Chinese Learning Tools

HSK 3.0 Vocabulary List (Levels 1–6, Free & Searchable)

Browse the HSK 3.0 vocabulary list for levels 1–6 with pinyin, English, and each word's old HSK 2.0 level. Search by character, pinyin, or meaning, and learn each word in context with audio.

WordPinyinMeaningHSK 3.0

Graded against HSK 3.0, the standard that replaced HSK 2.0 on 1 July 2026. Where a word was also graded by the old six-level standard, its HSK 2.0 level is shown beside the current one — they disagree more often than not.

Learn these words in context, with audio and reading practice — Open Pinyora →

Browse the HSK 3.0 vocabulary above — pick a level, or search across every level by character, pinyin, or English meaning. Each word also shows the level it held under the old HSK 2.0 scale, because most of them moved. Free, no sign-up.

What the HSK levels cover

HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is the standard Chinese proficiency scale. Vocabulary builds cumulatively — each level assumes the ones before it.

Level Roughly means Typical use
HSK 1–2 Survival Chinese Greetings, numbers, family, everyday objects
HSK 3–4 Conversational Travel, work, opinions, connected sentences
HSK 5–6 Advanced News, essays, abstract and formal language

How to actually learn an HSK list

A word list is a checklist, not a study method. Memorizing characters in isolation is slow and fragile. Words stick when you meet them inside sentences you understand.

A better loop:

  1. Skim the level to see what is familiar.
  2. Read short texts at that level and let the words recur naturally.
  3. Save the ones you keep forgetting.
  4. Review saved words, then read again.

Turn the list into reading practice

Instead of drilling this list flashcard by flashcard, read graded stories written at each HSK level. Every word is tappable for pinyin, meaning, and audio, and you can save the ones you want to review.

  • Graded stories from HSK 1 through advanced
  • Tap any word for pinyin, English, and native audio
  • Save vocabulary from the sentence it appeared in
  • Track how much of each HSK level you already know

Open Pinyora and read at your level — the list becomes vocabulary you actually remember.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in each HSK level? Under HSK 3.0: level 1 adds 500 words, level 2 adds 772, level 3 adds 973, level 4 adds 1,000, level 5 adds 1,071 and level 6 adds 1,140 — 5,456 cumulative. The combined 7–9 band adds a further 5,636. The old HSK 2.0 numbers were 150 / 150 / 300 / 600 / 1,300 / 2,500.

Is this the new HSK 3.0 list? Yes. HSK 3.0 replaced the six-level standard on 1 July 2026, and this list follows it. Because most textbooks still teach HSK 2.0, each word also shows its old level where it had one — of the 4,490 words both standards grade, only 817 kept the same level. See the HSK 3.0 guide for what changed.

Why does the list stop at level 6? HSK 3.0's levels 7, 8 and 9 share a single undifferentiated 5,636-word list rather than three separate ones, so there is no per-level table to browse. The level checker still grades text against the whole band.

Can I search across all levels at once? Yes — type in the search box and it matches characters, pinyin, and English across every level.

Two short stories every week