May 24, 202618 min readMichael
HSK 3character listintermediate ChineseHSK examChinese characters
HSK 3 Character List: Every Character Broken Down
284 intermediate characters with radicals, frequency data, and study strategies -- the bridge between beginner and intermediate Chinese
HSK 3 is where things get serious. With 284 new characters, it's the largest single jump in the early HSK levels. Your cumulative total reaches 655 characters (246 + 125 + 284), which crosses an important threshold: you'll start being able to read real Chinese text with dictionary support rather than just textbook material.
The character profile shifts at this level too. HSK 1-2 focused on concrete, everyday vocabulary. HSK 3 introduces more abstract concepts (如, 法, 成, 当), academic and professional vocabulary (数, 报, 业, 算), and a broader range of verbs and descriptors. The characters are structurally more complex, but the radical knowledge you've built makes them approachable.
284
New characters in HSK 3
655
Cumulative total (HSK 1-3)
8.6
Average stroke count
2-16
Stroke range
Key Radical Patterns at HSK 3
HSK 3 is dominated by two radicals: 氵 (water) and 扌 (hand), each appearing in 15 characters. The water radical shows up in 法 (law/method), 海 (sea), 活 (to live), 清 (clear), 满 (full), 河 (river), 洲 (continent), and more. The hand radical appears in action verbs: 把 (to hold), 报 (to report), 提 (to lift), 接 (to receive), 据 (according to), 持 (to hold), 护 (to protect), and others.
The 木 (wood/tree) radical becomes much more prominent at this level with 13 characters including 根 (root), 极 (extreme), 查 (to check), 标 (mark), 林 (forest), 格 (pattern), 检 (to inspect), 概 (general), and several others.
The 宀 (roof) radical, signaling shelter or covering, appears in 定 (to decide), 实 (real), 安 (peace), 容 (to contain), 害 (harm), and 察 (to observe). Characters with 纟 (silk/thread) continue from HSK 2: 结 (knot/result), 级 (level), 终 (end), 纪 (record), 练 (to practice), and 绩 (accomplishment).
For a comprehensive radical reference, see our complete guide to 214 Chinese radicals or the broader Chinese radicals guide.
Study Tips for HSK 3
- Embrace the volume -- 284 characters is a lot, but the pace should be sustainable at roughly 2-3 new characters per day over 3-4 months. Don't rush. Solid retention of HSK 3 matters more than speed.
- Use radical grouping aggressively -- with 15 hand-radical characters and 15 water-radical characters at this level alone, grouping by radical is one of the most efficient study strategies. Study all the 扌 characters together and notice how they all involve hand actions.
- Build word knowledge, not just character knowledge -- at HSK 3, two-character compound words become the norm. When you learn 报 (to report), immediately learn 报告 (report), 报纸 (newspaper), and 报道 (to report news). This builds vocabulary much faster than studying characters in isolation.
- Start reading graded news articles -- with 655 cumulative characters, you can tackle HSK 3-level graded readers and simplified news. This is the fastest way to reinforce character recognition in context.
- Don't neglect pronunciation -- HSK 3 introduces many similar-sounding characters (如 rú, 入 rù; 清 qīng, 请 qǐng from HSK 1). Audio practice becomes increasingly important to avoid confusion.
Common Character Groups in HSK 3
HSK 3 characters cluster into several thematic groups:
- Abstract concepts: 法 (method), 理 (reason), 心 (heart/mind), 实 (real), 力 (power), 全 (all), 重 (heavy/important), 变 (to change), 成 (to become), 定 (to decide)
- Nature & geography: 海 (sea), 山 (mountain), 河 (river), 风 (wind), 树 (tree), 草 (grass), 林 (forest)
- Time expressions: 初 (beginning), 终 (end), 久 (long time), 季 (season), 春 (spring), 秋 (autumn), 夏 (summer), 冬 (winter)
- Academic & professional: 业 (business/industry), 报 (newspaper/report), 数 (number/count), 算 (to calculate), 研 (to research), 查 (to check), 究 (to investigate)
- Communication: 言 (words), 讲 (to speak), 答 (to answer), 议 (to discuss), 论 (theory), 谈 (to talk), 信 (letter/believe)
- Body & health: 脸 (face), 脚 (foot), 腿 (leg), 耳 (ear), 康 (health), 短 (short), 矮 (short in height)
- Food & daily life: 饮 (to drink), 饱 (full), 饿 (hungry), 甜 (sweet), 碗 (bowl), 筷 (chopstick), 勺 (spoon)
Complete HSK 3 Character Table
All 284 HSK 3 characters, sorted by frequency rank. For characters from earlier levels, see the HSK 1 character list and HSK 2 character list.
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Radical | Strokes | Freq. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 而 | ér | and; as well as; and so | 而 | 6 | 36 |
| 于 | yú | (of time or place) in; at; on; (indicating any ind | 二 | 3 | 40 |
| 发 | fā | to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue | 又 | 5 | 47 |
| 用 | yòng | to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; | 用 | 5 | 51 |
| 行 | háng | (bound form) row; line; (bound form) line of busin | 行 | 6 | 53 |
| 种 | zhǒng | seed; species; kind | 禾 | 9 | 57 |
| 成 | chéng | to succeed; to finish; to complete; to accomplish; | 戈 | 6 | 59 |
| 方 | fāng | square; power or involution (math.); upright; hone | 方 | 4 | 60 |
| 法 | fǎ | law, method | 氵 | 8 | 65 |
| 如 | rú | as, if | 女 | 6 | 67 |
| 当 | dāng | (onom.) dong; ding dong (bell); to be | 彐 | 6 | 71 |
| 定 | dìng | to decide, fixed | 宀 | 8 | 77 |
| 其 | qí | his; her; its | 八 | 8 | 85 |
| 主 | zhǔ | owner; master; host | 丶 | 5 | 87 |
| 理 | lǐ | texture; grain (of wood); inner essence | 王 | 11 | 89 |
| 心 | xīn | heart, mind | 心 | 4 | 90 |
| 实 | shí | real, practical | 宀 | 8 | 100 |
| 者 | zhě | (after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...; (aft | 老 | 10 | 103 |
| 力 | lì | power; force; strength | 力 | 2 | 106 |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold, measure word | 扌 | 7 | 110 |
| 全 | quán | all; whole; entire | 入 | 6 | 124 |
| 又 | yòu | (once) again; also; both... and... | 又 | 2 | 126 |
| 业 | yè | line of business; industry; occupation | 一 | 5 | 130 |
| 重 | chóng | to repeat; repetition; again | 里 | 9 | 140 |
| 物 | wù | (bound form) thing; (literary) the outside world a | 牛 | 8 | 142 |
| 应 | yīng | should, to respond | 广 | 7 | 144 |
| 向 | xiàng | towards; to face; to turn towards; direction; to s | 口 | 6 | 146 |
| 相 | xiāng | mutual, appearance | 目 | 9 | 152 |
| 被 | bèi | quilt, by | 衤 | 10 | 154 |
| 或 | huò | maybe; perhaps; might | 戈 | 8 | 160 |
| 加 | jiā | Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4]); surname Jia; | 力 | 5 | 166 |
| 合 | gě | 100 ml; one-tenth of a peck; measure for dry grain | 口 | 6 | 171 |
| 特 | tè | special; unique; distinguished | 牛 | 10 | 173 |
| 信 | xìn | believe, letter | 亻 | 9 | 176 |
| 化 | huà | to make into; to change into; -ization; to ... -iz | 匕 | 4 | 178 |
| 世 | shì | life; age; generation; era; world; lifetime | 一 | 5 | 181 |
| 海 | hǎi | sea | 氵 | 10 | 189 |
| 声 | shēng | sound; voice; tone | 士 | 7 | 195 |
| 提 | tí | to lift, to mention | 扌 | 12 | 196 |
| 员 | yuán | member, staff | 口 | 7 | 200 |
| 解 | jiě | to divide; to break up; to split; to separate; to | 角 | 13 | 201 |
| 处 | chǔ | to reside; to live; to dwell | 夂 | 5 | 206 |
| 平 | píng | flat; level; equal | 干 | 5 | 215 |
| 活 | huó | to live; alive; living | 氵 | 9 | 219 |
| 更 | gēng | to change or replace; to experience; one of the fi | 曰 | 7 | 221 |
| 变 | biàn | to change; to become different; to transform | 又 | 8 | 225 |
| 总 | zǒng | always, total | 心 | 9 | 228 |
| 数 | shǔ | to count; to count as; to regard as; to enumerate; | 攵 | 13 | 231 |
| 安 | ān | safe, peace | 宀 | 6 | 232 |
| 报 | bào | to report, newspaper | 扌 | 7 | 234 |
| 才 | cái | ability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable i | 扌 | 3 | 235 |
| 结 | jié | knot, result | 纟 | 9 | 236 |
| 受 | shòu | to receive; to accept; to suffer | 又 | 8 | 238 |
| 目 | mù | eye | 目 | 5 | 239 |
| 感 | gǎn | to feel, to sense | 心 | 13 | 243 |
| 务 | wù | affair; business; matter | 力 | 5 | 245 |
| 接 | jiē | to receive, to connect | 扌 | 11 | 247 |
| 必 | bì | certainly; must; will | 忄 | 4 | 248 |
| 直 | zhí | Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emp | 目 | 8 | 255 |
| 山 | shān | mountain; hill; (coll.) small bundle of straw for | 山 | 3 | 259 |
| 区 | qū | area; region; district; small; distinguish; CL:個|个 | 匸 | 4 | 265 |
| 空 | kōng | empty, sky | 穴 | 8 | 272 |
| 决 | jué | to decide; to determine; to execute (sb) | 冫 | 6 | 273 |
| 展 | zhǎn | to spread out; to open up; to exhibit; to put into | 尸 | 10 | 275 |
| 马 | mǎ | horse | 马 | 3 | 276 |
| 界 | jiè | world, boundary | 田 | 9 | 288 |
| 放 | fàng | to put, to release | 攵 | 8 | 291 |
| 像 | xiàng | to resemble; to be like; to look as if | 亻 | 14 | 294 |
| 难 | nán | difficult (to...); problem; difficulty | 隹 | 10 | 295 |
| 且 | qiě | and; moreover; yet | 一 | 5 | 296 |
| 南 | nán | south | 十 | 9 | 307 |
| 求 | qiú | to seek; to look for; to request | 氵 | 5 | 312 |
| 据 | jù | according to; to act in accordance with; to depend | 扌 | 11 | 313 |
| 北 | běi | north; (classical) to be defeated | 匕 | 5 | 315 |
| 张 | zhāng | to open up; to spread; sheet of paper | 弓 | 7 | 318 |
| 该 | gāi | should | 讠 | 8 | 319 |
| 共 | gòng | common; general; to share | 八 | 6 | 330 |
| 清 | qīng | clear, pure | 氵 | 11 | 335 |
| 带 | dài | band; belt; girdle | 巾 | 9 | 342 |
| 风 | fēng | wind; news; style | 风 | 4 | 348 |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to accept; to collect | 攵 | 6 | 351 |
| 根 | gēn | root, base | 木 | 10 | 352 |
| 干 | gān | dry; dried food; empty; hollow | 干 | 3 | 353 |
| 言 | yán | words; speech; to say | 讠 | 2 | 355 |
| 持 | chí | to hold, to maintain | 扌 | 9 | 357 |
| 极 | jí | extremely; pole (geography, physics); utmost | 木 | 7 | 363 |
| 办 | bàn | to take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, | 力 | 4 | 367 |
| 议 | yì | to discuss, meeting | 讠 | 5 | 368 |
| 单 | dān | bill; list; form; single; only; sole | 十 | 8 | 389 |
| 调 | diào | to adjust, to investigate | 讠 | 10 | 400 |
| 算 | suàn | to regard as; to figure; to calculate | 竹 | 14 | 403 |
| 需 | xū | to need | 雨 | 14 | 408 |
| 城 | chéng | city, wall | 土 | 9 | 413 |
| 级 | jí | level, grade | 纟 | 6 | 415 |
| 复 | fù | to go and return; to return; to resume | 夊 | 9 | 426 |
| 满 | mǎn | Manchu ethnic group; to fill; full | 氵 | 13 | 436 |
| 越 | yuè | generic word for peoples or states of south China | 走 | 12 | 440 |
| 容 | róng | to contain, appearance | 宀 | 10 | 442 |
| 照 | zhào | shine, according to | 灬 | 13 | 443 |
| 须 | xū | must; to have to; to wait | 页 | 9 | 444 |
| 片 | piàn | thin piece; flake; a slice; film; TV play; to slic | 片 | 4 | 455 |
| 史 | shǐ | history; annals; title of an official historian in | 口 | 5 | 456 |
| 乎 | hū | (classical particle similar to 於|于) in; at; from | 丿 | 5 | 458 |
| 查 | chá | to check, to investigate | 木 | 9 | 459 |
| 轻 | qīng | light | 车 | 9 | 460 |
| 易 | yì | easy; amiable; to change | 日 | 8 | 461 |
| 除 | chú | to get rid of; to remove; to exclude | 阝 | 9 | 464 |
| 阿 | ā | abbr. for country names that begin with 阿: Algeria | 阝 | 7 | 471 |
| 李 | lǐ | plum, surname Li | 木 | 7 | 472 |
| 图 | tú | diagram; picture; drawing | 囗 | 8 | 476 |
| 历 | lì | to experience; to undergo; to pass through; all; e | 厂 | 4 | 480 |
| 突 | tū | sudden | 穴 | 9 | 484 |
| 较 | jiào | compare, relatively | 车 | 10 | 491 |
| 注 | zhù | (bound form) to pour into; to flow into; to inject | 氵 | 8 | 492 |
| 选 | xuǎn | to choose | 辶 | 9 | 499 |
| 响 | xiǎng | sound, loud | 口 | 9 | 503 |
| 参 | cān | to take part in; to participate; to join; to atten | 厶 | 8 | 507 |
| 节 | jié | festival, section | 艹 | 5 | 514 |
| 护 | hù | to protect | 扌 | 7 | 529 |
| 音 | yīn | sound; noise; note (of musical scale) | 音 | 9 | 540 |
| 讲 | jiǎng | to speak, to explain | 讠 | 6 | 555 |
| 料 | liào | material; stuff; grain | 斗 | 10 | 557 |
| 终 | zhōng | end, finally | 纟 | 8 | 558 |
| 答 | dā | bound form having the same meaning as the free wor | 竹 | 12 | 559 |
| 黄 | huáng | yellow; pornographic; to fall through | 黄 | 12 | 561 |
| 奇 | qí | strange; odd; weird; wonderful; surprisingly; unus | 大 | 8 | 563 |
| 段 | duàn | paragraph; section; segment | 殳 | 9 | 567 |
| 故 | gù | happening; instance; reason | 攵 | 9 | 572 |
| 河 | hé | river | 氵 | 8 | 574 |
| 害 | hài | to do harm to; to cause trouble to; harm | 宀 | 10 | 579 |
| 双 | shuāng | two; double; pair; both; even (number) | 又 | 4 | 581 |
| 境 | jìng | border, situation | 土 | 14 | 582 |
| 愿 | yuàn | wish, willing | 心 | 14 | 598 |
| 助 | zhù | to help; to assist | 力 | 7 | 607 |
| 育 | yù | to educate, to raise | 月 | 8 | 609 |
| 船 | chuán | boat; vessel; ship | 舟 | 11 | 614 |
| 脸 | liǎn | face | 月 | 11 | 615 |
| 刻 | kè | quarter (hour); moment; to carve | 刂 | 8 | 618 |
| 刚 | gāng | hard; firm; strong | 刂 | 6 | 621 |
| 毛 | máo | hair; feather; down | 毛 | 4 | 623 |
| 般 | bān | sort; kind; class | 舟 | 10 | 629 |
| 怕 | pà | to fear, afraid | 忄 | 8 | 631 |
| 假 | jiǎ | false, vacation | 亻 | 11 | 636 |
| 久 | jiǔ | (of a period of time) long | 丿 | 3 | 637 |
| 阳 | yáng | positive (electric.); sun; male principle (Taoism) | 阝 | 6 | 650 |
| 急 | jí | urgent; pressing; rapid | 忄 | 8 | 657 |
| 适 | shì | suitable | 辶 | 9 | 663 |
| 初 | chū | beginning | 衤 | 7 | 667 |
| 卫 | wèi | vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1066–221 BC) | 卩 | 3 | 669 |
| 居 | jū | to reside; to be (in a certain position); to store | 尸 | 8 | 678 |
| 环 | huán | ring; hoop; loop; (chain) link; classifier for sco | 王 | 8 | 681 |
| 树 | shù | tree | 木 | 9 | 697 |
| 层 | céng | to pile on top of one another; layer; stratum; flo | 尸 | 7 | 699 |
| 句 | jù | sentence; clause; phrase; classifier for phrases o | 口 | 5 | 707 |
| 激 | jī | to arouse; to incite; to excite | 氵 | 16 | 710 |
| 演 | yǎn | to perform (a play etc); to stage (a show); (bound | 氵 | 14 | 715 |
| 简 | jiǎn | simple; uncomplicated; letter | 竹 | 13 | 716 |
| 卡 | kǎ | to stop; to block; (computing) (coll.) slow | 卜 | 5 | 717 |
| 担 | dān | to carry, to undertake | 扌 | 8 | 720 |
| 静 | jìng | still; calm; quiet | 青 | 14 | 722 |
| 检 | jiǎn | to check; to examine; to inspect | 木 | 11 | 731 |
| 差 | chā | difference; discrepancy; (math.) difference (amoun | 工 | 10 | 732 |
| 角 | jiǎo | angle; corner; horn; horn-shaped; unit of money eq | 角 | 7 | 736 |
| 坚 | jiān | strong; solid; firm | 土 | 7 | 748 |
| 银 | yín | silver, bank | 钅 | 11 | 757 |
| 养 | yǎng | to raise (animals); to bring up (children); to kee | 八 | 9 | 760 |
| 怪 | guài | strange, blame | 忄 | 8 | 775 |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic | 香 | 9 | 776 |
| 草 | cǎo | grass | 艹 | 9 | 789 |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot | 月 | 11 | 790 |
| 概 | gài | (bound form) general; approximate; without excepti | 木 | 13 | 791 |
| 顾 | gù | to look after; to take into consideration; to atte | 页 | 10 | 815 |
| 换 | huàn | to change, to exchange | 扌 | 10 | 824 |
| 闻 | wén | to hear, to smell | 耳 | 9 | 825 |
| 沙 | shā | granule; hoarse; raspy; sand; powder; CL:粒[li4] | 氵 | 7 | 848 |
| 楚 | chǔ | distinct; clear; orderly; pain; suffering; deciduo | 木 | 13 | 859 |
| 屋 | wū | (bound form) house; (bound form) room | 尸 | 9 | 863 |
| 封 | fēng | to confer; to grant; to bestow a title | 寸 | 9 | 871 |
| 耳 | ěr | ear | 耳 | 6 | 887 |
| 短 | duǎn | short; brief; to lack | 矢 | 12 | 889 |
| 遇 | yù | meet, encounter | 辶 | 12 | 899 |
| 康 | kāng | healthy | 广 | 11 | 900 |
| 旧 | jiù | old; opposite: new 新; former | 日 | 5 | 915 |
| 春 | chūn | spring | 日 | 9 | 921 |
| 附 | fù | to add; to attach; to be close to; to be attached | 阝 | 7 | 923 |
| 礼 | lǐ | abbr. for 禮記|礼记, Classic of Rites; gift; rite | 礻 | 5 | 926 |
| 板 | bǎn | board, plank | 木 | 8 | 930 |
| 婚 | hūn | marriage | 女 | 11 | 942 |
| 鲜 | xiān | fresh | 鱼 | 14 | 958 |
| 择 | zé | to select; to choose; to pick over | 扌 | 8 | 961 |
| 健 | jiàn | healthy; to invigorate; to strengthen | 亻 | 11 | 978 |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow | 亻 | 10 | 983 |
| 园 | yuán | land used for growing plants; site used for public | 囗 | 7 | 987 |
| 牙 | yá | tooth; ivory; CL:顆|颗 | 牙 | 4 | 996 |
| 束 | shù | to bind; bunch; bundle; classifier for bunches, bu | 木 | 7 | 997 |
| 练 | liàn | to practice | 纟 | 8 | 1004 |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth; beak; nozzle | 口 | 15 | 1009 |
| 遍 | biàn | everywhere | 辶 | 12 | 1011 |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper | 纟 | 7 | 1019 |
| 戏 | xì | trick; drama; play; show; CL:齣|出[chu1],場|场[chang3] | 戈 | 6 | 1032 |
| 典 | diǎn | canon; law; standard work of scholarship | 八 | 8 | 1043 |
| 盘 | pán | tray; plate; dish; (finance) (bound form) market p | 皿 | 11 | 1048 |
| 赛 | sài | competition | 宀 | 14 | 1063 |
| 趣 | qù | interesting; to interest | 走 | 15 | 1064 |
| 迎 | yíng | to welcome | 辶 | 7 | 1068 |
| 冰 | bīng | ice; CL:塊|块; to chill sth | 冫 | 6 | 1069 |
| 努 | nǔ | to exert; to strive | 力 | 7 | 1080 |
| 街 | jiē | street; CL:條|条 | 行 | 12 | 1100 |
| 灯 | dēng | lamp, light | 火 | 6 | 1114 |
| 夏 | xià | the Xia or Hsia dynasty c. 2000 BC; Xia of the Six | 夊 | 10 | 1124 |
| 页 | xié | head; page; leaf | 页 | 6 | 1126 |
| 秋 | qiū | autumn; fall; harvest time | 禾 | 9 | 1149 |
| 末 | mò | tip; end; final stage; latter part; inessential de | 木 | 5 | 1162 |
| 拍 | pāi | to pat; to clap; to slap | 扌 | 8 | 1165 |
| 蓝 | lán | blue | 艹 | 13 | 1186 |
| 汽 | qì | steam; vapor | 氵 | 7 | 1195 |
| 烧 | shāo | to burn, to cook | 火 | 10 | 1196 |
| 哭 | kū | to cry | 口 | 10 | 1205 |
| 冒 | mào | to emit; to give off; to send out (or up, forth); | 冂 | 9 | 1217 |
| 惯 | guàn | habit, used to | 忄 | 11 | 1220 |
| 咱 | zán | we, us | 口 | 9 | 1257 |
| 季 | jì | season; the last month of a season; fourth or youn | 子 | 8 | 1271 |
| 羊 | yáng | sheep; goat; CL:頭|头,隻|只 | 羊 | 6 | 1329 |
| 码 | mǎ | code, yard | 石 | 8 | 1337 |
| 腿 | tuǐ | leg | 月 | 13 | 1343 |
| 迟 | chí | late; delayed; slow | 辶 | 7 | 1366 |
| 辆 | liàng | measure word for vehicles | 车 | 11 | 1367 |
| 净 | jìng | clean; completely; only | 冫 | 8 | 1369 |
| 冬 | dōng | winter; (onom.) beating a drum; rat-a-tat | 冫 | 5 | 1376 |
| 矿 | kuàng | mine, ore | 石 | 8 | 1377 |
| 骑 | qí | to ride | 马 | 11 | 1390 |
| 叔 | shū | uncle; father's younger brother; husband's younger | 又 | 8 | 1413 |
| 爬 | pá | to crawl; to climb; to get up or sit up | 爪 | 8 | 1417 |
| 扫 | sǎo | to sweep (with a brush or broom); to sweep away; t | 扌 | 6 | 1426 |
| 箱 | xiāng | box; trunk; chest | 竹 | 15 | 1444 |
| 挺 | tǐng | straight; erect; to stick out (a part of the body) | 扌 | 10 | 1458 |
| 宾 | bīn | visitor; guest; object (in grammar) | 宀 | 10 | 1524 |
| 绩 | jì | to spin (hemp etc); merit; accomplishment | 纟 | 11 | 1537 |
| 饮 | yǐn | to drink; to give (animals) water to drink | 饣 | 7 | 1559 |
| 朵 | duǒ | flower; earlobe; fig. item on both sides | 木 | 6 | 1561 |
| 凉 | liáng | the five Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Fo | 冫 | 10 | 1571 |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste; to try (food); to experience; (literary) | 小 | 9 | 1610 |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty | 月 | 10 | 1623 |
| 鞋 | xié | shoe | 革 | 15 | 1627 |
| 丢 | diū | to lose; to put aside; to throw | 一 | 6 | 1628 |
| 泉 | quán | spring (small stream); mouth of a spring; coin (ar | 氵 | 8 | 1630 |
| 邮 | yóu | post (office); mail | 阝 | 7 | 1640 |
| 邻 | lín | neighbor; adjacent; close to | 阝 | 7 | 1647 |
| 聪 | cōng | clever | 耳 | 15 | 1656 |
| 梯 | tī | ladder, stairs | 木 | 11 | 1659 |
| 瓶 | píng | bottle; vase; pitcher | 瓦 | 11 | 1688 |
| 凌 | líng | to approach; to rise high; thick ice | 冫 | 10 | 1715 |
| 熊 | xióng | bear; (coll.) to scold; to rebuke; (coll.) weak; i | 火 | 14 | 1725 |
| 糖 | táng | sugar; sweets; candy | 米 | 16 | 1730 |
| 炼 | liàn | to refine; to smelt | 火 | 9 | 1746 |
| 搬 | bān | to move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth rela | 扌 | 13 | 1749 |
| 刷 | shuā | a brush; to paint; to daub; to brush; to scrub | 刂 | 8 | 1807 |
| 瓜 | guā | melon; gourd; squash; (slang) a piece of gossip | 瓜 | 5 | 1810 |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin | 疒 | 14 | 1824 |
| 羽 | yǔ | feather; 5th note in pentatonic scale | 羽 | 6 | 1846 |
| 斤 | jīn | catty; (PRC) weight equal to 500 g; (Tw) weight eq | 斤 | 4 | 1847 |
| 胖 | pàng | fat | 月 | 9 | 1872 |
| 饿 | è | hungry | 饣 | 10 | 1889 |
| 聊 | liáo | chat | 耳 | 11 | 1908 |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl | 石 | 13 | 1914 |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | 氵 | 12 | 1945 |
| 饱 | bǎo | full | 饣 | 8 | 1971 |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | 甘 | 11 | 1991 |
| 矮 | ǎi | (of a person) short; (of a wall etc) low; (of rank | 矢 | 13 | 1997 |
| 衫 | shān | shirt | 衤 | 8 | 2106 |
| 伞 | sǎn | umbrella; parasol; CL:把 | 亻 | 6 | 2152 |
| 姨 | yí | mother's sister; aunt | 女 | 9 | 2229 |
| 刮 | guā | to scrape; to blow; to shave | 刂 | 8 | 2280 |
| 糕 | gāo | cake | 米 | 16 | 2336 |
| 裙 | qún | skirt | 衤 | 12 | 2353 |
| 衬 | chèn | lining, shirt | 衤 | 8 | 2417 |
| 锻 | duàn | to forge; to discipline; wrought | 钅 | 14 | 2440 |
| 铅 | qiān | lead | 钅 | 13 | 2519 |
| 澡 | zǎo | bath | 氵 | 16 | 2560 |
| 啤 | pí | beer | 口 | 11 | 2665 |
| 蕉 | jiāo | banana; see 蕉萃 | 艹 | 15 | 2800 |
| 筷 | kuài | chopstick | 竹 | 13 | 2801 |
| 勺 | sháo | spoon; ladle; CL:把 | 勹 | 3 | 2864 |
| 饺 | jiǎo | dumpling | 饣 | 9 | 2951 |
What Comes After HSK 3
HSK 4 adds 441 characters, pushing your cumulative total to 1,096. That's a significant jump, and it marks the transition into intermediate territory where you can engage with a wide range of Chinese text. The good news: by HSK 3, you've internalized the radical system well enough that new characters feel more like puzzles to solve than shapes to memorize.
For exam preparation strategies, see our guide on how to study for the HSK exam. For broader context on the 2026 HSK restructuring, check out HSK 2026 changes explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does HSK 3 have so many more characters than HSK 2?
HSK 3 bridges the gap between basic and intermediate Chinese. To express more complex ideas -- discussing plans, describing experiences, explaining reasons -- you need a broader character set. The 284 characters at this level provide the vocabulary range needed for intermediate communication.
How long does it typically take to complete HSK 3?
Most serious learners need 4-6 months for HSK 3, assuming consistent daily study and prior completion of HSK 1-2. The pace is typically 2-3 new characters per day plus review of earlier material. Total study time from zero to HSK 3 is usually 8-14 months.
Is HSK 3 considered intermediate?
HSK 3 is the entry point to intermediate Chinese. With 655 cumulative characters, you can handle basic conversations about everyday topics, read simple texts with occasional dictionary lookups, and write short messages. It roughly corresponds to A2-B1 on the CEFR scale.
What's the hardest part about HSK 3?
Volume and abstraction. There are 284 characters to learn, and many are more abstract than HSK 1-2 vocabulary. Characters like 被 (by), 或 (perhaps), 且 (moreover), and 反 (contrary) don't have concrete visual meanings. The key is to learn them in word contexts rather than in isolation.
Can I pass HSK 3 without knowing all 284 characters perfectly?
You can likely pass with solid recognition of 250+ characters, since the exam tests comprehension in context, not isolated character recall. But gaps in character knowledge create compounding problems at higher levels, so it's worth being thorough.
Navigate HSK 3 with character analysis
Study all 284 HSK 3 characters with radical decomposition, frequency rankings, and context sentences. Track your progress across all HSK levels.