HSK 3 (3.0): 1,000 words and 655 characters — 2026 syllabus

Everything HSK 3 requires under the syllabus in force since 1 July 2026. Figures are cumulative: the level is also tested on everything below it. Counted from the official syllabus rather than copied from summaries — why that distinction matters here.

Words: 1,000; +500 at this level
Characters to read: 655; +284 at this level
Of those, to write: 250; by hand
Under HSK 2.0: 600; words at this level

HSK 3 characters: 284 new

Characters introduced at this level, with their stroke count underneath. The ones you also need to write by hand, rather than only recognise, are underlined in red — 150 of 284.

Every character above links to its own page: stroke order, readings, and every word in the syllabus that uses it. Printable practice sheets take any characters you paste in.

HSK 3 vocabulary: 500 new words

The start of the level’s word list, in syllabus order, with official pinyin and a short gloss. 500 glosses on this level were written by hand for the list rather than taken from a dictionary entry.

阿姨āyían aunt; a nanny
矮ǎishort (in height)
爱人àirena spouse; a partner
安静ānjìngquiet
安全ānquánsafe; safety
把bǎobject marker
搬bānto move; to shift
班级bānjía class; a form
搬家bānjiāto move house
办bànto handle; to see to
办法bànfǎway; method
办公室bàngōngshìoffice
半天bàntiānhalf a day; a long while
帮助bāngzhùto help
饱bǎofull; to eat one's fill
报纸bàozhǐa newspaper
北běinorth
北方běifāngthe north
被bèipassive marker
笔记bǐjìnotes; to take notes
比较bǐjiàofairly; to compare
笔记本bǐjìběna notebook; a laptop
比如bǐrúfor instance; such as
比赛bǐsàicompetition
必须bìxūmust; have to
变biànto change
遍biànall over; measure word for whole rounds
变成biànchéngto turn into; to become
变化biànhuàchange
表演biǎoyǎnto perform; performance
别的biédeother; something else
别人biérénother people
宾馆bīnguǎna guesthouse; a hotel
冰bīngice
冰激凌bīngjīlíngice cream
冰箱bīngxiānga fridge
病人bìngréna patient; a sick person
不但búdànnot only
不见bújiànto not see; to go missing
不用búyòngno need to

Full HSK 3 word list — 500 words →

Requirements in numbers

HSK 3 characters: 284 new

HSK 3 vocabulary: 500 new words