HSK 2 Reading Practice — 22 Free Chinese Stories
Longer passages built from common daily vocabulary. Every story below is free to read here in full, with pinyin above each word and an English translation on every line.
Graded against HSK 3.0
Measured against the official 3,000-character HSK 3.0 list, not estimated. Half the stories here are readable at HSK 2 or below — meaning you already know 95% of the characters, enough to follow the passage and infer the rest. The middle half of the shelf sits in HSK 2–3, and 95% of all characters across these 22 stories are HSK 1–2.
HSK 3.0 replaced the six-level standard on 1 July 2026 and regraded most of the vocabulary — what changed. You can run any text through the same grading with the HSK level checker.
-
我的周末 My Weekend
How I spend Saturday and Sunday.
7 sentences · 60 characters · 29 words -
去北京 Going to Beijing
Planning a trip to the capital.
7 sentences · 52 characters · 27 words -
在咖啡店 At the Coffee Shop
A morning routine.
7 sentences · 58 characters · 30 words -
我的朋友小明 My Friend Xiaoming
About my best friend since childhood.
7 sentences · 60 characters · 29 words -
生日快乐 Happy Birthday
Celebrating my little sister's tenth birthday.
7 sentences · 53 characters · 29 words -
坐地铁 Taking the Subway
My daily commute.
7 sentences · 52 characters · 26 words -
我的房间 My Room
A tour of my cozy bedroom.
8 sentences · 64 characters · 34 words -
学做饭 Learning to Cook
Swapping takeout for home cooking.
8 sentences · 72 characters · 33 words -
第一次下雪 First Snow
A southerner sees snow for the first time.
8 sentences · 63 characters · 32 words -
新的工作 New Job
A little nervous about my first job.
8 sentences · 65 characters · 33 words -
春节快乐 Happy Spring Festival
How Chinese families celebrate the Lunar New Year.
12 sentences · 126 characters · 56 words -
在餐厅 At the Restaurant
Ordering a meal — a useful real-world dialogue.
12 sentences · 100 characters · 38 words -
早上 Morning Routine
My morning from waking up to arriving at work.
10 sentences · 67 characters · 33 words -
去超市 Going to the Supermarket
A weekend trip to the supermarket.
9 sentences · 70 characters · 32 words -
打电话 Making a Phone Call
Calling a classmate to invite them out.
9 sentences · 50 characters · 24 words -
去银行 Going to the Bank
Exchanging money at the bank.
8 sentences · 55 characters · 27 words -
看病 Visiting the Doctor
Being sick and going to the hospital.
9 sentences · 68 characters · 35 words -
生日派对 Birthday Party
A birthday celebration at home with friends.
10 sentences · 73 characters · 33 words -
问路 Asking for Directions
Polite exchanges while looking for the station.
9 sentences · 60 characters · 27 words -
借书 Borrowing a Book
A trip to the library.
9 sentences · 67 characters · 30 words -
坐公交车 Taking the Bus
Daily commute by bus.
9 sentences · 72 characters · 33 words -
周末计划 Weekend Plans
Saturday with friends, from park to movie.
9 sentences · 76 characters · 33 words