HSK 1 grammar: all 48 points, with examples

By Andreu Puy · 9 October 2026 · 7 min read

The official HSK 3.0 standard (GF 0025-2021), the 2021 national standard behind the new nine-level HSK, lists 48 grammar points for level 1. They cover the basics: pronouns and question words, numbers and measure words, adverbs such as 很 and 都, the particles 的, 了 and 吗, and the first sentence patterns. Below is every one, in the standard's own order, with its structure and an example. (The HSK exam has its own syllabus, which asks for less vocabulary; see the standard and the exam.)

The 48 points at a glance

Word classes (points 1–22)

The first 22 points are the small words that hold a sentence together: where things are, what you can or want to do, who and which, how many, how much, and the particles that turn a statement into a question or a request.

Phrases (point 23)

One point: a number takes a measure word before the noun, as in 五本书, "five books".

Sentence parts (points 24–28)

These five points name the parts of a sentence. The one that changes how you build sentences: words saying when, where and how go before the verb, not after it as in English.

Sentence types (points 29–39)

Eleven kinds of sentence: the plain statement, questions, commands and exclamations, plus the 是 sentence, the 有 sentence, the first comparison and two clauses side by side. Note that an adjective sentence needs no 是: 这个房间不大, "this room isn't big".

Aspect: 了 and 在 (points 40–42)

Chinese marks whether an action has changed, finished or is still going, not when it happened. 了 at the end of a sentence says something has changed, 了 after a verb says an action was completed, and 在 or 正在 says it is happening now. None of them is a tense.

Money and time (points 43–44)

Prices use 块 in speech and 元 in writing, and dates go from the largest unit to the smallest: year, month, day.

Asking questions (points 45–48)

Four ways to ask: add 吗 to a statement, use a question word, offer a choice with 还是, or say a verb or adjective twice with 不 in between (A-not-A).

HSK 1 in the standard and in the exam

Three sets of numbers get mixed up. The 2021 standard lists 500 words and these 48 grammar points for level 1. The HSK exam follows its own syllabus, published in November 2025 and built on the standard, with its own word and grammar lists: it asks for 300 words at HSK 1, up from 150 in the old exam (HSK 2.0). Chinese Testing International, which runs the exam, launches it worldwide on 13 December 2026. All 300 exam words are in our new HSK 1 word list. If you are sitting the exam, check the official syllabus for your test date. If you are learning Chinese, the standard is the fuller map, and it is the one this page and Hanzio's course follow.

How to learn HSK 1 grammar

Not in the order of this list. The standard groups points by type, so the 是 sentence is number 36 and A-not-A questions are number 48, while a beginner needs both early on. A better order starts with pronouns, 是, 不 and 吗, then numbers and measure words, then question words, and leaves 了 until you have enough verbs to use it.

That is how the Hanzio course is built. Its 81 lessons cover all 48 points, because some points take several lessons (each of the nine question words gets its own), plus one lesson on tone changes. The lessons are interleaved with 120 short graded stories: each one puts grammar you have learned to use and adds about four new words, and every other word in it is one you have already met. To see how it compares with other apps, read our guide to the best apps to learn Chinese.

Frequently asked questions

How many grammar points are in HSK 1?

The official HSK 3.0 standard (GF 0025-2021) lists 48 for level 1, in seven groups: 22 word classes, 1 phrase type, 5 sentence parts, 11 sentence types, 3 aspect points, 2 for money and time, and 4 ways of asking questions. The HSK exam has its own syllabus, so check it if you are sitting the test.

Is HSK 1 in the standard the same as the HSK 1 exam?

No. The 2021 standard lists 500 words and 48 grammar points for level 1. The HSK exam follows a newer syllabus, published in November 2025 and launched worldwide on 13 December 2026, with its own word and grammar lists: 300 words for HSK 1, up from 150 in the old exam. A course that follows the standard, like Hanzio's, teaches 500 words at this level rather than 300, so check the exam list if you are sitting the test.

What is the hardest HSK 1 grammar point?

For most learners, 了. It appears at four points in the list (21, 22, 40 and 41), and none of them is a past tense: 了 marks a completed action or a change, not the time something happened.

In what order should I learn HSK 1 grammar?

Not in the order of the official list, which groups points by type. Start with pronouns, 是, 不 and 吗, then numbers and measure words, then question words, and leave 了 until you have enough verbs to use it.

Is there an app that teaches HSK 1 grammar?

Hanzio teaches all 48 points in 81 lessons, interleaved with 120 graded stories that put them to use; the course is part of its subscription. HelloChinese also teaches beginner grammar inside its course. Our guide to the best apps to learn Chinese compares them.

Source for the list of points: 国际中文教育中文水平等级标准 (GF 0025-2021), the grammar syllabus in its Appendix A, level 1. Names, structures and examples are Hanzio's own.