HSK 3 (3.0) vocabulary list: 500 words with pinyin
The complete word list for this level, in the order of the official syllabus — the one in force since 1 July 2026. Numbering runs across the whole syllabus, so this level starts at 501. Counting everything below it, HSK 3 covers 1,000 words.
500 of these glosses were written by hand for this list rather than taken from a dictionary entry. We checked them against CC-CEDICT, but the choice of sense is ours: a dictionary entry does not start with the meaning this list needs.
- 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
- 不同bù tóngdifferent; not the same
- 不久bùjiǔbefore long; soon
- 不行bùxíngwon't do; no good
- 才cáionly then; just
- 菜单càidānmenu
- 参加cānjiāto take part in
- 草cǎograss
- 草地cǎodìa lawn; a meadow
- 层cénga floor; a layer
- 查cháto look up; to check
- 差chàto lack; a difference; poor
- 差不多chàbuduōalmost; about the same
- 尝chángto taste; to try
- 常chángoften; ordinary
- 常见cháng jiàncommon; frequently seen
- 常用cháng yòngcommonly used
- 常常chángchángoften
- 衬衫chènshāna shirt; a blouse
- 成绩chéngjìresult; grade
- 城市chéngshìcity
- 迟到chídàoto be late
- 出发chūfāto set off; to start out
- 出生chūshēngto be born
- 出院chūyuànto be discharged from hospital
- 初中chūzhōnglower secondary school
- 除了chúleapart from
- 船chuána boat; a ship
- 春天chūntiānspring
- 词典cídiǎna dictionary
- 聪明cōngmíngclever
- 打扫dǎsǎoto sweep; to clean
- 打算dǎsuànto plan
- 大概dàgàiprobably; roughly
- 大人dàrenan adult
- 大小dàxiǎosize
- 大熊猫dàxióngmāoa giant panda
- 大衣dàyīan overcoat
- 带dàito bring; to lead
- 担心dānxīnto worry
- 蛋糕dàngāoa cake
- 当然dāngránof course; naturally
- 到处dàochùeverywhere
- 得déto have to
- 得到dédàoto get; to obtain
- 得分défēnto score; a score
- 的话dehuàif (at the end of a clause)
- 得děito have to
- 灯dēnga lamp; a light
- 地dìadverbial suffix
- 地点dìdiǎna place; a venue
- 地方dìfangplace
- 地图dìtúmap
- 电diànelectricity
- 电梯diàntīa lift; an escalator
- 电子书diànzǐshūan e-book
- 丢diūto lose; to throw away
- 东dōngeast
- 东北dōngběithe northeast
- 东方dōngfāngthe east
- 东南dōngnánthe southeast
- 冬天dōngtiānwinter
- 懂得dǒngdeto understand; to know how
- 动物dòngwùanimal
- 动物园dòngwùyuána zoo
- 短duǎnshort; brief
- 短裤duǎnkùshorts
- 段duànmeasure word: section, stretch
- 锻炼duànliànto work out
- 对话duìhuàa dialogue; to hold talks
- 饿èhungry; to starve
- 而且érqiěmoreover
- 耳朵ěrduoear
- 耳机ěrjīheadphones; earphones
- 发fāto send
- 发烧fāshāoto have a fever
- 发生fāshēngto happen; to occur
- 发现fāxiànto discover
- 发展fāzhǎnto develop; development
- 方便fāngbiànconvenient
- 方便面fāngbiànmiàninstant noodles
- 方法fāngfǎa method; a way
- 方向fāngxiànga direction
- 房子fángzia house; a flat
- 放fàngto put
- 放假fàngjiàto have time off; to break up
- 放心fàngxīnto be reassured; not to worry
- 放学fàngxuéto finish school for the day
- 分开fēnkāito separate; to part
- 风fēngwind
- 封fēngmeasure word for letters
- 夫妻fūqīhusband and wife
- 服务fúwùto serve; service
- 附近fùjìnnearby; the vicinity
- 复习fùxíto revise
- 该gāishould; this; the said
- 干净gānjìngclean
- 感兴趣gǎn xìngqùto be interested in
- 感到gǎndàoto feel; to sense
- 感冒gǎnmàoa cold; to catch a cold
- 干gànto do; to work at
- 刚gāngjust now
- 刚才gāngcáia moment ago
- 刚刚gānggāngjust now; exactly
- 高铁gāotiěhigh-speed rail
- 根据gēnjùaccording to
- 更gèngeven more
- 公斤gōngjīna kilogram
- 公园gōngyuánpark
- 工作日gōngzuòrìa working day
- 故事gùshistory
- 刮guāto blow (of wind); to scrape
- 关guānto close; to turn off
- 关机guānjīto switch off; to shut down
- 关系guānxìa relationship; connection
- 关心guānxīnto care about
- 关于guānyúabout
- 关注guānzhùto follow closely; attention
- 国家guójiācountry
- 过节guòjiéto celebrate a festival
- 过去guòqùthe past; to pass by
- 海hǎithe sea
- 害怕hàipàto be afraid
- 好多hǎoduōa great many
- 好久hǎojiǔa long time
- 好像hǎoxiàngit seems; as if
- 号码hàomǎa number
- 河héa river
- 合适héshìsuitable; just right
- 黑板hēibǎnblackboard
- 红绿灯hóng-lǜdēnga traffic light
- 后来hòuláilater; afterwards
- 后年hòuniánthe year after next
- 后天hòutiānthe day after tomorrow
- 护照hùzhàoa passport
- 花园huāyuángarden
- 画家huàjiāa painter; an artist
- 欢迎huānyíngto welcome; welcome
- 还huánstill
- 环境huánjìngenvironment
- 换huànto change
- 黄色huángsèyellow
- 回答huídáto answer
- 会huìcan; will
- 会议huìyìmeeting
- 或huòor; perhaps
- 或者huòzhěor
- 鸡jīa chicken
- 几乎jīhūalmost
- 机会jīhuìchance
- 极jíextremely
- 急jíurgent; to be in a hurry
- 记jìto remember; to note down
- 季jìa season; a quarter
- 季节jìjiéseason
- 加jiāto add; plus
- 假期jiàqīholidays; vacation
- 坚持jiānchíto persist in; to insist on
- 检查jiǎncháto check; an inspection
- 简单jiǎndānsimple
- 检票jiǎnpiàoto check tickets
- 健康jiànkānghealth; healthy
- 见面jiànmiànto meet; to see each other
- 讲jiǎngto tell; to speak
- 角jiǎocorner; jiao (0.1 yuan)
- 脚jiǎoa foot; the base
- 接jiēto meet; to answer (a call)
- 街jiēa street
- 节jiéfestival; joint
- 结婚jiéhūnto get married
- 节目jiémùprogramme
- 节日jiérìholiday
- 结束jiéshùto end; to finish
- 解决jiějuéto solve
- 姐妹jiěmèisisters
- 借jièto borrow; to lend
- 斤jīna jin, half a kilo
- 经过jīngguòto pass through; after
- 经理jīnglǐa manager
- 久jiǔlong (time)
- 酒jiǔalcohol; wine
- 旧jiùold; used
- 句jùsentence (measure word)
- 句子jùzisentence
- 决定juédìngto decide
- 卡kǎa card
- 开花kāihuāto blossom; to bloom
- 开会kāihuìto hold a meeting
- 开机kāijīto switch on; to boot up
- 开心kāixīnhappy; to enjoy oneself
- 看来kànláiit seems; apparently
- 可kěcan; may; but
- 渴kěthirsty
- 可爱kě’àilovely; cute
- 可是kěshìbut; however
- 刻kèquarter of an hour
- 课本kèběna textbook
- 客人kèrénguest
- 课文kèwéna text; a lesson text
- 空调kōngtiáoair conditioning
- 哭kūto cry
- 筷子kuàizichopsticks
- 矿泉水kuàngquánshuǐmineral water
- 来自láizìto come from
- 蓝lánblue
- 老lǎoold; always
- 老人lǎorénan elderly person
- 离开líkāito leave
- 礼物lǐwùpresent
- 历史lìshǐhistory
- 脸liǎnface
- 练liànto practise; to train
- 练习liànxíto practise; exercise
- 凉快liángkuaipleasantly cool
- 辆liàngmeasure word for vehicles
- 聊liáoto chat
- 聊天儿liáotiānrto chat; to have a natter
- 了解liǎojiěto understand; to find out
- 邻居línjūneighbour
- 留学liúxuéto study abroad
- 留学生liúxuéshēngan international student
- 楼梯lóutīstairs; a staircase
- 路边lùbiānthe roadside
- 路口lùkǒua crossroads; a junction
- 马mǎhorse
- 马路mǎlùa road; a street
- 马上mǎshàngat once
- 满意mǎnyìsatisfied
- 毛máoa mao, ten cents; hair
- 米mǐa metre; rice
- 面前miànqiánin front of; before
- 明白míngbaito understand
- 名单míngdāna list of names
- 名人míngréna celebrity
- 南nánsouth
- 难nándifficult
- 南方nánfāngthe south
- 难过nánguòto feel bad; upset
- 难看nánkànugly; unsightly
- 男人nánréna man
- 男生nánshēnga male student
- 难题nántía difficult problem
- 难听nántīngunpleasant to hear
- 年级niánjíyear (at school)
- 年轻niánqīngyoung
- 牛niúa cow; an ox
- 努力nǔlìto make an effort
- 女人nǚréna woman
- 女生nǚshēnga female student
- 爬páto climb; to crawl
- 怕pàto fear
- 拍照pāizhàoto take a photo
- 盘子pánziplate
- 胖pàngplump; overweight
- 啤酒píjiǔbeer
- 平时píngshíin normal times; usually
- 瓶子píngzia bottle
- 骑qíto ride
- 奇怪qíguàistrange
- 其实qíshíactually
- 其他qítāother; the rest
- 起qǐto rise
- 起飞qǐfēito take off
- 汽车qìchēa car; a motor vehicle
- 铅笔qiānbǐpencil
- 前年qiánniánthe year before last
- 前天qiántiānthe day before yesterday
- 清楚qīngchuclear
- 请假qǐngjiàto ask for leave
- 请客qǐngkèto treat sb; to pay for the meal
- 秋天qiūtiānautumn
- 球场qiúchǎnga pitch; a court
- 裙子qúnziskirt
- 然后ránhòuthen; afterwards
- 热情rèqíngwarm; enthusiasm
- 认得rèndeto recognise; to know
- 认为rènwéito think; to consider
- 认真rènzhēnserious; conscientious
- 容易róngyìeasy
- 如果rúguǒif
- 伞sǎnumbrella
- 扫sǎoto sweep
- 沙发shāfāa sofa
- 山shānmountain
- 上衣shàngyījacket; upper garment
- 勺子sháozia spoon
- 身边shēnbiānat one's side; on one
- 身高shēngāoheight
- 声shēnga sound; measure word for sounds
- 生活shēnghuólife
- 生气shēngqìto get angry
- 声音shēngyīnsound; voice
- 市shìa city; a market
- 试shìto try
- 室shìa room; an office
- 世界shìjièworld
- 收shōuto receive
- 收到shōudàoto receive
- 受shòuto receive; to suffer
- 瘦shòuthin
- 受到shòudàoto receive; to be subjected to
- 叔叔shūshuuncle
- 树shùtree
- 数学shùxuémaths
- 刷shuāto brush
- 双shuāngmeasure word: pair
- 水平shuǐpínglevel; standard
- 司机sījīdriver
- 四季sìjìthe four seasons
- 太阳tàiyángsun
- 糖tángsugar; sweets
- 特别tèbiéespecially; special
- 提高tígāoto improve
- 体育tǐyùsport; physical education
- 体育馆tǐyùguǎna gym; a sports hall
- 甜tiánsweet
- 跳tiàoto jump; to skip
- 听说tīngshuōto hear that; they say
- 挺tǐngquite; rather
- 同事tóngshìcolleague
- 同意tóngyìto agree
- 头发tóufahair (on the head)
- 突然tūránsuddenly
- 图书馆túshūguǎnlibrary
- 腿tuǐa leg
- 外地wàidìanother part of the country
- 外卖wàimàia takeaway; food delivery
- 外语wàiyǔa foreign language
- 完成wánchéngto complete
- 碗wǎnbowl
- 晚点wǎndiǎnto be delayed; late
- 晚会wǎnhuìan evening party
- 网球wǎngqiútennis
- 网站wǎngzhàna website
- 忘记wàngjìto forget
- 为wèifor; for the sake of
- 为了wèilein order to
- 卫生间wèishēngjiāna bathroom; a toilet
- 文化wénhuàculture
- 屋子wūzia room
- 西xīwest
- 西北xīběithe northwest
- 西方xīfāngthe West
- 西瓜xīguāa watermelon
- 西南xīnánthe southwest
- 习惯xíguànhabit; to get used to
- 喜爱xǐ’àito like; to be fond of
- 洗衣机xǐyījīa washing machine
- 洗澡xǐzǎoto have a bath or shower
- 夏天xiàtiānsummer
- 先xiānfirst; beforehand
- 香蕉xiāngjiāobanana
- 相信xiāngxìnto believe
- 箱子xiāngzia suitcase; a box
- 向xiàngtowards; to face
- 像xiàngto resemble; such as
- 相机xiàngjīa camera
- 小区xiǎoqūa residential district
- 小心xiǎoxīnto be careful
- 校园xiàoyuána campus; school grounds
- 校长xiàozhǎngheadmaster
- 鞋xiéshoes
- 心里xīnlǐin one's heart; inwardly
- 新年xīnniánthe New Year
- 新闻xīnwénnews
- 新鲜xīnxiānfresh
- 信xìnletter; to believe
- 信用卡xìnyòngkǎa credit card
- 行xíngall right; to walk
- 行李xíngliluggage
- 兴趣xìngqùinterest
- 休假xiūjiàto take leave; on holiday
- 需要xūyàoto need
- 选xuǎnto choose; to select
- 选择xuǎnzéto choose
- 学期xuéqīa term; a semester
- 牙yátooth
- 牙刷yáshuāa toothbrush
- 羊yánga sheep; a goat
- 养yǎngto raise; to keep; to support
- 要求yāoqiúto require; requirement
- 页yèa page
- 一定yídìngcertainly
- 一共yígòngin total
- 一块儿yíkuàirtogether
- 一样yíyàngthe same; alike
- 以后yǐhòuafter; later
- 以前yǐqiánbefore; ago
- 以上yǐshàngabove; more than
- 以外yǐwàiapart from; outside
- 以为yǐwéito think (mistakenly)
- 以下yǐxiàbelow; less than
- 一般yìbānusual; ordinary
- 一边yìbiānat the same time (一边…一边…)
- 一直yìzhíall along; straight on
- 音乐yīnyuèmusic
- 银行yínhángbank
- 银行卡yínhángkǎa bank card
- 饮料yǐnliàoa drink; a beverage
- 应该yīnggāishould; ought to
- 影响yǐngxiǎnginfluence; to affect
- 用yòngto use
- 邮件yóujiànpost; mail
- 游客yóukèa tourist; a visitor
- 游戏yóuxìa game; to play
- 邮箱yóuxiānga postbox; an email inbox
- 有关yǒuguānrelated to; concerning
- 有名yǒumíngfamous
- 有用yǒuyònguseful
- 又yòuagain
- 羽毛球yǔmáoqiúbadminton
- 语言yǔyána language
- 雨衣yǔyīa raincoat
- 遇到yùdàoto come across; to run into
- 遇见yùjiànto meet; to encounter
- 园yuána garden; a park
- 员yuána member; a worker
- 愿意yuànyìto be willing; to want
- 越yuèthe more… the more…
- 月亮yuèliangthe moon
- 运动会yùndònghuìa sports meet; athletics day
- 运动员yùndòngyuánan athlete
- 咱们zánmenwe; us (including you)
- 脏zāngdirty; filthy
- 怎么办zěnme bànwhat should we do
- 怎样zěnyànghow; in what way
- 站zhànto stand; a station
- 张zhāngmeasure word: flat objects
- 长zhǎngto grow
- 着急zháojíto worry; to be in a hurry
- 照zhàoto shine; to photograph
- 照顾zhàogùto look after
- 照片zhàopiànphoto
- 照相zhàoxiàngto take a photograph
- 直到zhídàountil; up to
- 只zhǐonly
- 纸zhǐpaper
- 只能zhǐ néngcan only; have no choice but
- 只是zhǐshìonly; simply
- 只要zhǐyàoas long as
- 只有zhǐyǒuonly; only if
- 中zhōngmiddle; in
- 中间zhōngjiānin the middle; between
- 终于zhōngyúat last
- 种zhǒngmeasure word: kind, sort
- 重要zhòngyàoimportant
- 周末zhōumòweekend
- 主要zhǔyàomain
- 注意zhùyìto pay attention
- 住院zhùyuànto be admitted to hospital
- 字典zìdiǎndictionary
- 自行车zìxíngchēa bicycle
- 子zinoun suffix
- 总zǒngalways; general
- 总是zǒngshìalways
- 嘴zuǐthe mouth
- 最好zuìhǎothe best; had better
- 最后zuìhòulast; in the end
- 最近zuìjìnrecently
- 做客zuòkèto be a guest
- 作业zuòyèhomework
Where these numbers come from
The list was parsed from the official syllabus PDF — 406 pages — rather than copied from another site. Two independently parsed parts of that document agree exactly: the set of characters used across all 11,000 words is precisely the syllabus’s own list of 3,088 characters to recognise, with none left over on either side.