What’s new

The changes to HSKStory each month: new stories, and what is different in the Reader and the apps.

October 2026

Updated Oct 20

Rewritten HSK 7–9 stories

All 37 HSK 7–9 stories are now revised versions, with updated translations, native-speaker voices and new covers.

HSK 7HSK 8HSK 9

8 new HSK 3 stories

HSK 3 has eight new stories, and twelve older ones were replaced with rewritten versions.

All HSK 3 stories

Measure words on word cards

Tap a noun and its word card now shows the measure words used with it.

书

shū

book

MW本 běn

Steadier page reading

In Pages mode, pages follow your finger during a swipe, and reopening a chapter keeps your place.

Also in October

Clearer word meanings
Word cards show meanings and readings that better match the story.
Clearer story library
Covers show your progress, and going back to the library keeps your place.
Faster saved-word lists
Long saved-word lists stay responsive while you browse, select and remove words.
Story passages in guides
Reading guides include story passages you can read, play and tap for word meanings.
Beginner syllabus pages
The HSK 1 and HSK 2 syllabus pages include examples and clearer grammar notes.
September 20268 changes
Sentence audio for saved words
Play the example sentence of a saved word, and hear sentence audio when you review flashcards.
Trainer waits for you
Trainer can pause after each sentence until you press Play.
Swipe between chapters
Swipe to the next or previous chapter in both Scroll and Pages modes.
Story openings before subscribing
Read a story's opening before subscribing, in your chosen text size.
Character names are marked
Names in stories are marked, and their word cards show a Name label.
Clearer story endings
The end of a story shows its rating, the next story and flashcard study in one place.
Idiom of the Day widget
A home-screen widget with a daily idiom, its pinyin and meaning.
Reviewed Anki examples
The HSK 1–4 Anki decks have reviewed example sentences and updated audio.Anki decks
August 20269 changes
New HSK 1 and HSK 5 stories
First Plane Trip at HSK 1, and four HSK 5 stories about shopping, swimming, river pollution and asking for help.
iPhone, iPad, and Android apps
HSKStory is on the App Store and Google Play, with the same account as the website.
Anki decks through HSK 9
Download HSK vocabulary decks with pronunciation audio and example sentences for offline study in Anki.
Word lookup in chapter titles
Tap words in chapter titles for definitions and pinyin.
Word definitions work offline
Look up Chinese words in downloaded stories without an internet connection.
Reading stats in the app
Open your reading stats from the Account screen.
Mixed flashcard directions
Study Chinese-to-English and English-to-Chinese cards throughout the same session.
Choose widget HSK levels
Select several HSK levels for the daily word on your home-screen widget.
Read a story again
Stories reopen where you left off, and you can mark a story unread to read it again.
July 202610 changes
Stories and audio offline
Save stories in the app for reading and listening without an internet connection.
Word examples before signup
Read and listen to example sentences for a word before signing in.
Swipe between reading pages
Swipe to turn pages and start audio from the page you chose.
Choose pauses between sentences
Set Trainer pauses to three, five, or eight seconds while practising with chapter audio.
Adjust listening speed
Set audio speed from 0.5× to 2× with a slider or preset buttons.
Clearer word cards
Keep the tapped sentence in view while reading definitions and sentence translations.
Study reminders in the app
Turn on study reminders that use your local timezone.
More sign-in choices
Sign in with Google on the web or with Apple and Google in the app when those options are available.
Quicker story opening
Stories open from what is saved on your phone while the app checks for updates.
Story ratings in the app
Rate a story after finishing it in the app.
June 20269 changes
Offline reading in the app
Downloaded stories stay available when your phone is offline.
Flashcards without a connection
Saved words and flashcard reviews remain available after an initial online load.
More beginner stories
Where Is Mom? and Career Crossroads add reading at HSK 1 and HSK 3.
Replay the sentence
During a Trainer pause, replay the current sentence before continuing.
Story audio in word examples
Word examples can play the matching sentence from a story's chapter audio.
Definitions that match the sentence
Word cards use the story's reading and recognize mixed words such as U盘 and T恤.
Saved words in two views
Switch saved words between compact and full views, filter by HSK level, and delete selected words.
Audio keeps its place
Audio keeps its saved position across sessions and voice changes.
Reading settings across devices
Text size, font, pinyin, tone colors, and script follow your account across devices.
May 20268 changes
Words in their story context
Flashcards show the sentence where you saved a word, with that word highlighted.
Adjust text with a slider
Use a slider to change the text size on story pages.
Eight more slang terms
Slang pages explain YYDS, 吃瓜, 996, 佛系, 小鲜肉, 打工人, 白富美, and 韭菜 with audio and examples.
Return to your reading place
Stories reopen at your saved place with your reading preferences restored.
Switch voices while listening
Change the native-speaker voice from the audio controls and continue from your place.
New stories are easier to spot
Recent stories carry a New badge in the story library.
New words alongside due reviews
Study sessions include due flashcards and a batch of words you have not studied yet.
Switch to a yearly plan
Monthly subscribers can switch to a yearly plan from their account.
April 202610 changes
Sentence translations while reading
Tap a story word to reveal the English translation of its sentence.
Read in Traditional Chinese
Switch story text, word cards, and saved words between Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Practice tests by HSK level
Timed reading tests show results by topic and suggest stories for further practice.
Grammar examples for each level
HSK syllabus pages pair grammar points with examples, pinyin, and English explanations.
Clearer word cards
Word cards show alternate readings and explain when a character is a measure word.
Slang with spoken examples
Slang pages explain informal Chinese with pinyin, cultural notes, and sentence audio.
Compare HSK vocabulary lists
The HSK Word Diff tool shows vocabulary that changes between HSK versions.
Closer audio highlighting
The highlighted story word follows chapter audio more closely.
Characters colored by tone
Turn tone colors on to see pronunciation tones in Chinese characters.
Character word families
The character guide groups related words by shared characters and HSK level.
March 202610 changes
Words follow the audio
Words highlight as chapter audio plays so you can follow the spoken text.
Flashcards for saved words
Review saved words with flashcards that schedule the next review from your answers.
Return to your reading
See your reading progress and continue the story you were reading.
Check your HSK level
A short reading quiz suggests which HSK level to start reading at.
Check a text's HSK words
Paste Chinese text to see its HSK word breakdown and highlighted words.
A new HSK 5 story
The Same Café, a new story at HSK 5.
Where characters come from
Read character origins and compare their historical forms.
Save words before signing in
Save words while signed out and bring them into your account when you sign in.
Audio from the lock screen
Control story audio from your device's lock screen where supported.
HSK vocabulary PDFs
Download HSK vocabulary lists with tone-colored pinyin and story example sentences.
February 20269 changes
Stories by HSK level
Read graded stories from a story library with an HSK level filter.
HSK 8 and 9 stories
Read stories at HSK 8 and HSK 9.
Word meanings while reading
Tap a word for pinyin, definitions, pronunciation, and available alternative readings.
Saved words with context
Save words and the sentence you met them in for later review.
Choose a reading voice
Choose between native-speaker voices for chapter audio.
Reading appearance controls
Change text size, choose Sans or Serif, and read in light, warm, or dark mode.
English titles and summaries
English story titles, short summaries, and chapter titles help you choose what to read.
Continuous chapter audio
Listen to chapter audio and continue into the next chapter.
Email sign-in
Sign in through an email link to keep an HSKStory account.