HSK 1 Explained: What It Covers and a 30-Day Plan

HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is the standard test of Mandarin for non-native speakers. HSK 1 is the first level. It is a good first goal even if you never sit the exam, because it defines a small, useful core of the language: simple greetings, numbers, family, food, time and basic sentences.

What HSK 1 covers

In the long-established version of the test (HSK 2.0), HSK 1 is based on about 150 words. The exam has a listening section and a reading section, around 40 questions in total, and takes about 40 minutes. The test uses characters, with pinyin in the early parts. A newer HSK standard has been introduced with nine levels and longer word lists, with around 500 words at the first level, so check which version your test centre uses before you plan.

At this level you are expected to understand and use very simple phrases about yourself and everyday needs. In practice that means:

• Greeting people and introducing yourself: 你好, 我叫…, 我是…人.
• Numbers, dates and prices.
• Family, food, drink and common objects.
• Basic verbs: 是, 有, 在, 去, 来, 吃, 喝, 看, 买, 想, 要, 喜欢.
• Simple questions: 吗, 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少.

The sentence patterns to know

• A is B: 我是学生 wǒ shì xuésheng (I am a student).
• Having: 我有一只狗 wǒ yǒu yì zhī gǒu (I have a dog).
• Location: 他在家 tā zài jiā (he is at home).
• Wanting: 我想喝茶 wǒ xiǎng hē chá (I want to drink tea).
• Liking: 我喜欢苹果 wǒ xǐhuan píngguǒ (I like apples).
• Yes-no questions: 你好吗？ nǐ hǎo ma? (how are you?).
• Negation: 我不是老师 wǒ bú shì lǎoshī (I am not a teacher), 我没有钱 wǒ méiyǒu qián (I have no money).

There are no verb endings to learn, so these patterns carry you a long way.

A 30-day plan

Plan for 30 to 45 minutes a day. The plan assumes you start from zero.

Week 1: sounds and greetings

• Days 1 to 3: learn pinyin and the four tones. Read pinyin explained and use the tone drill.
• Days 4 to 5: the greetings lesson: 你好, 谢谢, 再见, 对不起.
• Days 6 to 7: numbers 0 to 99 and the numbers topic. Review the week.

Week 2: people and things

• Days 8 to 10: family and personal pronouns: 我, 你, 他, 她, 我们.
• Days 11 to 12: food and drink.
• Days 13 to 14: colours, animals and the body. Use Whack-a-Word to review.

Week 3: sentences

• Days 15 to 17: 是, 有, 在: the first three patterns above, with the starter level in Chinese sentences.
• Days 18 to 19: 想, 要, 喜欢 with food and drink. Try Fill the Blank.
• Days 20 to 21: questions with 吗, 什么, 哪儿, 多少. Practise them in the cafe scene.

Week 4: time, review and speaking

• Days 22 to 24: days, dates and time: 今天, 明天, 星期几. See numbers, dates and money.
• Days 25 to 27: measure words and the pattern number + measure word + noun. See the measure-word guide.
• Days 28 to 30: review the whole list, do a round of dictation, and say your five introduction sentences aloud.

How to study each day

1. 10 minutes of new words: hear them, say them, see the picture.
2. 10 minutes of review: yesterday's and last week's words.
3. 10 minutes of sentences: listen, repeat, then answer.
4. 5 to 10 minutes of speaking: say your reply aloud in a scene.

After 30 days

You will not be fluent, but you will have a base: roughly 150 words, a working knowledge of the tones and a handful of sentence patterns. That is the point where Chinese starts to feel like a language, not a puzzle. Choose the next goal (HSK 2 adds roughly another 150 words in the older version) and keep the habit. If you want an idea of how long the road to higher levels is, read how long it takes to learn Chinese.

If you fall behind

Missing a day is normal. Do not try to catch up by doubling the next day. Pick up where you left off, and cut the least useful part of the plan, which is usually the new words, not the review. A month with 20 steady days beats a month with five heroic ones.

Begin with the beginner path: eight short lessons that follow this plan, with pinyin, pictures and audio for every word.