HSK 1 Study Guide

150 words · 75 characters · ~80-100 hours of study. HSK 1 is the absolute beginner level. By the end, you can introduce yourself, ask basic questions, count, tell time, and handle simple greetings.

What You'll Learn

HSK 1 builds the foundation. You'll cover the topics that come up in every first-day Chinese class:

• Greetings and introductions — 你好 (hello), 再见 (goodbye), 我叫 (my name is), 谢谢 (thank you).
• Numbers 0-100 and how to count people, things, and money.
• Family vocabulary — 爸爸 (dad), 妈妈 (mom), 哥哥 (older brother), 妹妹 (younger sister).
• Time and dates — days of the week, months, telling time on the hour.
• Basic verbs — 是 (to be), 有 (to have), 去 (to go), 来 (to come), 吃 (to eat), 喝 (to drink).
• Question words — 什么 (what), 谁 (who), 哪里 (where), 几 (how many), and the question particle 吗.
• Simple sentence patterns — "I am ___", "I have ___", "Where is ___?", "How much is ___?".

Key Grammar at HSK 1

Chinese grammar is famously simpler than European languages — no verb conjugation, no plurals, no gender. HSK 1 introduces the core building blocks:

• Subject-Verb-Object word order, just like English.
• Measure words — 一个人 (one person), 两个苹果 (two apples). HSK 1 introduces the universal 个 and a few others.
• The particle 了 for completed actions (introduced gently).
• Yes/no questions with 吗 — just add it to the end of any statement.
• Possessive 的 — 我的书 (my book).

Tones and Pronunciation

The biggest hurdle at HSK 1 is not vocabulary — it's tones. Chinese has four tones (plus a neutral tone), and getting them wrong changes the meaning of words. Spend the first two weeks practicing tones daily:

• 1st tone — high and flat (mā).
• 2nd tone — rising, like a question (má).
• 3rd tone — dipping down then up (mǎ).
• 4th tone — sharp falling (mà).

Read the full pronunciation guide for drills and common mistakes.

Suggested Study Plan

At 30 minutes per day, here's a realistic 10-week plan to reach HSK 1:

• Weeks 1-2: Pinyin and tones. No characters yet. Practice listening and saying syllables.
• Weeks 3-5: First 50 vocabulary words. Introduce the most common 25 characters (numbers, family, basic verbs).
• Weeks 6-8: Next 50 vocabulary words. Reach 50 characters total. Start reading simple sentences.
• Weeks 9-10: Final 50 words. All 75 characters. Practice simple conversations and listening to short dialogues.

The Exam

The HSK 1 exam has two sections: Listening (20 questions, ~15 minutes) and Reading (20 questions, ~17 minutes). Total time is about 40 minutes. Pinyin appears alongside every character, so reading is mostly about recognizing words you've heard before. The passing score is 120/200.

How Hanlexon Helps

Hanlexon's HSK 1 module includes all 150 vocabulary words with audio, stroke animations for the 75 characters, listening practice, dialogue exercises, and full HSK 1 mock exams. Take the diagnostic test to see if HSK 1 is your starting point.