HSK 3.0 Chinese Character Syllabus

The HSK 3.0 Chinese Character Syllabus splits its required characters into two learning categories. Recognize characters — read and understand them, but you are not required to write them by hand. Writing characters — besides recognizing them, you should be able to write them, with their structure and stroke order shown. Each character also links to the words it forms (word radiation), turning a single character into vocabulary you can use. Browse the HSK 3.0 character list by level and type below.

HSK 1 HSK 2 HSK 3 HSK 4 HSK 5 HSK 6

All Recognize Write

125 required characters in HSK 2 — 5 writing, 120 recognize-only.

留

to stay; to remain; to leave (behind)

啊

(interjection) ah; oh

色

color

帮

to help; gang

笔

pen; writing brush

别

don't (imperative); other; to separate

错

wrong; mistake

思

to think; thought

意

meaning; intention

站

station; to stand

门

door; gate

词

word; term

次

time; measure word (occurrences); next

从

from; since; to follow

但

but; only

铁

iron; metal

等

to wait; equal; and so on

店

shop; store

懂

to understand

动

to move; to act

馆

hall; establishment (restaurant, museum)

告

to tell; to inform

诉

to tell; to sue

跟

with; to follow; and

交

to hand in; to cross; (in 公交车) transport

黑

black; dark

红

red

花

flower; to spend (money)

画

to draw; picture

坏

bad; broken

场

field; place; measure word (events)

票

ticket

记

to remember; to record

教

to teach (jiāo); education (jiào)

室

room

介

to introduce; between

绍

to introduce (in 介绍)

近

near; close to

进

to enter; to advance

经

to pass through; already (in 已经); often (in 经常)

酒

alcohol; wine

就

just; then; exactly

啡

(in 咖啡) coffee

咖

(in 咖啡) coffee

始

to begin; to start

考

to test; to examine

试

to try; to test; exam

裤

pants; trousers

快

fast; quick; soon

乐

happy; music (yuè)

篮

basket

球

ball

累

tired; to accumulate

离

to leave; away from

楼

building; floor

路

road; way

旅

to travel

游

to swim; to travel

绿

green

慢

slow

每

every; each

拿

to take; to hold

鸟

bird

旁

side; beside

跑

to run

步

step; to walk

妻

wife

晴

clear (weather); sunny

让

to let; to make; to yield

肉

meat

网

net; internet

身

body

体

body

情

feeling; situation

表

watch; to express; table

舒

comfortable; relaxed

送

to give (as gift); to send; to see off

然

so; (in 虽然) although

虽

although

所

place; (in 所以) so

疼

pain; to hurt; to love (children)

踢

to kick

跳

to jump; to dance

舞

dance

头

head; first; measure word (animals)

完

to finish; complete

万

ten thousand

往

towards; to go (in 往来)

忘

to forget

位

position; seat; measure word (people)

希

to hope; rare

望

to look; to hope

洗

to wash

笑

to laugh; to smile

姓

surname; family name

颜

color; face

睛

eyeball (in 眼睛)

眼

eye

药

medicine

爷

grandpa; lord (in titles)

已

already; to stop

因

because; reason

阴

cloudy; shade

泳

to swim

右

right (side)

鱼

fish

远

far; distant

运

to transport; luck; (in 运动) sports

丈

(in 丈夫) husband; zhang (length)

夫

man; husband

着

(particle) -ing/durative (zhe); to wear (zhuó)

周

week; around; circumference

备

to prepare

准

to prepare; accurate; to allow

己

oneself

自

self; from

走

to walk; to leave

足

foot; enough (in 足球)

最

most; -est

左

left (side)

为

for; to be (wéi/wèi); (in 为什么) why

地

ground; earth; -ly adverb particle (de)

比

to compare; than

过

to pass; to cross; (guò) past

长

long (cháng); to grow; leader (zhǎng)