HSK 1 is the entry point for Chinese language learners. With just 300 words, you can already follow simple narratives about daily life — greetings, family, food, and basic routines. Our HSK 1 stories use only these core words so every sentence is within reach.
Short stories about everyday situations: ordering food, meeting people, talking about the weather. Characters speak in simple sentences with common verbs like 去、吃、看、想. Each story builds your reading confidence without overwhelming you.
Study the complete list offline with the Free HSK 1 Anki deck, including word and sentence audio.
Common Questions
How long does it take to reach HSK 1?▼
Most learners reach HSK 1 in 2-4 months of consistent study (about 150-200 hours). Reading graded stories accelerates this because you encounter words in memorable contexts rather than isolated flashcard drills.
Can I really read stories with only 300 words?▼
Yes. Our HSK 1 stories are carefully written to use only the 300 words in the official HSK 1 vocabulary list. The stories are short (3-5 chapters, ~200 characters each) but tell complete narratives with a beginning, middle, and end.
Should I learn all 300 words before reading HSK 1 stories?▼
No — reading is how you learn them. Start a story even if you only know 50-100 words. Use the pinyin toggle to help with pronunciation, and tap any word to see its meaning. You’ll naturally pick up new vocabulary through context.
一yīone; single; a (article)
一下yī xià(after a verb) a bit; a little (indicating brief duration, or softening the tone, or suggesting giving sth a try); all at once; suddenly
一些yī xiēsome; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er
一半yī bànhalf
一点儿yī diǎn rerhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3]
七qīseven; 7
三sānthree; 3
上shàng(bound form) up; upper; above
上午shàng wǔmorning
上学shàng xuéto go to school; to attend school
上班shàng bānto go to work; to be on duty; to start work
上课shàng kèto go to class; to attend class; to go to teach a class
下xiàdown; downwards; below
下午xià wǔafternoon; p.m.
下班xià bānto finish work; to get off work; next service (train, bus etc)
下课xià kèto finish class; to get out of class; (fig.) (esp. of a sports coach) to be dismissed
下雨xià yǔto rain
不bùno; not so; (bound form) not
不客气bù kè qiyou're welcome; don't mention it; impolite
不要bù yàodon't!; must not
东西dōng xīeast and west
两liǎngtwo; both; some
个gè(classifier used before a noun that has no specific classifier); (bound form) individual
中午zhōng wǔnoon; midday
中国Zhōng guóChina
中学zhōng xuémiddle school
中学生zhōng xué shēngmiddle-school student; high school student
中文Zhōng wénChinese language
九jiǔnine; 9
也yěalso; too; as well
书shūbook; letter; document
书店shū diànbookstore
买mǎito buy; to purchase
了le(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
事shìmatter; thing; item
二èrtwo; 2; (Beijing dialect) stupid
五wǔfive; 5
些xiēclassifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several
人rénperson; people; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4]
什么shén mewhat?; something; anything
今天jīn tiāntoday; the present time; now
今年jīn niánthis year
他tā(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his
他们tā menthey; them
们menplural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
件jiànitem; component; classifier for events, things, clothes etc
休息xiū xirest; to rest
会huìcan; to have the skill; to know how to
住zhùto live; to dwell; to stay
你nǐyou (informal, as opposed to courteous 您[nin2])
你们nǐ menyou (plural)
你好nǐ hǎohello; hi
便宜biàn yíconvenient
做zuòto make; to produce; to write
做饭zuò fànto prepare a meal; to cook
儿子ér zison
元yuáncurrency unit (esp. Chinese yuan); (bound form) first; original
先生xiān shengteacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.); husband
八bāeight
公司gōng sīcompany; firm; corporation
六liùsix; 6
再zàiagain; once more; re-
再见zài jiàngoodbye
写xiěto write
冷lěngcold
几jǐhow much; how many; several
出租车chū zū chētaxi; (Tw) rental car
分fēnto divide; to separate; to distribute
分钟fēn zhōngminute
到dàoto reach; to arrive; to leave for
前qiánfront; forward; ahead
包子bāo zibaozi; bao (steamed stuffed bun)
医生yī shēngdoctor
医院yī yuànhospital
十shíten; 10
千qiānthousand
午饭wǔ fànlunch
半bànhalf; semi-; incomplete
卖màito sell; to betray; to spare no effort
去qùto go; to go to (a place); (of a time etc) last
去年qù niánlast year
口kǒumouth; classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc); classifier for bites or mouthfuls
只zhǐonly; merely; just
叫jiàoto shout; to call; to order
可以kě yǐcan; may; possible
号hàoordinal number; day of a month; mark
吃chīto eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc)
同学tóng xuéto study at the same school; fellow student; classmate
名字míng ziname (of a person or thing)
后hòuempress; queen; (archaic) monarch
吗ma(question particle for "yes-no" questions)
吧ba(modal particle indicating suggestion or surmise); ...right?; ...OK?
听tīngto listen to; to hear; to heed
听见tīng jiànto hear
呢neparticle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?"); particle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?"); particle signaling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words and allow the listener time to take them on board ("ok?", "are you with me?")
和hé(joining two nouns) and; together with; with (Taiwan pr. [han4])
哥哥gē geolder brother
哪nǎhow; which
哪个nǎ gewhich; who
哪些nǎ xiēwhich ones?; who?; what?
哪儿nǎ rwhere?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere; (used in rhetorical questions) how can ...?; how could ...?
哪里nǎ lǐwhere?; somewhere; anywhere
唱chàngto sing; to call loudly; to chant
商店shāng diànstore; shop
喂wèihey; to feed (an animal, baby, invalid etc)
喜欢xǐ huanto like; to be fond of
喝hēto drink
四sìfour; 4
回huíto circle; to go back; to turn around
国guócountry; nation; state
在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
坐zuòto sit; to take a seat; to take (a bus, airplane etc)
块kuàilump; chunk; piece
外wàioutside; in addition; foreign
外边wài bianoutside; outer surface; abroad
多duōmany; much; more
多少duō shǎonumber; amount; somewhat
大dàbig; large; great
大学dà xuéuniversity; college; the Great Learning, one of the Four Books 四書|四书[Si4 shu1] in Confucianism
大学生dà xué shēnguniversity student; college student
大家dà jiāeveryone; influential family; great expert
天tiānday; sky; heaven
天气tiān qìweather
太tàihighest; greatest; too (much)
女nǚfemale; woman; daughter
女儿nǚ érdaughter
女士nǚ shìlady; madam; Miss
女朋友nǚ péng yougirlfriend
她tāshe
她们tā menthey; them (females)
好hǎogood; appropriate; proper
好吃hǎo chītasty; delicious
好听hǎo tīngpleasant to hear
好玩儿hǎo wán rerhua variant of 好玩[hao3 wan2]
好看hǎo kàngood-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good; in an embarrassing situation
妈妈mā mamama; mommy; mother
妹妹mèi meiyounger sister; young woman
姐姐jiě jieolder sister
字zìletter; symbol; character
学xuéto learn; to study; to imitate
学习xué xíto learn; to study
学校xué xiàoschool
学生xué shengstudent; schoolchild
孩子hái zichild
它tāit
它们tā menthey; them
家jiāhome; family; (polite) my (sister, uncle etc)
家人jiā rénfamily member; (old) servant
对duìright; correct; towards
对不起duì bu qǐI'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint
小xiǎosmall; tiny; few
小学xiǎo xuéelementary school; primary school
小学生xiǎo xué shēngprimary school student; schoolchild; (fig.) beginner
小时xiǎo shíhour
小朋友xiǎo péng yǒuchild; kid (used to refer to a child, or by an adult to address a child, or, in Taiwan, to refer to sb's own child)
少shǎofew; less; to lack
岁suìyears old
工作gōng zuòto work; (of a machine) to operate; job
年niányear; CL:個|个[ge4]
店diàninn; old-style hotel (CL:家[jia1]); (bound form) shop
开kāito open (transitive or intransitive); (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start; to turn on
开车kāi chēto drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online; to make a sexual joke
弟弟dì diyounger brother
很hěnvery; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
忙mángbusy; hurriedly; to hurry
怎么zěn mehow?; what?; why?
怎么样zěn me yànghow?; how about?; how was it?
您nínyou (courteous, as opposed to informal 你[ni3])
想xiǎngto think (about); to think of; to devise
我wǒI; me; my
我们wǒ menwe; us; ourselves; our
房间fáng jiānroom
手机shǒu jīcell phone; mobile phone
打电话dǎ diàn huàto make a telephone call
找zhǎoto try to find; to look for; to call on sb
新xīnnew; newly; meso- (chemistry)
日rìsun; day; date, day of the month
早zǎoearly; morning; Good morning!
早上zǎo shangearly morning
早饭zǎo fànbreakfast
时候shí houtime; length of time; moment
时间shí jiān(concept of) time; (duration of) time; (point in) time
明天míng tiāntomorrow
明年míng niánnext year
星期xīng qīweek; day of the week; Sunday
星期天Xīng qī tiānSunday
星期日Xīng qī rìSunday
昨天zuó tiānyesterday
是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right
晚wǎnevening; night; late
晚上wǎn shangevening; night; in the evening
晚饭wǎn fànevening meal; dinner; supper
月yuèmoon; month; monthly
有yǒuto have; there is; (bound form) having
有点儿yǒu diǎn rslightly; a little; somewhat
有些yǒu xiēsome; somewhat
有的yǒu de(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
朋友péng youfriend
本běn(bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin
来láito come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5])
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