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HSK 2 二级 2.0
Simple, direct exchanges on familiar everyday topics: the second half of the elementary band. This is the older six-level HSK 2.0 list. Learn the words in frequency order and the rest of the level gets far easier.
147New words
297Cumulative
46.3%Spoken coverage
ElementaryTier
Quick answer
How many words are in HSK 2 (2.0), and what is on the list?
HSK 2 under the older HSK 2.0 standard contains 147 new words, bringing the cumulative HSK 2.0 total through Level 2 to 297 words. The full list is below, highest-frequency entries first, each with simplified and traditional hanzi, tone-marked pinyin, part of speech, a corpus frequency rank, an English gloss, and the level the same word sits at in the newer nine-level HSK 3.0 scheme. In HSK 3.0 the equivalent Level 2 holds 750 new words, so the two standards do not line up one to one.
Knowing every HSK 2.0 word up to and including Level 2 means you recognize about 46.3% of the running words in everyday spoken Chinese (film and TV subtitles), because the most frequent words are front-loaded into the lower levels. That is token coverage, not full comprehension. See the full ladder.
On the current standard See HSK 2 on the new HSK 3.0 scale The 2021 HSK 3.0 Level 2 list holds 750 words, a different set. Open the full 3.0 table with its own 2.0-vs-3.0 toggle.
| # | 简 | 繁 | Pīnyīn | POS | HSK 3.0 | Freq | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 就 | = | jiù | adv | 1 | 15 | (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon a... |
| 2 | 要 | = | yāo | verb | 1 | 19 | (bound form) to demand; to coerce |
| 3 | 也 | = | Yě | adv | 1 | 23 | surname Ye |
| 4 | 到 | = | dào | verb | 1 | 29 | to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to |
| 5 | 还 | 還 | Huán | adv | 1 | 37 | surname Huan |
| 6 | 着 | 著 | zhāo | part | 1 | 38 | (chess) move; trick |
| 7 | 给 | 給 | gěi | prep | 1 | 46 | to; for |
| 8 | 让 | 讓 | ràng | verb | 2 | 54 | to yield; to permit |
| 9 | 为 | 為 | wéi | prep | 2 | 58 | as (in the capacity of); to take sth as |
| 10 | 可以 | = | kě yǐ | verb | 2 | 58 | can; may |
| 11 | 吧 | = | bā | part | 1 | 58 | bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc) |
| 12 | 得 | = | dé | part | 2 | 58 | to obtain; to get |
| 13 | 从 | = | cóng | prep | 1 | 70 | variant of 从 |
| 14 | 真 | = | zhēn | adv | 1 | 76 | really; truly |
| 15 | 两 | 兩 | liǎng | num | 1 | 81 | two; both |
| 16 | 出 | = | chū | verb | 1 | 85 | to go out; to come out |
| 17 | 已经 | 已經 | yǐ jīng | adv | 2 | 85 | already |
| 18 | 最 | 㝡 | zuì | adv | 1 | 89 | variant of 最 |
| 19 | 再 | = | zài | adv | 1 | 91 | again; once more; re-; second; another |
| 20 | 因为 | 因為 | yīn wèi | prep | 2 | 91 | because; owing to |
| 21 | 次 | = | cì | meas | 1 | 99 | next in sequence; second |
| 22 | 知道 | = | zhī dào | verb | 1 | 105 | to know; to become aware of |
| 23 | 走 | = | zǒu | verb | 1 | 109 | to walk; to go |
| 24 | 问题 | 問題 | wèn tí | noun | 2 | 109 | question; problem |
| 25 | 它 | = | tā | pron | 2 | 114 | it |
| 26 | 但是 | = | dàn shì | conj | 2 | 115 | but; however |
| 27 | 可能 | = | kě néng | verb | 2 | 127 | might (happen); possible |
| 28 | 时间 | 時間 | shí jiān | noun | 1 | 127 | time; period |
| 29 | 开始 | 開始 | kāi shǐ | verb | 3 | 132 | to begin; beginning |
| 30 | 新 | = | Xīn | adj | 1 | 150 | abbr. for Xinjiang 疆 or Singapore 坡; surname Xin |
| 31 | 找 | = | zhǎo | verb | 1 | 152 | to try to find; to look for |
| 32 | 快 | = | kuài | adj | 1 | 153 | rapid; quick |
| 33 | 比 | = | Bǐ | prep | 1 | 155 | Belgium; Belgian |
| 34 | 所以 | = | suǒ yǐ | conj | 2 | 157 | therefore; as a result |
| 35 | 觉得 | 覺得 | jué de | verb | 1 | 161 | to think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc) |
| 36 | 向 | = | Xiàng | prep | 2 | 165 | surname Xiang |
| 37 | 一起 | = | yī qǐ | place | 1 | 172 | in the same place; together |
| 38 | 希望 | = | xī wàng | verb | 3 | 182 | to hope; a hope; a wish |
| 39 | 大家 | = | dà jiā | pron | 2 | 189 | everyone; influential family |
| 40 | 非常 | = | fēi cháng | adv | 1 | 194 | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
| 41 | 孩子 | = | hái zi | noun | 1 | 207 | child |
| 42 | 别 | 別 | Bié | adv | 1 | 214 | surname Bie |
| 43 | 公司 | = | gōng sī | noun | 2 | 220 | company; firm; corporation |
| 44 | 第一 | = | dì yī | num | · | 223 | first; number one |
| 45 | 长 | 長 | cháng | adj | 2 | 246 | length; long |
| 46 | 问 | 問 | wèn | verb | 1 | 246 | to ask; to inquire |
| 47 | 告诉 | 告訴 | gào sù | verb | 1 | 252 | to press charges; to file a complaint |
| 48 | 事情 | = | shì qing | noun | 2 | 271 | affair; matter; thing; business |
| 49 | 号 | 號 | háo | meas | 1 | 278 | roar; cry |
| 50 | 高 | = | Gāo | adj | 1 | 290 | surname Gao |
| 51 | 件 | = | jiàn | meas | 2 | 292 | item; component |
| 52 | 张 | 張 | Zhāng | meas | 3 | 316 | surname Zhang |
| 53 | 准备 | 準備 | zhǔn bèi | verb | 1 | 333 | preparation; to prepare |
| 54 | 进 | 進 | jìn | verb | 1 | 338 | to go forward; to advance |
| 55 | 每 | = | měi | pron | 3 | 340 | each; every |
| 56 | 您 | = | nín | pron | 1 | 357 | you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你) |
| 57 | 送 | = | sòng | verb | 1 | 370 | to send; to deliver; to transmit; to give (as a present) |
| 58 | 笑 | 咲 | xiào | verb | 1 | 382 | old variant of 笑 |
| 59 | 女人 | = | nǚ rén | noun | 1 | 383 | woman |
| 60 | 小时 | 小時 | xiǎo shí | noun | 1 | 389 | hour |
| 61 | 完 | = | wán | verb | 2 | 395 | to finish; to be over |
| 62 | 路 | = | Lù | noun | 1 | 409 | surname Lu |
| 63 | 玩 | = | wán | verb | · | 415 | to play; to have fun |
| 64 | 男人 | = | nán rén | noun | 1 | 415 | a man; a male |
| 65 | 正在 | = | zhèng zài | adv | 1 | 420 | just at (that time); right in (that place) |
| 66 | 门 | 門 | Mén | noun | 1 | 422 | surname Men |
| 67 | 穿 | = | chuān | verb | 1 | 430 | to wear; to put on |
| 68 | 外 | = | wài | loc | 1 | 489 | outside; in addition |
| 69 | 帮助 | 幫助 | bāng zhù | verb | 2 | 499 | assistance; aid; to help; to assist |
| 70 | 晚上 | = | wǎn shang | time | 1 | 502 | evening; night |
| 71 | 错 | 錯 | Cuò | verb | 1 | 531 | surname Cuo |
| 72 | 卖 | 賣 | mài | verb | 2 | 590 | to sell; to betray |
| 73 | 远 | 遠 | yuǎn | adj | 1 | 635 | far; distant |
| 74 | 快乐 | 快樂 | kuài lè | adj | 2 | 637 | happy; joyful |
| 75 | 懂 | = | dǒng | verb | 2 | 669 | to understand; to comprehend |
| 76 | 药 | 葯 | yào | noun | 2 | 701 | leaf of the iris |
| 77 | 黑 | = | Hēi | adj | 2 | 724 | abbr. for Heilongjiang province 黑龙江 |
| 78 | 身体 | 身體 | shēn tǐ | noun | 1 | 731 | the body; one's health |
| 79 | 元 | = | Yuán | meas | 1 | 744 | surname Yuan; the Yuan or Mongol dynasty (1279-1368) |
| 80 | 介绍 | 介紹 | jiè shào | verb | 1 | 779 | to introduce (sb to sb); to give a presentation |
| 81 | 红 | 紅 | Hóng | adj | 2 | 794 | surname Hong |
| 82 | 欢迎 | 歡迎 | huān yíng | verb | 2 | 796 | to welcome; welcome |
| 83 | 眼睛 | = | yǎn jing | noun | 2 | 814 | eye |
| 84 | 近 | = | jìn | adj | 2 | 822 | near; close to |
| 85 | 手机 | 手機 | shǒu jī | noun | 1 | 857 | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 86 | 忙 | = | máng | verb | 1 | 859 | busy; hurriedly |
| 87 | 离 | = | chī | verb | 2 | 912 | mythical beast (archaic) |
| 88 | 白 | = | Bái | adj | 1 | 930 | surname Bai |
| 89 | 去年 | = | qù nián | time | 1 | 933 | last year |
| 90 | 票 | = | piào | noun | 1 | 956 | ticket; ballot |
| 91 | 意思 | = | yì si | noun | 2 | 988 | idea; opinion |
| 92 | 早上 | = | zǎo shang | time | 1 | 1,092 | early morning |
| 93 | 回答 | = | huí dá | verb | 1 | 1,100 | to reply; to answer; reply; answer |
| 94 | 运动 | 運動 | yùn dòng | v/n | 2 | 1,138 | to move; to exercise |
| 95 | 妻子 | = | qī zǐ | noun | 4 | 1,187 | wife and children |
| 96 | 鱼 | 魚 | Yú | noun | 2 | 1,189 | surname Yu |
| 97 | 累 | = | lěi | adj | 1 | 1,197 | to accumulate; to involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lèi]) |
| 98 | 休息 | = | xiū xi | verb | 1 | 1,225 | rest; to rest |
| 99 | 洗 | = | xǐ | verb | 1 | 1,298 | to wash; to bathe; to develop (photographs) |
| 100 | 船 | 舩 | chuán | noun | 2 | 1,346 | variant of 船 |
| 101 | 房间 | 房間 | fáng jiān | noun | 1 | 1,357 | room |
| 102 | 丈夫 | = | zhàng fu | noun | 4 | 1,376 | husband |
| 103 | 上班 | = | shàng bān | verb | 1 | 1,495 | to go to work; to be on duty |
| 104 | 生日 | = | shēng rì | noun | 1 | 1,506 | birthday |
| 105 | 姐姐 | = | jiě jie | noun | 1 | 1,513 | older sister |
| 106 | 课 | 課 | kè | noun | 1 | 1,517 | subject; course |
| 107 | 哥哥 | = | gē ge | noun | 1 | 1,655 | older brother |
| 108 | 咖啡 | = | kā fēi | noun | 3 | 1,698 | coffee (loanword) |
| 109 | 考试 | 考試 | kǎo shì | v/n | 1 | 1,718 | to take an exam; exam |
| 110 | 千 | = | qiān | num | 2 | 1,728 | thousand |
| 111 | 慢 | = | màn | adj | 1 | 1,770 | slow |
| 112 | 旁边 | 旁邊 | páng biān | loc | 1 | 1,815 | side; adjacent place |
| 113 | 颜色 | 顏色 | yán sè | noun | 2 | 1,880 | color; countenance |
| 114 | 雪 | = | Xuě | noun | 2 | 1,971 | surname Xue |
| 115 | 妹妹 | = | mèi mei | noun | 1 | 2,093 | younger sister; young woman |
| 116 | 报纸 | 報紙 | bào zhǐ | noun | 2 | 2,232 | newspaper; newsprint |
| 117 | 贵 | 貴 | guì | adj | 1 | 2,239 | expensive; noble |
| 118 | 机场 | 機場 | jī chǎng | noun | 1 | 2,308 | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for cir... |
| 119 | 踢 | = | tī | verb | 6 | 2,330 | to kick; to play (e.g. soccer) |
| 120 | 弟弟 | = | dì di | noun | 1 | 2,424 | younger brother |
| 121 | 百 | = | Bǎi | num | 1 | 2,455 | surname Bai |
| 122 | 好吃 | = | hǎo chī | adj | 1 | 2,484 | tasty; delicious |
| 123 | 旅游 | 旅遊 | lǚ yóu | v/n | 2 | 2,534 | trip; journey |
| 124 | 起床 | = | qǐ chuáng | verb | 1 | 2,645 | to get out of bed; to get up |
| 125 | 题 | 題 | Tí | noun | 2 | 2,690 | surname Ti |
| 126 | 便宜 | = | biàn yí | adj | 2 | 2,814 | convenient |
| 127 | 唱歌 | = | chàng gē | verb | 1 | 2,876 | to sing a song |
| 128 | 右边 | 右邊 | yòu bian | loc | 1 | 2,906 | right side; right, to the right |
| 129 | 牛奶 | = | niú nǎi | noun | 1 | 2,986 | cow's milk |
| 130 | 自行车 | 自行車 | zì xíng chē | noun | 2 | 3,400 | bicycle; bike |
| 131 | 鸡蛋 | 雞蛋 | jī dàn | noun | 1 | 3,501 | (chicken) egg; hen's egg |
| 132 | 姓 | = | xìng | verb | 2 | 3,576 | family name; surname |
| 133 | 游泳 | = | yóu yǒng | verb | 3 | 3,695 | swimming; to swim |
| 134 | 跳舞 | = | tiào wǔ | verb | 3 | 3,920 | to dance |
| 135 | 阴 | 陰 | Yīn | adj | 2 | 4,058 | surname Yin |
| 136 | 生病 | = | shēng bìng | verb | 1 | 4,336 | to fall ill |
| 137 | 左边 | 左邊 | zuǒ bian | loc | 1 | 4,584 | left; the left side |
| 138 | 公斤 | = | gōng jīn | meas | 2 | 4,784 | kilogram (kg) |
| 139 | 教室 | = | jiào shì | noun | 2 | 5,082 | classroom |
| 140 | 服务员 | 服務員 | fú wù yuán | noun | 3 | 5,531 | waiter; waitress |
| 141 | 手表 | 手錶 | shǒu biǎo | noun | 2 | 6,179 | wristwatch |
| 142 | 跑步 | = | pǎo bù | verb | 3 | 7,199 | to run; to jog |
| 143 | 西瓜 | = | xī guā | noun | 4 | 9,098 | watermelon |
| 144 | 晴 | = | qíng | verb | 2 | 9,343 | clear; fine (weather) |
| 145 | 羊肉 | = | yáng ròu | noun | · | 11,336 | mutton; goat meat |
| 146 | 公共汽车 | 公共汽車 | gōng gòng qì chē | word | 2 | 13,591 | bus |
| 147 | 打篮球 | 打籃球 | dǎ lán qiú | word | · | 1,000,000 | to play basketball |
tone 1 high tone 2 rising tone 3 dip tone 4 falling neutral Freq = corpus rank, lower is more common · HSK 3.0 = the same word's level on the new scale · · = not in HSK 3.0
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How to use this list
| Check which scheme your test uses | If your test center still administers the older six-level HSK 2.0, this is the exact list for your Level 2 exam. If it uses the 2021 nine-level HSK 3.0, follow the cross-link above to the 3.0 Level 2 table instead, the word sets differ. |
| Study in frequency order | The rows are ranked by corpus frequency, so the words nearer the top appear far more often in real Chinese. Front-loading them gives the fastest reading and listening gains. |
| Read the HSK 3.0 column | Each word shows the level it sits at in the newer scheme. Words marked · are not in HSK 3.0 at all. It is the fastest way to see how the two standards diverge on your own vocabulary. |
Not sure this is your level? Take the free placement test, it estimates your level on both the 2.0 and 3.0 scales.