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Every HSK Trainer guide, complete vocabulary list and quiz in one place. If you don't know where to start, this page is built to answer that specific question first — not just hand you a wall of links.
The HSK scale (the new HSK 3.0 standard, whose syllabus has been the official reference since July 1, 2026 — see exactly what changed) has 9 levels, but HSK Trainer covers the first 6 — plenty to hold a real conversation and read general news. If you've never studied Chinese, start with HSK 1: it's not the most interesting level on its own, but nearly every sentence at higher levels still relies on it. If you already have some background (classes, time abroad, self-study), the fastest path is jumping straight into an intermediate-level quiz (HSK 3 or 4): the words you miss tell you exactly where to pick up, without re-reading everything from scratch.
Each level below opens its description, its complete vocabulary list, and its quiz.
Organized by grammatical function, not by topic: pronouns (我, 你, 他), essential verbs (是, 有, 不), particles (的, 了, 吗). Not the richest level on its own, but nearly every sentence at higher levels still leans on it — really knowing this list changes everything downstream.
The step that turns isolated words into real sentences: connectors (因为/所以, 虽然/但是) and time markers (已经, 正在) that link ideas together instead of just naming them.
The beginner/intermediate hinge: enough to nuance a thought (不但...而且...) and cover broader topics — decisions, opportunities, health. The level where Chinese stops being purely descriptive.
More engaged, adult-sounding vocabulary: experience, pressure, adaptation, competition. Plenty of similar-looking two-syllable verbs (适应, 应付, 应该) that need to be told apart precisely.
Analytical Chinese: logic, contradiction, trend, factor — the words for building an argument, not just describing a situation. Enough to follow an abstract discussion or an in-depth article.
The final level of the 1-6 scale: specialized, abstract vocabulary, close to a cultivated native speaker. Levels 7 through 9 of the HSK 3.0 standard exist beyond this, not yet covered by HSK Trainer.
HSK 3.0: what changed — to understand the official standard behind these 6 levels (and what exists beyond them).
Vocabulary alone isn't enough: reading a character, writing it, and pronouncing it with the right tone are three distinct skills that need separate practice.
Recognizing a character without relying on pinyin is its own skill, not just a byproduct of vocabulary — plenty of learners can say a word out loud but can't re-read it in isolation a few weeks later.
Stroke order isn't a formality: it's what makes handwriting legible and a character genuinely memorable. A dedicated practice mode lets you write real HSK words, guided stroke by stroke or freehand.
Pronunciation is best trained in two steps: pinyin for phonetic reading (no character as a crutch), then tones specifically — most real speaking mistakes come from a misplaced tone, not a wrong word choice.
Once you've started several levels, mixing vocabulary into a single practice session — with full sentences rather than isolated words — helps consolidate what's already been seen, with spaced repetition targeting what's actually being forgotten.
The whole guide also exists in French, with its own vocabulary lists, quizzes and examples: Apprendre le chinois — le guide complet.
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