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HSK Levels (汉语水平考试等级)

Every Chinese grammar article here carries an HSK band as well as a CEFR level. The bands are the ones the HSK exam has used since July 2026, from HSK 考试大纲, the syllabus 中外语言交流合作中心 (CLEC) published in November 2025. They replaced the six bands the exam ran on before.

The syllabus grades a learner over nine levels in three stages (初等, 中等 and 高等, or elementary, intermediate and advanced), the levels China's Ministry of Education set out in its 2021 standard, 国际中文教育中文水平等级标准. For each level it lists the words and characters you are expected to know, the grammar, the topics, and the tasks you should be able to carry out with them.

Seven bands cover the nine levels. The syllabus publishes one word list for levels 7, 8 and 9, and the exam runs a single HSK 7-9 paper that awards one of the three on how a candidate does. Those three share a syllabus, and this site lists them as one band.

An article's band is the first band at which the syllabus teaches what the article is about. A grammar pattern takes its band from the syllabus's grammar outline, and an article comparing words takes the band of the last of those words the syllabus lists. Its CEFR level is read off the band.

Not sure which HSK band you're at? Take the HSK Level Quiz to find out in a few minutes.

The counts below are cumulative. HSK 3 covers everything at HSK 1 and HSK 2 along with 500 words of its own.

HSK 1 (汉语水平考试一级)

The first of the three elementary bands. 300 words and 246 characters, enough for simple questions and answers about yourself and your day.

  1. Video lesson: 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) with two objects in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 2 of 2
  2. Video lesson: Where 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) goes in a sentence in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 1 of 2
  3. Video lesson: 了 for a completed action, and 了 read liǎo (le) in Mandarin Chinese grammar

See all HSK 1 articles HSK 1 vocabulary list (293 words)

HSK 2 (汉语水平考试二级)

The second elementary band. 500 words and 371 characters, enough to describe people, places and your daily life in simple terms.

  1. Comparing two things with 比 (bǐ)
  2. Video lesson: 得 (de) for how well, and for can or can't in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 3 of 3
  3. Video lesson: 地 (de) with adverbs in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 2 of 3

See all HSK 2 articles HSK 2 vocabulary list (194 words)

HSK 3 (汉语水平考试三级)

The last elementary band. 1,000 words and 655 characters, enough to deal with everyday business and talk about home, school and work.

  1. Video lesson: Verb + 出来 (chūlái) for “can't”, “didn't” and more in Mandarin Chinese grammar, par
  2. Video lesson: Verb + 出来 (chūlái) for “come out” in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 1 of 2
  3. Video lesson: More ways to say “if” with 的话 (dehuà) in Mandarin Chinese grammar, part 2 of 2

See all HSK 3 articles HSK 3 vocabulary list (491 words)

HSK 4 (汉语水平考试四级)

The first intermediate band. 2,000 words and 1,096 characters, enough to talk about work, feelings and society, and to introduce China to someone.

  1. How to use 方便 (fāngbiàn) ‘convenient’ and 顺便 (shùnbiàn) ‘in passing’ in Mandarin Chinese
  2. How to use 关于 (guānyú) and 对于 (duìyú) correctly in Chinese
  3. "Sorry" and "excuse me" in Chinese: 对不起, 请问, 麻烦你, 劳驾

See all HSK 4 articles HSK 4 vocabulary list (989 words)

HSK 5 (汉语水平考试五级)

The second intermediate band. 3,600 words and 1,527 characters, enough to discuss work, science and society and talk about Chinese history and thought.

  1. How to use 碰 (pèng), 碰见 (pèngjiàn) and 碰上 (pèngshàng) in Chinese grammar
  2. The difference between 碰见 (pèngjiàn), 遇见 (yùjiàn) and 见面 (jiànmiàn) in Chinese

See all HSK 5 articles HSK 5 vocabulary list (1,578 words)

HSK 6 (汉语水平考试六级)

The last intermediate band. 5,400 words and 1,940 characters, enough to discuss education, work, the economy and Chinese culture in depth.

  1. How to use 可怜 (kělián) ‘pitiful’ and 可惜 (kěxī) ‘a pity’ in Mandarin Chinese
  2. 加以 (jiāyǐ) in Chinese grammar: apply to, engage in, endeavour to
  3. Using 嘛 (ma) in Chinese grammar: stating the obvious and describing expectations

See all HSK 6 articles HSK 6 vocabulary list (1,774 words)

HSK 7-9 (汉语水平考试七至九级)

The advanced stage, and one word list for all three of its bands. 11,000 words and 3,088 characters, enough to work and study in Chinese.

  1. How to use 划算 (huásuàn) in Mandarin Chinese: to be a bargain

See all HSK 7-9 articles HSK 7-9 vocabulary list (5,549 words)