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HSK vocabulary lists: new HSK 1–4 and old HSK 1–6

The HSK exam syllabus released in November 2025 (HSK 3.0) sets 300 words for HSK 1, 500 by HSK 2, 1,000 by HSK 3 and 2,000 by HSK 4. Hanzi Grove has all four lists free, plus the 2021 standard lists and the six old HSK 2.0 levels. Every word is split into its parts and strokes, with pinyin, audio and example sentences.

Not sure which list is yours? If you are taking the exam, use the 2025 lists. If your textbook follows the old HSK, use the old lists. Our guide How many words are in HSK 1? explains the three sets of numbers.

HSK 1–4: current exam lists (2025 syllabus)

HSK 1300 new words · 300 in total30 groups · BeginnerHSK 2200 new words · 500 in total20 groups · BeginnerHSK 3500 new words · 1,000 in total50 groups · BeginnerHSK 41,000 new words · 2,000 in total100 groups · Intermediate

Old HSK 1–6 (HSK 2.0, used by many textbooks)

Old HSK 1150 words15 groupsOld HSK 2150 words15 groupsOld HSK 3300 words30 groupsOld HSK 4600 words60 groupsOld HSK 51,300 words130 groupsOld HSK 62,500 words250 groups

HSK 1–4: 2021 standard lists (used in the Hanzi Grove app)

HSK 1 · 2021500 words50 groupsHSK 2 · 2021772 words78 groupsHSK 3 · 2021973 words98 groupsHSK 4 · 20211,000 words100 groups

Common questions

How many words are in each HSK level?

In the HSK exam syllabus released in November 2025 (HSK 3.0), HSK 1 has 300 words. HSK 2 adds 200 (500 in total), HSK 3 adds 500 (1,000), HSK 4 adds 1,000 (2,000), HSK 5 reaches 3,600, HSK 6 reaches 5,400 and HSK 7–9 reach 11,000. The old HSK 2.0 needed 150, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,500 and 5,000 words.

Why do some sites say HSK 1 has 500 words?

The 500-word figure comes from the 2021 standard (GF0025-2021). The exam syllabus released in November 2025 uses shorter lists for the exam: 300 words at HSK 1. Hanzi Grove shows both, plus the old 150-word HSK 2.0 list.

Which list should I study?

If you are preparing for the exam, study the 2025 exam syllabus lists. If your course or textbook still follows HSK 2.0, use the old HSK lists. The basic words overlap a lot, so time spent on one list is not wasted.

Is Hanzi Grove free?

Yes. Every list, character page, breakdown, example sentence and quick check is free, and you do not need to sign up.