HSK 1 Characters

How Many Characters Are in HSK 1?

HSK 1 contains 246 characters under the current HSK 3.0 standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus). These are the most basic and frequently used characters in Mandarin — essentials for greetings, numbers, family, food, and everyday actions.

HSK 2.0 vs 3.0: Why the Numbers Differ

Many online resources still cite HSK 2.0 character counts. The HSK 3.0 standard, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) in 2022, significantly restructured all levels. Here's how HSK 1 changed:

HSK 3.0 (Current)HSK 2.0 (Legacy)
Characters246174
Vocabulary Words300150
Standard2026 SyllabusPre-2022

About HSK 1

HSK 1 is designed for complete beginners with no prior knowledge of Mandarin. It targets learners who need survival-level Chinese — enough to handle basic introductions, simple transactions, and everyday pleasantries. If you are starting from zero, this is your entry point.

The characters at this level are among the most frequently used in modern Chinese. You will encounter characters for numbers (一 through 十), common verbs (是, 有, 去, 来), basic nouns (人, 水, 中), and essential function words. Many HSK 1 characters also serve as building blocks — radicals and components — that reappear in hundreds of more complex characters at higher levels.

Reaching HSK 1 proficiency corresponds to CEFR level A1. At this stage, you can understand and use familiar everyday expressions, introduce yourself, ask and answer basic personal questions, and interact in a simple way provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly.

HSK 1 Character Statistics

7
Avg. Strokes
1–15
Stroke Range
95
Unique Radicals
246
Total Characters

Most Common Radicals at This Level

口口 (mouth)24 chars亻人 (person)15 chars木木 (tree)10 chars讠言 (speech)10 chars日日 (sun)8 chars

Study Tips for HSK 1

1

Learn the most common radicals early. Recognizing components like 水 (water), 人 (person), 口 (mouth), and 心 (heart) helps you guess meanings of unfamiliar characters — a skill that compounds as you advance through higher HSK levels.

2

Focus on stroke order from day one. Correct stroke order becomes muscle memory and helps you distinguish visually similar characters. Use animated stroke-order guides rather than trying to memorize static diagrams.

3

Study characters in context, not in isolation. Learning 学 alongside 学生 (student) and 学习 (to study) builds stronger associations than drilling single characters from a flashcard deck.

For a detailed comparison of how this level differs from the previous HSK standard, see our HSK 2026 changes guide.

Articles About HSK 1

HSK 1 Character List: All 246 Characters You Need to Know15 min readThe 100 Most Common Chinese Characters (and Why They Matter)12 min readWhat Order Should You Learn Chinese Characters In?8 min read
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All HSK 1 Characters

火huǒfire热rèhot, to heat点diǎnpoint, o'clock机jīmachine, opportunity杯bēicup, glass桌zhuōtable, desk椅yǐchair果guǒfruit, result口kǒumouth吃chīto eat喝hēto drink问wènto ask叫jiàoto call, to be called名míngname, famous可kěcan, may吗maquestion particle呢nequestion particle吧basuggestion particle知zhīto know和héand, peace哥gēelder brother爱àito love想xiǎngto think, to want忙mángbusy人rénperson你nǐyou他tāhe们menplural marker作zuòto work, to make做zuòto do, to make住zhùto live, to stay什shénwhat件jiànitem, matter休xiūto rest便biànconvenient女nǚwoman她tāshe好hǎogood妈māmother姐jiěelder sister妹mèiyounger sister奶nǎigrandmother, milk手shǒuhand打dǎhit, make找zhǎoto look for话huàspeech, words说shuōto speak, to say请qǐngplease, to invite认rènto recognize, to admit识shíto know, knowledge谢xièto thank语yǔlanguage谁shéiwho课kèlesson, class日rìsun, day时shítime, hour明míngbright, tomorrow早zǎoearly, morning晚wǎnlate, evening昨zuóyesterday星xīngstar是shìis, yes月yuèmoon, month有yǒuto have服fúclothes, serve朋péngfriend期qīperiod, expect脑nǎobrain钱qiánmoney钟zhōngclock, bell坐zuòto sit块kuàipiece, lump男nánmale给gěigive衣yīclothing饭fànmeal, rice家jiāhome, family客kèguest, customer穿chuānto wear, 穿透床chuángbed病bìngillness医yīmedicine看kànto look, to see睡shuìto sleep觉juéto feel, to sleep这zhèthis还háistill, return道dàoroad, way蛋dànegg茶chátea菜càivegetable, dish雨yǔrain雪xuěsnow鸡jīchicken车chēvehicle间jiānroom, between的deof一yīone不bùno我wǒI在zàito exist中zhōng(bound form) China大dàbig来láito come上shàng(bound form) up个gè(classifier used before a noun that has no specific classifier)国guócountry也yěalso子zǐson那nà(specifier) that没méi(negative prefix for verbs) have not会huìcan能néngcan学xuéto learn以yǐto use到dàoto reach里lǐlining很hěnvery都dōuall下xiàdown得déto obtain工gōngwork后hòuback多duōmany天tiānday起qǐto rise第dì(prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六 "sixth")些xiēclassifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several怎zěnhow样yàngmanner去qùto go回huíto circle老lǎoold (of people)太tàihighest前qiánfront电diànlightning见jiànto see水shuǐwater兴xīngto rise买mǎito buy先xiānbeforehand喜xǐto be fond of欢huānhubbub今jīnnow哪nǎhow东dōngeast分fēnto divide现xiànto appear字zìletter院yuàncourtyard同tónglike校xiào(bound form) school商shāngShang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC)午wǔ7th earthly branch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., noon, 5th solar month (6th June-6th July), year of the Horse候hòuto wait漂piāoto float亮liàngbright冷lěngcold狗gǒudog猫māocat苹píng(artemisia)友yǒufriend真zhēnreally正zhèngstraight常chángalways新xīnnew公gōngpublic外wàioutside两liǎngtwo白báiwhite百bǎihundred千qiānthousand二èrtwo三sānthree四sìfour五wǔfive六liùsix七qīseven八bāeight九jiǔnine十shíten零língzero半bànhalf关guānmountain pass它tāit贵guìexpensive宜yíproper唱chàngto sing边biānside题títopic习xí(bound form) to practice房fánghouse孩hái(bound form) child爸bàfather只zhīclassifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc息xībreath系xìto connect包bāoto cover您nínyou (courteous, as opposed to informal 你)本běn(bound form) root条tiáostrip班bānteam超chāoto exceed出chūto go out弟dìyounger brother读dúto read对duìright儿érchild飞fēito fly非fēito not be高gāohigh歌gēsong汉hànHan ethnic group号hàoordinal number几jǐhow many开kāito open (transitive or intransitive)了le(completed action marker)么mesuffix used in 什么 (what), 这么 (so), 怎么 (how) etc米mǐuncooked rice面miànface年niányear牛niúox气qìgas少shǎofew生shēngto be born师shīteacher事shìmatter视shì(literary, or bound form) to look at书shūbook岁suìyears old听tīngto listen to玩wánto play文wénlanguage西xīthe West小xiǎosmall写xiěto write要yàoto want影yǐngpicture元yuánYuan dynasty (1279–1368)再zàiagain卖màito sell市shìmarket司sīto take charge of喂wèihey租zūto hire士shìmember of the senior ministerial class (old)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many characters are in HSK 1?
HSK 1 contains 246 unique characters under the current HSK 3.0 standard (per the official CLEC 2022 syllabus, effective 2026). Under the older HSK 2.0 standard, Level 1 had only 174 characters from 150 vocabulary items. Many online resources still cite the outdated HSK 2.0 count — if you see a different number, check whether the source references HSK 3.0 or 2.0.
How many words are in HSK 1?
HSK 1 includes 300 vocabulary words under the HSK 3.0 standard (CLEC 2022). Word count and character count are different: a single character like 学 can appear in multiple vocabulary words (学生 "student," 学习 "to study," 大学 "university"). HSK 1 has 246 unique characters but 300 vocabulary words formed from those and other characters.
What's the difference between HSK 2.0 and HSK 3.0 Level 1?
The HSK 3.0 standard, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) in 2022 and effective from 2026, significantly restructured all levels. Level 1 went from 174 characters and 150 vocabulary words (HSK 2.0) to 246 characters and 300 vocabulary words (HSK 3.0). If you see conflicting character counts for HSK 1 on different websites, it is almost certainly because one source references the outdated HSK 2.0 data.
How long does it take to learn HSK 1?
Most learners report reaching HSK 1 proficiency after approximately 80–150 hours of study. This varies significantly based on native language (speakers of Japanese or Korean progress faster due to shared characters), study method, daily practice time, and immersion opportunities. Consistent spaced-repetition practice — reviewing characters at increasing intervals as you master them — can accelerate character retention considerably.
What are the hardest HSK 1 characters?
By stroke complexity, the most challenging HSK 1 characters include 题 (tí, 15 strokes), 影 (yǐng, 15 strokes), 漂 (piāo, 14 strokes), 歌 (gē, 14 strokes), 想 (xiǎng, 13 strokes). The average stroke count at this level is 7. Characters with more strokes generally require more practice to write correctly and distinguish visually — using animated stroke-order guides and spaced repetition helps build muscle memory for complex characters.
What topics does HSK 1 cover?
HSK 1 focuses on greetings, numbers, family members, basic foods, everyday verbs, time expressions, and common objects. Mastering this level equips you for basic travel survival, ordering food, introducing yourself, understanding simple signs, and exchanging pleasantries.
What is the CEFR equivalent of HSK 1?
HSK 1 corresponds to CEFR level A1 under the HSK 3.0 framework (CLEC 2022). The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) alignment was established as part of the HSK 3.0 restructuring to provide an international reference point. At this foundation level, you can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at satisfying concrete needs.
What's the difference between HSK 1 and HSK 2?
HSK 1 covers 246 characters and 300 vocabulary words, while HSK 2 introduces 125 characters and 200 vocabulary words. HSK 1 maps to CEFR A1, while HSK 2 maps to CEFR A2. The step up requires learning new characters, mastering more complex grammar, and expanding into new topic areas such as shopping, weather, directions.

Sources & Standards

Character data on this page is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision. The standard took effect as the official syllabus for HSK examinations beginning in 2026.

Character counts, vocabulary word counts, and level classifications reflect the official CLEC syllabus. CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) equivalences follow the alignment established in the HSK 3.0 specification. All character statistics (stroke counts, radical classifications, frequency rankings) are computed from HanziFeed's curated dataset of 246 characters at this level.