Free · no signup · 11,470 words across HSK 2.0 and 3.0
Free HSK vocabulary lists and a Chinese level test.
Mandarin Steps is a free reference for anyone studying for the HSK, China's official Chinese proficiency exam. Look up the official word list for any level, take a five-minute test to find the level you are actually at, then see which words to learn next, in the order you will meet them most.
Quick answer
What is HSK 3.0, and which version will my exam use?
HSK 3.0 (2021) organizes proficiency into nine levels across three bands: Beginner (Levels 1–3), Intermediate (Levels 4–6), and Advanced (Levels 7–9, reaching 10,969 words). It replaced the old six-level HSK 2.0, but many test centers still run the six-level exam, so both structures are live right now. Every word list here carries a 2.0 / 3.0 toggle so you study against the structure your exam actually uses.
- Free, always. Every tool here works with no account, no email, and no paywall.
- Sourced and dated. Each word count comes from the official HSK list and shows when it was last reviewed.
- One honest app pick. We recommend a single app, Wordbrush, and say up front that we make it.
The HSK ladder
| Level | Band | New words | Cumulative | Focus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | Beginner | 506 | 506 | Survival phrases, core pronouns and particles | Open table → |
| HSK 2 | Beginner | 750 | 1,256 | Everyday actions, time, quantity, basic connectors | Open table → |
| HSK 3 | Beginner | 953 | 2,209 | Opinions, comparisons, travel and daily life | Open table → |
| HSK 4 | Intermediate | 972 | 3,181 | Abstract topics, work, feelings, longer discourse | Open table → |
| HSK 5 | Intermediate | 1,059 | 4,240 | Media, society, nuanced and formal register | Open table → |
| HSK 6 | Intermediate | 1,123 | 5,363 | Idioms, literary and specialized vocabulary | Open table → |
| HSK 7-9 | Advanced | 5,606 | 10,969 | One combined advanced band toward near-native range | Open table → |
How much everyday spoken Chinese do you understand at each HSK level?
Conversational coverage
A handful of very common words do most of the talking. Because those words sit at the bottom of the ladder, HSK 1 alone already covers about 50.4% of the words spoken in everyday Chinese, and the climb flattens fast after that.
Token coverage is not comprehension: recognizing most of the words spoken is not the same as understanding every sentence. Figures are the cumulative share of Chinese running words in the OpenSubtitles 2018 corpus (subtitles approximate, but are not identical to, conversation), matched against 99.5% of the HSK 3.0 list. Source: hermitdave/FrequencyWords (CC BY-SA 4.0), computed 2026-07-22. Method and per-level numbers in About.
Start where you are
all free · no signupPlacement test
A short recognition quiz that estimates your HSK level from your answers, so you drill the right band instead of restarting from Level 1.
HSK vocabulary by level
Browse, sort, filter and self-test any level as a word table, with a clean toggle between the new HSK 3.0 and older HSK 2.0 lists.
Guides
Dated explainers that cite their sources: HSK 3.0 vs 2.0, how many words per level, which level you are, and how to make vocabulary stick.
Best app for HSK vocabulary
Our single app recommendation, with a clear disclosure that we make it. It is never a gate on the free tools above.
Guides
reviewed 2026-07-20| Guide | Short answer | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| How Many Words Are in Each HSK Level? (2.0 and 3.0) | In HSK 3.0, cumulative vocabulary runs 506, 1,256, 2,209, 3,181, 4,240, and 5,363 words for Levels 1 to 6, reaching 10,969 by t… | 2026-07-20 |
| How to Learn HSK Vocabulary Effectively (Without Burning Out) | Learn HSK vocabulary in frequency order, review it with spaced repetition so words resurface just before you forget them, and a… | 2026-07-20 |
| HSK 2.0 vs 3.0: What Actually Changed | HSK 3.0 replaced the six-level exam with nine levels across three bands, raised the vocabulary counts sharply, and made speakin… | 2026-07-20 |
| HSK Levels Explained: The 9-Level System and Whether It Is Live Yet | HSK 3.0 organizes proficiency into nine levels across three bands: Beginner (Levels 1 to 3, 2,209 words), Intermediate (Levels… | 2026-07-20 |
| Is HSK Worth It? An Honest Look at When the Exam Pays Off | HSK is worth it if you need the certificate for a specific reason: university admission in China, a scholarship, a visa or job… | 2026-07-20 |
| Which HSK Level Am I? How to Find Your Level Without Guessing | You cannot read your HSK level off a word count alone, because recognizing a word on a list is not the same as knowing it in co… | 2026-07-20 |
Our one recommended app
After the free tools, if you want spaced-repetition drilling on your phone we recommend Wordbrush. This is a disclosed recommendation, clearly labelled and kept to a single page. It never gates the tables, the placement test, or the guides above.