

airplane; aircraft

minute (unit of time)

happy; glad; pleased

A vocal tune produced through rhythmic chanting and exhaled breath; Song, tune, or melody

older brother; elder brother

A single bamboo stalk or sliver split off as one countable unit; The default measure word for people, objects, and concepts

To join silk threads together so as to supply or equip someone; To give, hand over, offer, or let someone have or benefit from something

company; corporation

to work; job; task

A young dog or whelp, distinct from an adult hound; Any dog

Priced high in cowrie-shell currency (贝); Expensive, precious, noble, or highly esteemed

A path turning back to its starting point, repeating the same course; Still

Chinese language; Mandarin

Chinese characters

Beautiful and good; a woman with a child was seen as a blessing and virtue

delicious; tasty

good-looking; attractive; interesting to watch

pleasant to hear; nice-sounding

fun; interesting; amusing

To open the mouth and take liquid into the body; To drink water, tea, alcohol, soup, or other liquids

Harmonious accord between separate sounds or people; And

To disobey or move with stubborn difficulty; Very

The space or position behind someone or something; the rear side

To revolve in a spiral and return to the starting point; To return, go back, or reply

To bring people or things together in one place; To know how to do something

train

egg; hen's egg

A low table (几) holding only a small countable number of items; Asks “how many?” for small numbers

A roofed dwelling sheltering a pig, marking a settled household and family; Home, family, household

family member(s); family

To perceive with the eyes as an active act of sight; To see, catch sight of, meet, or visit someone

dumpling

To cry out or shout loudly with the mouth; To be named

older sister; elder sister

this year

today

A bent elbow or hooked arm shape (the old pictograph) borrowed to stand for the numeral nine; Nine

to think; to feel

To unbolt and push apart a pair of closed gates; To open, start, turn on, drive, operate, or blossom

To shade the eyes to observe from a distance; To look, watch, read, see, or visit someone

to see a doctor; (of a doctor) to see a patient

to see; to catch sight of

can; may; passable; not bad

The facial cavity used for eating, speaking, and breathing; Any opening or entrance (doorway, cave mouth)

A clod of earth or a lump of soil; Measure word for chunks and pieces

To come closer from another place; to arrive at the speaker's position

teacher; instructor

To finish or bring something to an end; Marks completed actions, state changes, or a playful exclamation (了/啦)

Icy and freezing to the touch; low temperature

The inner part or lining of a garment or object; Inside, in, within

Two units counted together as an inseparable pair; Two, both, a couple, a few

The absence of quantity in counting; a placeholder for nothing

A simple roofed hut or ridgepole dwelling, later borrowed as a phonetic loan for the number six; The numeral six

mother; mom

A grammatical word placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a simple yes/no question; Also marks rhetorical questions, softens a suggestion, or gently seeks confirmation in casual speech

To exchange money or goods for something in return; To buy, purchase, or obtain anything

To exchange goods or services for money; To sell out (betray), show off, or put in effort (卖力)

Busy, hurried, with no leisure time; To be occupied with

A small domesticated feline animal kept for companionship and catching mice; A cat

it doesn't matter; that's all right; never mind

to not have; there is not; not (negation for past actions)

younger sister

A crowd of people gathered at a gate or doorway; Suffix marking plural for persons and pronouns (我们, 他们, 你们)

cooked rice

bread

next year

tomorrow

name

An interrogative pronoun asking to identify a specific one among options; Used for "which," "where," or "how," often in questions and rhetorical emphasis

which; which one

where; anywhere

where

A distant city or state's name in ancient China; That one, the far one — a pronoun pointing to something not near

over there; that side

that; that one

there

there

those

Relating to the male sex; masculine in role or natural disposition

boyfriend

A murmuring sound (as in 呢喃) repurposed as a sentence-final particle for asking questions; Marks an action in progress, echoes a topic to ask "and

To possess the raw strength of a bear, the animal this character originally depicts; To can, be able to, or may — expressing capability, skill, or permission

A second-person pronoun referring to the person being addressed; You (singular, informal)

hello; hi

you (plural)

A ripe grain harvest carried in from the fields; A year

A respectful form of address formed by combining 你 (you) with 心 (heart); The standard polite/formal "you" in modern Mandarin, used for elders, superiors, and formal occasions

milk; cow's milk

Designating the female gender; a pictograph of a woman kneeling with hands folded

daughter

girlfriend

lady; madam; Ms.

friend

cheap; inexpensive

beautiful; pretty; handsome

apple

The numeral seven, originally a crossed or cut line recording this count; Seventh

to get out of bed; to get up

A numeral representing ten hundreds — the number 1,000; Signifies "numerous" or "a great many"

The forward-facing area or the space located ahead of something; Time before the present (ago), the past, or an earlier position in order

A spade-like metal farming tool used in ancient times; Money, cash, coins, or wealth in general

To request politely to meet or speak with someone; To invite or treat someone

to ask (polite form); excuse me; may I ask

To leave a place, departing from one's current location; To go to a destination

last year

High temperature and scorching warmth from fire; Feverish, enthusiastic, popular, or trendy

A side-view pictograph of a human figure standing with two legs; A person, people, the human race, or the general public

to know; to recognize; to meet (someone) for the first time

A single full cycle of the sun across the sky, marking one complete day; A counting unit for days

The cardinal number 3, represented by three stacked horizontal strokes; Three

shop; store

The upper side; to move upward from below

to go to work; to be at work

to attend class; to give a lesson

morning (before noon)

to go to school; to attend school

Small in number or quantity; a tiny amount

A question word asking about a person's identity; Also used to mean anyone, someone, or whoever in general statements

what

to get sick; to fall ill

The number ten; a complete decimal count of single digits

time; moment; period

time; duration

To affirm or correct as right and true; To be

mobile phone; cell phone

Written records, documents, or texts inscribed on bamboo or silk; A book, letter, script, or volume

bookstore; bookshop

fruit

to sleep

To utter words with the mouth to convey meaning; To speak, say, tell, explain, chat, or scold

to speak; to talk

Four—the number between three and five; Also "fourth," "all four directions," or "everywhere" in compounds like 四处

The astronomical cycle measuring a year by Jupiter's movement across the sky; A measure word for a person's age in years

Another person, someone other than the speaker or listener; He, him—the standard masculine third-person pronoun for any male

The written third-person feminine pronoun "she/her," distinct from male 他; The everyday pronoun for any female person, plus a poetic "she" for ships, nations, or nature

they; them (masculine or mixed gender)

they; them (for things and animals)

they; them (referring to females)

The absolute pinnacle or utmost degree; greatness beyond "big" (大)

The vast space overhead; the sky and heavens above

weather

To receive sound through the ear and perceive it; To listen, attend, obey, heed, or hear about something

to hear

classmate; fellow student

outside; outdoors

Late in the day, after the sun has moved past its peak; Late, delayed, or of the evening

dinner; supper

evening; night

A shouted call used to summon or catch someone's attention; The universal phone greeting "hello!" and the casual "hey!" to get someone's notice

To ask a question by calling out from the mouth at the gate; To inquire, question, or interrogate

question; problem; issue

A single self-referencing pronoun for the speaker; Used as "I/me" in all modern contexts

we; us

A counting symbol for the number five, drawn as a cross between two tally bars; The fifth

lunch; midday meal

to like; to be fond of

The lower position; to descend from a higher point

to rain

to get off work; to leave work

to finish class; class is over

afternoon; p.m.

Mr.; husband; gentleman

now; at present; currently

To ponder deeply or reflect with the heart-mind; To think, intend, want, or miss someone dearly

Tiny grains of sand or minute specks — the smallest scale of physical matter; Small in size, degree, or age

child; kid

hour

elementary school; primary school

elementary school student; primary school student

To transfer or move something from one place to another; To write, compose, describe, or draw

to thank; thanks

Freshly cut timber split apart by an axe (斤); New, fresh, modern, recent

week

Sunday

Sunday

to rest; to take a break

To gain knowledge or skills by being taught and then practicing; To study, learn, imitate, or master something new

student; pupil

to study; to learn

school

To demand or claim something firmly, originally by grasping a person's waist (the later 腰); To want, ask for, or need

Also; too — the core adverb for adding one thing to another equally

The number one, the smallest whole unit of counting; One, single, whole, first, each, or a brief instant

clothes; clothing

doctor; physician

hospital

chair

a little; a bit

some; a few

To hold something in the hand—originally a piece of meat (肉) showing possession; To have, own, or exist

some; certain ones

a bit; somewhat; slightly

some; certain

Water descending in drops from storm clouds; Rain, shower, rainfall

The head, the topmost part of a human body; A monetary unit (yuan)

The natural satellite of Earth visible in the night sky; A month or lunar calendar unit

Doing something for a second time; a repeated action or occurrence

To exist or be located at a specific place; To be at/in/on (position)

to say goodbye; to see again

The sun just emerging over the horizon at daybreak; Being early, ahead of time

breakfast

morning; early morning

how; why

how; how about; what about

To search for something by holding a spear and sweeping an area; To look for, seek, or hunt for anything

A proximal demonstrative pronoun pointing to the nearest person, object, or matter at hand; This, these, here, this one — the everyday pointer for anything current, nearby, or just mentioned

this side; here; over here

this one; this

here

here

these

The original glyph depicts an immortal ascending to heaven, untouched by falsehood; Really, truly, indeed—emphasizing that something is exactly as stated

in the process of; currently doing

Measure word for a single bird or one of a pair; Counts animals, birds, and one of paired items like shoes or hands

to know; to be aware of; to realize

China

Chinese language; Chinese (language)

noon; midday

middle school; high school

middle school student; secondary school student

To halt movement and remain in a place; To live, stay, or reside

table; desk

A written symbol that comes into being, like a child (子) raised beneath a roof (宀); A character, word, or letter

yesterday

To rest one's weight on the ground, depicted by two people kneeling on the earth; To sit

To perform concrete manual labor or craft — shaping raw materials into objects; To do, make, produce, cook, work as, or simply act: the all-purpose verb for human activity

to cook; to prepare a meal