New HSK 3 word list (2026): all 500 words
The new HSK 3 exam adds 500 words to the 500 of HSK 1 and 2, so you need 1,000 in all. The list is set by the HSK 3.0 exam syllabus: published in November 2025, in force from July 2026, with the exam running worldwide from 13 December 2026, according to its organiser. The old HSK 3 added 300 words for 600 in all. All 500 are below, with pinyin and meaning.
This list gives you the words. Hanzio helps you remember them: their meaning, their pinyin and tones, how they sound and how to write them. The HSK 3 deck holds every word here except nine entries the syllabus also lists at HSK 1 or 2 in another sense, such as 会 (meeting) and 还 huán (to give back): you study those in the lower decks. Each word comes back just before you would forget it.
Disclosure: we make Hanzio. The list and its order come from the official syllabus.
How many words are in each HSK level?
| HSK level | New words | Total by this level | Old HSK (2.0), total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 300 | 300 | 150 |
| 2 | 200 | 500 | 300 |
| 3 | 500 | 1,000 | 600 |
| 4 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 1,200 |
| 5 | 1,600 | 3,600 | 2,500 |
| 6 | 1,800 | 5,400 | 5,000 |
| 7–9 | 5,600 | 11,000 | – |
HSK 7, 8 and 9 share one list, and the old exam stopped at HSK 6. The 2021 standard that the new HSK is built on uses the same nine levels with bigger lists at the bottom: 500 words at level 1 and 1,272 by level 2. The exam starts smaller and catches up: by HSK 6 it asks for 5,400 words, against 5,456 in the standard.
What changed in HSK 3
Against the old exam (HSK 2.0), about three quarters of the old HSK 3 keeps its level. Around forty words moved down, to HSK 2 (爱好, 地铁, 帮忙) or HSK 1 (超市, 半), and about twenty moved up to HSK 4 (鼻子, 厨房). Some words are no longer listed on their own because they are taught in another form: the seasons 春, 夏, 秋 and 冬 as 春天, 夏天, 秋天 and 冬天, 熊猫 as 大熊猫, 照相机 as 相机, 行李箱 as 行李, and 绿 as the HSK 2 word 绿色. About 185 of the 500 were not on the old exam at all.
Against the 2021 standard, the new HSK 3 comes mostly from the standard’s level 2: 259 of its 500 words are there, against 79 from level 1 and 79 from level 3. 52 come down from level 4, among them 冰箱, 电梯 and 锻炼, 25 from higher levels, and a handful, such as 冰激凌 and 电子书, are not in the standard at all. Going the other way, only 84 of the standard’s 973 level-3 words are HSK 3 words in the exam; most went up, 318 to HSK 4 and 424 to HSK 5.
All 500 HSK 3 words
In the syllabus’s own order, alphabetical by pinyin, and numbered as it numbers them, so you can check any entry against the official list. The type is the part of speech the syllabus gives at HSK 3; where it adds one for a higher level, only the HSK 3 ones are shown.
n. noun · v. verb · adj. adjective · adv. adverb · pron. pronoun · num. number · m.w. measure word · prep. preposition · conj. conjunction · part. particle · interj. interjection · phrase: a set phrase with no part of speech
Jump to: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · J · K · L · M · N · P · Q · R · S · T · W · X · Y · Z
A
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | 阿姨 āyí | n. | auntie (a woman of one's parents' age) |
| 502 | 矮 ǎi | adj. | short (in height); low |
| 503 | 爱人 àiren | n. | husband or wife, spouse |
| 504 | 安静 ānjìng | adj. | quiet |
| 505 | 安全 ānquán | adj. | safe |
B
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 506 | 把 bǎ | m.w., prep. | (measure word for things with a handle); (puts the object before the verb) |
| 507 | 搬 bān | v. | to move (something heavy) |
| 508 | 班级 bānjí | n. | class (at school) |
| 509 | 搬家 bānjiā | v. | to move house |
| 510 | 办 bàn | v. | to do, to handle |
| 511 | 办法 bànfǎ | n. | way, method |
| 512 | 办公室 bàngōngshì | n. | office |
| 513 | 半天 bàntiān | num. + m.w. | half a day; a long time |
| 514 | 帮助 bāngzhù | v. | to help |
| 515 | 饱 bǎo | adj. | full (after eating) |
| 516 | 报纸 bàozhǐ | n. | newspaper |
| 517 | 北 běi | n. | north |
| 518 | 北方 běifāng | n. | the north |
| 519 | 被 bèi | prep. | (marks the passive: by) |
| 520 | 笔记 bǐjì | n. | notes |
| 521 | 比较 bǐjiào | v., prep., adv. | fairly, rather; to compare; compared with |
| 522 | 笔记本 bǐjìběn | n. | notebook; laptop |
| 523 | 比如 bǐrú | v. | for example |
| 524 | 比赛 bǐsài | v., n. | match, competition; to compete |
| 525 | 必须 bìxū | adv. | must |
| 526 | 变 biàn | v. | to change, to become |
| 527 | 遍 biàn | m.w. | (measure word for times, from beginning to end) |
| 528 | 变成 biànchéng | v. | to become, to turn into |
| 529 | 变化 biànhuà | v., n. | change; to change |
| 530 | 表演 biǎoyǎn | v. | to perform |
| 531 | 别的 biéde | pron. | other |
| 532 | 别人 biérén | pron. | other people |
| 533 | 宾馆 bīnguǎn | n. | hotel |
| 534 | 冰 bīng | n. | ice |
| 535 | 冰激凌 bīngjīlíng | n. | ice cream |
| 536 | 冰箱 bīngxiāng | n. | fridge |
| 537 | 病人 bìngrén | n. | patient (a sick person) |
| 538 | 不但 búdàn | conj. | not only |
| 539 | 不见 bújiàn | v. | to be missing, to disappear |
| 540 | 不用 búyòng | adv. | no need to |
| 541 | 不同 bù tóng | phrase | different |
| 542 | 不久 bùjiǔ | adj. | soon; not long (after) |
| 543 | 不行 bùxíng | v., adj. | won't do, not allowed; no good |
C
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 544 | 才 cái | adv. | not until, only then; only |
| 545 | 菜单 càidān | n. | menu |
| 546 | 参加 cānjiā | v. | to take part in, to join |
| 547 | 草 cǎo | n. | grass |
| 548 | 草地 cǎodì | n. | lawn, meadow |
| 549 | 层 céng | m.w. | floor, storey; layer |
| 550 | 查 chá | v. | to check, to look up |
| 551 | 差 chà | adj., v. | poor, bad; to be short of |
| 552 | 差不多 chàbuduō | adj., adv. | about the same; almost |
| 553 | 尝 cháng | v. | to taste |
| 554 | 常 cháng | adv. | often |
| 555 | 常见 cháng jiàn | phrase | common |
| 556 | 常用 cháng yòng | phrase | commonly used |
| 557 | 常常 chángcháng | adv. | often |
| 558 | 衬衫 chènshān | n. | shirt |
| 559 | 成绩 chéngjì | n. | results, marks |
| 560 | 城市 chéngshì | n. | city |
| 561 | 迟到 chídào | v. | to be late |
| 562 | 出发 chūfā | v. | to set off |
| 563 | 出生 chūshēng | v. | to be born |
| 564 | 出院 chūyuàn | v. | to leave hospital |
| 565 | 初中 chūzhōng | n. | junior high school |
| 566 | 除了 chúle | prep. | except; besides |
| 567 | 船 chuán | n. | boat, ship |
| 568 | 春天 chūntiān | n. | spring |
| 569 | 词典 cídiǎn | n. | dictionary |
| 570 | 聪明 cōngmíng | adj. | clever, smart |
D
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 571 | 打扫 dǎsǎo | v. | to clean |
| 572 | 打算 dǎsuàn | v., n. | to plan; plan |
| 573 | 大概 dàgài | adj., adv. | approximate; probably |
| 574 | 大人 dàren | n. | adult, grown-up |
| 575 | 大小 dàxiǎo | n. | size |
| 576 | 大熊猫 dàxióngmāo | n. | giant panda |
| 577 | 大衣 dàyī | n. | coat, overcoat |
| 578 | 带 dài | v. | to take, to bring, to carry |
| 579 | 担心 dānxīn | v. | to worry |
| 580 | 蛋糕 dàngāo | n. | cake |
| 581 | 当然 dāngrán | adv. | of course |
| 582 | 到处 dàochù | adv. | everywhere |
| 583 | 得 dé | v. | to get, to obtain |
| 584 | 得到 dédào | v. | to get, to receive |
| 585 | 得分 défēn | v., n. | to score; score |
| 586 | 的话 dehuà | part. | (particle for a condition: if…) |
| 587 | 得 děi | v. | to have to, must |
| 588 | 灯 dēng | n. | lamp, light |
| 589 | 地 dì | n. | ground, floor; land |
| 590 | 地点 dìdiǎn | n. | place, location |
| 591 | 地方 dìfang | n. | place |
| 592 | 地图 dìtú | n. | map |
| 593 | 电 diàn | n. | electricity |
| 594 | 电梯 diàntī | n. | lift, elevator |
| 595 | 电子书 diànzǐshū | n. | e-book |
| 596 | 丢 diū | v. | to lose |
| 597 | 东 dōng | n. | east |
| 598 | 东北 dōngběi | n. | north-east |
| 599 | 东方 dōngfāng | n. | the east |
| 600 | 东南 dōngnán | n. | south-east |
| 601 | 冬天 dōngtiān | n. | winter |
| 602 | 懂得 dǒngde | v. | to understand, to know |
| 603 | 动物 dòngwù | n. | animal |
| 604 | 动物园 dòngwùyuán | n. | zoo |
| 605 | 短 duǎn | adj. | short |
| 606 | 短裤 duǎnkù | n. | shorts |
| 607 | 段 duàn | m.w. | (measure word for sections, periods, stretches) |
| 608 | 锻炼 duànliàn | v. | to exercise, to work out |
| 609 | 对话 duìhuà | v. | to have a conversation |
E
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 610 | 饿 è | adj. | hungry |
| 611 | 而且 érqiě | conj. | and also, moreover |
| 612 | 耳朵 ěrduo | n. | ear |
| 613 | 耳机 ěrjī | n. | earphones, headphones |
F
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 614 | 发 fā | v. | to send; to give out |
| 615 | 发烧 fāshāo | v. | to have a fever |
| 616 | 发生 fāshēng | v. | to happen |
| 617 | 发现 fāxiàn | v. | to discover, to find |
| 618 | 发展 fāzhǎn | v. | to develop |
| 619 | 方便 fāngbiàn | adj. | convenient |
| 620 | 方便面 fāngbiànmiàn | n. | instant noodles |
| 621 | 方法 fāngfǎ | n. | method, way |
| 622 | 方向 fāngxiàng | n. | direction |
| 623 | 房子 fángzi | n. | house |
| 624 | 放 fàng | v. | to put, to place; to let go |
| 625 | 放假 fàngjià | v. | to have a holiday |
| 626 | 放心 fàngxīn | v. | to stop worrying, to feel at ease |
| 627 | 放学 fàngxué | v. | to finish school (for the day) |
| 628 | 分开 fēnkāi | v. | to separate, to part |
| 629 | 风 fēng | n. | wind |
| 630 | 封 fēng | m.w. | (measure word for letters) |
| 631 | 夫妻 fūqī | n. | husband and wife, couple |
| 632 | 服务 fúwù | v. | to serve |
| 633 | 附近 fùjìn | n. | nearby |
| 634 | 复习 fùxí | v. | to revise, to review |
G
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 635 | 该 gāi | v. | should, ought to |
| 636 | 干净 gānjìng | adj. | clean |
| 637 | 感兴趣 gǎn xìngqù | phrase | to be interested (in) |
| 638 | 感到 gǎndào | v. | to feel |
| 639 | 感冒 gǎnmào | n., v. | cold, flu; to catch a cold |
| 640 | 干 gàn | v. | to do |
| 641 | 刚 gāng | adv. | just (a moment ago) |
| 642 | 刚才 gāngcái | n. | just now |
| 643 | 刚刚 gānggāng | adv. | just, only just |
| 644 | 高铁 gāotiě | n. | high-speed train |
| 645 | 根据 gēnjù | v., prep. | according to; to be based on |
| 646 | 更 gèng | adv. | even more |
| 647 | 公斤 gōngjīn | m.w. | kilogram |
| 648 | 公园 gōngyuán | n. | park |
| 649 | 工作日 gōngzuòrì | n. | working day |
| 650 | 故事 gùshi | n. | story |
| 651 | 刮 guā | v. | to blow (of the wind); to scrape |
| 652 | 关 guān | v. | to close, to shut; to switch off |
| 653 | 关机 guānjī | v. | to switch off (a device) |
| 654 | 关系 guānxì | n. | relationship |
| 655 | 关心 guānxīn | v. | to care about |
| 656 | 关于 guānyú | prep. | about, concerning |
| 657 | 关注 guānzhù | v. | to follow closely, to pay attention to |
| 658 | 国家 guójiā | n. | country |
| 659 | 过节 guòjié | v. | to celebrate a festival |
| 660 | 过去 guòqù | n. | the past |
H
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 661 | 海 hǎi | n. | sea |
| 662 | 害怕 hàipà | v. | to be afraid |
| 663 | 好多 hǎoduō | num. | a lot of, many |
| 664 | 好久 hǎojiǔ | adj. | a long time |
| 665 | 好像 hǎoxiàng | v., adv. | to seem, to be like |
| 666 | 号码 hàomǎ | n. | number |
| 667 | 河 hé | n. | river |
| 668 | 合适 héshì | adj. | suitable, right |
| 669 | 黑板 hēibǎn | n. | blackboard |
| 670 | 红绿灯 hóng-lǜdēng | n. | traffic lights |
| 671 | 后来 hòulái | n. | later, afterwards |
| 672 | 后年 hòunián | n. | the year after next |
| 673 | 后天 hòutiān | n. | the day after tomorrow |
| 674 | 护照 hùzhào | n. | passport |
| 675 | 花园 huāyuán | n. | garden |
| 676 | 画家 huàjiā | n. | painter, artist |
| 677 | 欢迎 huānyíng | v. | to welcome |
| 678 | 还 huán | v. | to give back, to return |
| 679 | 环境 huánjìng | n. | environment, surroundings |
| 680 | 换 huàn | v. | to change, to exchange |
| 681 | 黄色 huángsè | n. | yellow |
| 682 | 回答 huídá | v. | to answer |
| 683 | 会 huì | n. | meeting |
| 684 | 会议 huìyì | n. | meeting, conference |
| 685 | 或 huò | conj. | or |
| 686 | 或者 huòzhě | conj. | or |
J
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 687 | 鸡 jī | n. | chicken |
| 688 | 几乎 jīhū | adv. | almost |
| 689 | 机会 jīhuì | n. | chance, opportunity |
| 690 | 极 jí | adv. | extremely |
| 691 | 急 jí | adj., v. | urgent; anxious; to worry |
| 692 | 记 jì | v. | to remember; to write down |
| 693 | 季 jì | n. | season |
| 694 | 季节 jìjié | n. | season |
| 695 | 加 jiā | v. | to add |
| 696 | 假期 jiàqī | n. | holiday, vacation |
| 697 | 坚持 jiānchí | v. | to keep at, to persist |
| 698 | 检查 jiǎnchá | v. | to check, to examine |
| 699 | 简单 jiǎndān | adj. | simple |
| 700 | 检票 jiǎnpiào | v. | to check tickets |
| 701 | 健康 jiànkāng | adj. | healthy |
| 702 | 见面 jiànmiàn | v. | to meet |
| 703 | 讲 jiǎng | v. | to speak, to tell |
| 704 | 角 jiǎo | m.w. | (unit of money: a tenth of a yuan) |
| 705 | 脚 jiǎo | n. | foot |
| 706 | 接 jiē | v. | to pick up (someone); to answer (a call); to receive |
| 707 | 街 jiē | n. | street |
| 708 | 节 jié | m.w., n. | (measure word for lessons and sections); festival |
| 709 | 结婚 jiéhūn | v. | to get married |
| 710 | 节目 jiémù | n. | programme, show |
| 711 | 节日 jiérì | n. | festival, holiday |
| 712 | 结束 jiéshù | v. | to end, to finish |
| 713 | 解决 jiějué | v. | to solve |
| 714 | 姐妹 jiěmèi | n. | sisters |
| 715 | 借 jiè | v. | to borrow; to lend |
| 716 | 斤 jīn | m.w. | (unit of weight: half a kilogram) |
| 717 | 经过 jīngguò | v., n. | to pass, to go through; process |
| 718 | 经理 jīnglǐ | n. | manager |
| 719 | 久 jiǔ | adj. | long (time) |
| 720 | 酒 jiǔ | n. | alcohol, wine |
| 721 | 旧 jiù | adj. | old (not new) |
| 722 | 句 jù | m.w. | (measure word for sentences) |
| 723 | 句子 jùzi | n. | sentence |
| 724 | 决定 juédìng | v., n. | to decide; decision |
K
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 725 | 卡 kǎ | n. | card |
| 726 | 开花 kāihuā | v. | to blossom |
| 727 | 开会 kāihuì | v. | to have a meeting |
| 728 | 开机 kāijī | v. | to switch on (a device) |
| 729 | 开心 kāixīn | adj. | happy |
| 730 | 看来 kànlái | v. | to seem, it looks as if |
| 731 | 可 kě | conj. | but |
| 732 | 渴 kě | adj. | thirsty |
| 733 | 可爱 kě’ài | adj. | cute, lovely |
| 734 | 可是 kěshì | conj. | but |
| 735 | 刻 kè | m.w. | quarter (of an hour) |
| 736 | 课本 kèběn | n. | textbook |
| 737 | 客人 kèrén | n. | guest |
| 738 | 课文 kèwén | n. | text (of a lesson) |
| 739 | 空调 kōngtiáo | n. | air conditioner |
| 740 | 哭 kū | v. | to cry |
| 741 | 筷子 kuàizi | n. | chopsticks |
| 742 | 矿泉水 kuàngquánshuǐ | n. | mineral water |
L
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 743 | 来自 láizì | v. | to come from |
| 744 | 蓝 lán | adj. | blue |
| 745 | 老 lǎo | adj., prefix | old; (prefix before surnames, and for birth order among siblings) |
| 746 | 老人 lǎorén | n. | old person |
| 747 | 离开 líkāi | v. | to leave |
| 748 | 礼物 lǐwù | n. | present, gift |
| 749 | 历史 lìshǐ | n. | history |
| 750 | 脸 liǎn | n. | face |
| 751 | 练 liàn | v. | to practise |
| 752 | 练习 liànxí | v., n. | to practise; exercise |
| 753 | 凉快 liángkuai | adj. | cool, pleasantly cool |
| 754 | 辆 liàng | m.w. | (measure word for vehicles) |
| 755 | 聊 liáo | v. | to chat |
| 756 | 聊天儿 liáotiānr | v. | to chat |
| 757 | 了解 liǎojiě | v. | to understand, to know about |
| 758 | 邻居 línjū | n. | neighbour |
| 759 | 留学 liúxué | v. | to study abroad |
| 760 | 留学生 liúxuéshēng | n. | international student |
| 761 | 楼梯 lóutī | n. | stairs |
| 762 | 路边 lùbiān | n. | roadside |
| 763 | 路口 lùkǒu | n. | crossing, intersection |
M
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 764 | 马 mǎ | n. | horse |
| 765 | 马路 mǎlù | n. | road, street |
| 766 | 马上 mǎshàng | adv. | at once, right away |
| 767 | 满意 mǎnyì | v. | to be satisfied |
| 768 | 毛 máo | m.w. | (unit of money: a tenth of a yuan, informal) |
| 769 | 米 mǐ | m.w. | metre |
| 770 | 面前 miànqián | n. | in front of |
| 771 | 明白 míngbai | adj., v. | clear; to understand |
| 772 | 名单 míngdān | n. | list of names |
| 773 | 名人 míngrén | n. | famous person |
N
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 774 | 南 nán | n. | south |
| 775 | 难 nán | adj. | difficult, hard |
| 776 | 南方 nánfāng | n. | the south |
| 777 | 难过 nánguò | adj. | sad |
| 778 | 难看 nánkàn | adj. | ugly |
| 779 | 男人 nánrén | n. | man |
| 780 | 男生 nánshēng | n. | male student; boy |
| 781 | 难题 nántí | n. | difficult problem |
| 782 | 难听 nántīng | adj. | unpleasant to hear |
| 783 | 年级 niánjí | n. | year, grade (at school) |
| 784 | 年轻 niánqīng | adj. | young |
| 785 | 牛 niú | n. | cow, ox |
| 786 | 努力 nǔlì | v., adj. | to work hard; hard-working |
| 787 | 女人 nǚrén | n. | woman |
| 788 | 女生 nǚshēng | n. | female student; girl |
P
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 789 | 爬 pá | v. | to climb; to crawl |
| 790 | 怕 pà | v. | to be afraid of |
| 791 | 拍照 pāizhào | v. | to take a photo |
| 792 | 盘子 pánzi | n. | plate, dish |
| 793 | 胖 pàng | adj. | fat |
| 794 | 啤酒 píjiǔ | n. | beer |
| 795 | 平时 píngshí | n. | usually, normally |
| 796 | 瓶子 píngzi | n. | bottle |
Q
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 797 | 骑 qí | v. | to ride |
| 798 | 奇怪 qíguài | adj. | strange |
| 799 | 其实 qíshí | adv. | actually, in fact |
| 800 | 其他 qítā | pron. | other |
| 801 | 起 qǐ | v. | to get up, to rise |
| 802 | 起飞 qǐfēi | v. | to take off |
| 803 | 汽车 qìchē | n. | car |
| 804 | 铅笔 qiānbǐ | n. | pencil |
| 805 | 前年 qiánnián | n. | the year before last |
| 806 | 前天 qiántiān | n. | the day before yesterday |
| 807 | 清楚 qīngchu | adj., v. | clear; to understand clearly |
| 808 | 请假 qǐngjià | v. | to ask for time off |
| 809 | 请客 qǐngkè | v. | to treat (someone), to pay for others |
| 810 | 秋天 qiūtiān | n. | autumn |
| 811 | 球场 qiúchǎng | n. | court, pitch (for ball games) |
| 812 | 裙子 qúnzi | n. | skirt, dress |
R
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 813 | 然后 ránhòu | conj. | then, after that |
| 814 | 热情 rèqíng | adj. | warm, enthusiastic |
| 815 | 认得 rènde | v. | to recognise |
| 816 | 认为 rènwéi | v. | to think, to believe |
| 817 | 认真 rènzhēn | adj. | serious, conscientious |
| 818 | 容易 róngyì | adj. | easy |
| 819 | 如果 rúguǒ | conj. | if |
S
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 820 | 伞 sǎn | n. | umbrella |
| 821 | 扫 sǎo | v. | to sweep |
| 822 | 沙发 shāfā | n. | sofa |
| 823 | 山 shān | n. | mountain, hill |
| 824 | 上衣 shàngyī | n. | jacket, top |
| 825 | 勺子 sháozi | n. | spoon |
| 826 | 身边 shēnbiān | n. | at one's side |
| 827 | 身高 shēngāo | n. | height (of a person) |
| 828 | 声 shēng | n., m.w. | sound, voice; (measure word for sounds) |
| 829 | 生活 shēnghuó | n., v. | life; to live |
| 830 | 生气 shēngqì | v. | to get angry |
| 831 | 声音 shēngyīn | n. | sound, voice |
| 832 | 市 shì | n. | city |
| 833 | 试 shì | v. | to try |
| 834 | 室 shì | n. | room |
| 835 | 世界 shìjiè | n. | world |
| 836 | 收 shōu | v. | to receive; to collect |
| 837 | 收到 shōudào | v. | to receive |
| 838 | 受 shòu | v. | to receive; to suffer |
| 839 | 瘦 shòu | adj. | thin; tight (of clothes) |
| 840 | 受到 shòudào | v. | to receive, to be given |
| 841 | 叔叔 shūshu | n. | uncle (a man of one's parents' age) |
| 842 | 树 shù | n. | tree |
| 843 | 数学 shùxué | n. | mathematics |
| 844 | 刷 shuā | v. | to brush |
| 845 | 双 shuāng | m.w. | (measure word for pairs) |
| 846 | 水平 shuǐpíng | n. | level, standard |
| 847 | 司机 sījī | n. | driver |
| 848 | 四季 sìjì | n. | the four seasons |
T
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 849 | 太阳 tàiyáng | n. | sun |
| 850 | 糖 táng | n. | sugar; sweets |
| 851 | 特别 tèbié | adj., adv. | special; especially |
| 852 | 提高 tígāo | v. | to raise, to improve |
| 853 | 体育 tǐyù | n. | sport, physical education |
| 854 | 体育馆 tǐyùguǎn | n. | sports hall, gym |
| 855 | 甜 tián | adj. | sweet |
| 856 | 跳 tiào | v. | to jump |
| 857 | 听说 tīngshuō | v. | to hear (that), to be told |
| 858 | 挺 tǐng | adv. | quite, rather |
| 859 | 同事 tóngshì | n. | colleague |
| 860 | 同意 tóngyì | v. | to agree |
| 861 | 头发 tóufa | n. | hair (on the head) |
| 862 | 突然 tūrán | adj. | sudden; suddenly |
| 863 | 图书馆 túshūguǎn | n. | library |
| 864 | 腿 tuǐ | n. | leg |
W
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 865 | 外地 wàidì | n. | another place, out of town |
| 866 | 外卖 wàimài | v., n. | takeaway, food delivery |
| 867 | 外语 wàiyǔ | n. | foreign language |
| 868 | 完成 wánchéng | v. | to complete, to finish |
| 869 | 碗 wǎn | n. | bowl |
| 870 | 晚点 wǎndiǎn | v. | to be late, to be delayed |
| 871 | 晚会 wǎnhuì | n. | evening party |
| 872 | 网球 wǎngqiú | n. | tennis |
| 873 | 网站 wǎngzhàn | n. | website |
| 874 | 忘记 wàngjì | v. | to forget |
| 875 | 为 wèi | prep. | for |
| 876 | 为了 wèile | prep. | in order to, for |
| 877 | 卫生间 wèishēngjiān | n. | bathroom, toilet |
| 878 | 文化 wénhuà | n. | culture |
| 879 | 屋子 wūzi | n. | room |
X
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 880 | 西 xī | n. | west |
| 881 | 西北 xīběi | n. | north-west |
| 882 | 西方 xīfāng | n. | the west |
| 883 | 西瓜 xīguā | n. | watermelon |
| 884 | 西南 xīnán | n. | south-west |
| 885 | 习惯 xíguàn | v., n. | habit; to be used to |
| 886 | 喜爱 xǐ’ài | v. | to love, to like |
| 887 | 洗衣机 xǐyījī | n. | washing machine |
| 888 | 洗澡 xǐzǎo | v. | to take a bath or a shower |
| 889 | 夏天 xiàtiān | n. | summer |
| 890 | 先 xiān | adv. | first |
| 891 | 香蕉 xiāngjiāo | n. | banana |
| 892 | 相信 xiāngxìn | v. | to believe |
| 893 | 箱子 xiāngzi | n. | box, case |
| 894 | 向 xiàng | v., prep. | towards; to face |
| 895 | 像 xiàng | v. | to look like, to resemble |
| 896 | 相机 xiàngjī | n. | camera |
| 897 | 小区 xiǎoqū | n. | housing estate |
| 898 | 小心 xiǎoxīn | v., adj. | to be careful; careful |
| 899 | 校园 xiàoyuán | n. | campus |
| 900 | 校长 xiàozhǎng | n. | head teacher, principal |
| 901 | 鞋 xié | n. | shoe |
| 902 | 心里 xīnlǐ | n. | in one's heart, in one's mind |
| 903 | 新年 xīnnián | n. | New Year |
| 904 | 新闻 xīnwén | n. | news |
| 905 | 新鲜 xīnxiān | adj. | fresh |
| 906 | 信 xìn | v., n. | to believe; letter |
| 907 | 信用卡 xìnyòngkǎ | n. | credit card |
| 908 | 行 xíng | v., adj. | to be all right, to work; capable |
| 909 | 行李 xíngli | n. | luggage |
| 910 | 兴趣 xìngqù | n. | interest |
| 911 | 休假 xiūjià | v. | to take time off, to be on leave |
| 912 | 需要 xūyào | v., n. | to need; need |
| 913 | 选 xuǎn | v. | to choose |
| 914 | 选择 xuǎnzé | v. | to choose, to select |
| 915 | 学期 xuéqī | n. | term, semester |
Y
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 916 | 牙 yá | n. | tooth |
| 917 | 牙刷 yáshuā | n. | toothbrush |
| 918 | 羊 yáng | n. | sheep, goat |
| 919 | 养 yǎng | v. | to raise, to keep (animals) |
| 920 | 要求 yāoqiú | v., n. | to ask, to demand; requirement |
| 921 | 页 yè | m.w. | page |
| 922 | 一定 yídìng | adj., adv. | certain, definite; certainly |
| 923 | 一共 yígòng | adv. | altogether |
| 924 | 一块儿 yíkuàir | n., adv. | the same place; together |
| 925 | 一样 yíyàng | adj. | the same |
| 926 | 以后 yǐhòu | n. | after, later |
| 927 | 以前 yǐqián | n. | before, ago |
| 928 | 以上 yǐshàng | n. | above, over |
| 929 | 以外 yǐwài | n. | except, apart from |
| 930 | 以为 yǐwéi | v. | to think (mistakenly) |
| 931 | 以下 yǐxià | n. | below, under |
| 932 | 一般 yìbān | adj. | ordinary, usual |
| 933 | 一边 yìbiān | adv. | at the same time (doing two things) |
| 934 | 一直 yìzhí | adv. | always, all along; straight |
| 935 | 音乐 yīnyuè | n. | music |
| 936 | 银行 yínháng | n. | bank |
| 937 | 银行卡 yínhángkǎ | n. | bank card |
| 938 | 饮料 yǐnliào | n. | drink |
| 939 | 应该 yīnggāi | v. | should, ought to |
| 940 | 影响 yǐngxiǎng | v., n. | to influence, to affect; influence |
| 941 | 用 yòng | v. | to use |
| 942 | 邮件 yóujiàn | n. | email; mail |
| 943 | 游客 yóukè | n. | tourist |
| 944 | 游戏 yóuxì | n. | game |
| 945 | 邮箱 yóuxiāng | n. | mailbox; email account |
| 946 | 有关 yǒuguān | v., prep. | to be related to; about |
| 947 | 有名 yǒumíng | adj. | famous |
| 948 | 有用 yǒuyòng | adj. | useful |
| 949 | 又 yòu | adv. | again; and also |
| 950 | 羽毛球 yǔmáoqiú | n. | badminton |
| 951 | 语言 yǔyán | n. | language |
| 952 | 雨衣 yǔyī | n. | raincoat |
| 953 | 遇到 yùdào | v. | to come across, to run into |
| 954 | 遇见 yùjiàn | v. | to meet (by chance) |
| 955 | 园 yuán | n. | garden; park |
| 956 | 员 yuán | suffix | (suffix for members and staff: -er, -ist) |
| 957 | 愿意 yuànyì | v. | to be willing to |
| 958 | 越 yuè | adv. | the more… (the more…) |
| 959 | 月亮 yuèliang | n. | moon |
| 960 | 运动会 yùndònghuì | n. | sports meeting |
| 961 | 运动员 yùndòngyuán | n. | athlete |
Z
| # | Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 962 | 咱们 zánmen | pron. | we, us (including the listener) |
| 963 | 脏 zāng | adj. | dirty |
| 964 | 怎么办 zěnme bàn | phrase | what to do |
| 965 | 怎样 zěnyàng | pron. | how |
| 966 | 站 zhàn | v. | to stand |
| 967 | 张 zhāng | v., m.w. | to open (wide); (measure word for flat things: paper, tickets, tables) |
| 968 | 长 zhǎng | v., suffix | to grow; (suffix for the head of something: -chief) |
| 969 | 着急 zháojí | adj. | anxious, worried |
| 970 | 照 zhào | v. | to shine; to take (a photo); to look in (a mirror) |
| 971 | 照顾 zhàogù | v. | to take care of, to look after |
| 972 | 照片 zhàopiàn | n. | photo |
| 973 | 照相 zhàoxiàng | v. | to take a photo |
| 974 | 直到 zhídào | v. | until |
| 975 | 只 zhǐ | adv. | only |
| 976 | 纸 zhǐ | n. | paper |
| 977 | 只能 zhǐ néng | phrase | can only |
| 978 | 只是 zhǐshì | adv., conj. | only, just; but |
| 979 | 只要 zhǐyào | conj. | as long as |
| 980 | 只有 zhǐyǒu | conj. | only if |
| 981 | 中 zhōng | n. | middle; in, among |
| 982 | 中间 zhōngjiān | n. | the middle; between |
| 983 | 终于 zhōngyú | adv. | at last, finally |
| 984 | 种 zhǒng | m.w. | kind, type |
| 985 | 重要 zhòngyào | adj. | important |
| 986 | 周末 zhōumò | n. | weekend |
| 987 | 主要 zhǔyào | adj. | main |
| 988 | 注意 zhùyì | v. | to pay attention |
| 989 | 住院 zhùyuàn | v. | to be in hospital |
| 990 | 字典 zìdiǎn | n. | dictionary (of characters) |
| 991 | 自行车 zìxíngchē | n. | bicycle |
| 992 | 子 zi | suffix | (noun suffix) |
| 993 | 总 zǒng | adv. | always |
| 994 | 总是 zǒngshì | adv. | always |
| 995 | 嘴 zuǐ | n. | mouth |
| 996 | 最好 zuìhǎo | adv. | had better |
| 997 | 最后 zuìhòu | n. | last; in the end |
| 998 | 最近 zuìjìn | n. | recently |
| 999 | 做客 zuòkè | v. | to be a guest, to visit |
| 1000 | 作业 zuòyè | n. | homework |
HSK 3 characters
The syllabus has two separate lists: one of words and one of characters, the characters you should be able to read on sight. HSK 3 adds 284 characters to the 371 of HSK 1 and 2, so by the end of HSK 3 you should recognise 655. At this level the two lists match: the 500 words use only characters from the HSK 1 to 3 lists, and every one of the 284 new characters appears in at least one word from HSK 1 to 3. HSK 3 is also where handwriting gets a list of its own: 150 characters, after the 100 shared by HSK 1 and HSK 2.
How to learn the 500 words
Five hundred words is about seven weeks at ten new words a day. Three habits make them stick:
- Build on the characters you know. The 机 of 飞机 and 机场 comes back in 耳机, 相机 and 洗衣机.
- Learn measure words with their nouns: 一辆自行车, 一双鞋, 一封信.
- Learn the tone with the word. 胖 pàng (fat) and the 旁 páng of 旁边 (next to) differ only in their tone.
Hanzio’s HSK 3 deck holds these words, apart from the nine entries that sit in the HSK 1 and HSK 2 decks. Add it once you know HSK 2 and the daily plan hands you a few new words each day, then reviews each one in up to four ways: meaning, pinyin, writing and listening. The earlier lists are the HSK 1 word list and the HSK 2 word list.
Frequently asked questions
How many words are in HSK 3?
The new HSK 3 adds 500 words, so you need 1,000 in total by the end of HSK 3. The old HSK 3 (HSK 2.0) had 600 in total, and the 2021 standard behind the new HSK lists 2,245 words by its level 3.
When does the new HSK exam start?
Chinese Testing International, which runs the exam, launches the new HSK worldwide on 13 December 2026. The syllabus itself has been in force since July 2026, and sittings earlier in 2026 are trials, so check with your test centre which version you are taking.
Are the old HSK 3 words still useful?
Yes. About three quarters of the old HSK 3’s words are still HSK 3, most of the rest moved one level up or down, and several are now taught in a longer form, such as 春天 for 春.
How long does it take to learn the HSK 3 words?
At ten new words a day, 500 words is about seven weeks of new words. Reviews, tones and grammar take time too, so plan for longer.
Learn all 500 words
Hanzio’s HSK 1, HSK 2 and HSK 3 decks cover every word on this page, with spaced repetition for meaning, pinyin, writing and listening. The dictionary is free.