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Chinese vocabulary and HSK guides
Which HSK guide should you read first?
Start with the HSK 3.0-vs-2.0 explainer if you are not sure which exam version applies to you, then move to the per-level word-count guide for your band and the drilling guide for how to make the vocabulary stick. All of them are current and interactive-first, linking straight into the tools instead of stopping at theory.
All guides
- Guide
Anki vs a Dedicated App for HSK: Which Should You Use?
A detailed comparison of Anki and dedicated Chinese apps for learning HSK vocabulary: cost, setup time, deck quality, audio, example sentences, sync, and scheduling algorithm, with an honest decision framework for which one fits your temperament. - Guide
How Do You Memorize HSK Words Fast? (What Works, What Wastes Time)
The techniques that actually speed up HSK vocabulary memorization, active recall, spaced repetition, context, and component mnemonics, set against the popular habits that quietly waste hours: copying characters, rereading lists, and cramming. - Guide
How Does Spaced Repetition Work for HSK Vocabulary?
A plain-language explainer of spaced repetition for HSK vocabulary: the forgetting curve, expanding review intervals, SM-2 versus FSRS, daily new-word limits, and how to handle the words that keep failing. Plus a five-step setup you can run today. - Guide
How Long Does It Take to Reach HSK 3, 4, and 6?
A realistic, vocabulary-based estimate of how long it takes to reach HSK 3, HSK 4, and HSK 6, worked out from the exact word counts at each level and the daily pace you can actually keep. - Guide
How Many HSK Words Should You Learn a Day?
How many new HSK words to learn per day, why the review load matters more than the new-word count, and how to pick a pace you can actually sustain to each HSK level. - Guide
How Many Words Are in Each HSK Level? (2.0 and 3.0)
The exact vocabulary count for every HSK level, both the new nine-level HSK 3.0 standard and the old six-level HSK 2.0, with per-level and cumulative word-count tables you can plan a study schedule around. - Guide
How to Learn HSK Vocabulary Effectively (Without Burning Out)
A practical, evidence-based method for learning HSK vocabulary that sticks: frequency order, spaced repetition, words in context, and a realistic daily pace for each level. - Guide
HSK 2.0 vs 3.0: What Actually Changed
A clear, current comparison of the old six-level HSK 2.0 and the new nine-level HSK 3.0 standard: new levels, higher word counts, mandatory speaking, and which one your test center still uses. - Guide
HSK Levels Explained: The 9-Level System and Whether It Is Live Yet
A plain-English guide to the HSK levels: what the nine new HSK 3.0 levels and three bands mean, how they map to the old six levels, and whether the 3.0 standard is actually being used yet. - Guide
Is HSK 3.0 Being Used Yet? A Current, Dated Answer
A dated, up-to-date answer on whether the new nine-level HSK 3.0 exam is actually being used yet: the official 2021 announcement, the November 2025 syllabus, the January 2026 global trial, and what you will actually sit in 2026. - Guide
Is HSK Worth It? An Honest Look at When the Exam Pays Off
Whether taking the HSK exam is worth it depends on your goal. A straight breakdown of when an HSK certificate genuinely helps, when it is a waste of money, and why the framework is still useful even if you never sit the test. - Guide
The First 100 Chinese Words to Learn (With the Actual List)
A concrete starter list of the first 100 Chinese words to learn, grouped by pronouns, numbers, core verbs, everyday nouns, adjectives, and question words, each with tone-marked pinyin and meaning. Drawn from the highest-frequency words in HSK 3.0 Level 1. - Guide
The Most Common Chinese Words for Beginners (And Why They Matter More Than You Think)
The most common Chinese words for beginners, ranked by real frequency, with the coverage math that explains why a few hundred words carry most of everyday speech. Includes the top 20 words and how frequency order beats topic order. - Guide
What Is the HSKK Speaking Test?
A clear explainer of the HSKK, the official Chinese speaking test taken alongside the HSK: its three levels, format and vocabulary, how it differs from the written exam, and how HSK 3.0 folds speaking into the main test. - Guide
Which HSK Level Am I? How to Find Your Level Without Guessing
How to figure out which HSK level you are at, why word count alone is a poor guide, and the fastest honest way to place yourself on either the HSK 3.0 or HSK 2.0 ladder. - Guide
Which HSK Level Do You Need for University, a Job, or a Scholarship?
There is no single HSK level that unlocks everything. What each level means in vocabulary terms, the levels most commonly asked for by universities, employers, and scholarships, and why you must confirm the exact requirement with your target.