Passing the HSK 1 exam requires you to know a specific set of foundational Mandarin vocabulary words.

This beginner level tests your ability to understand and use very simple Chinese phrases.

The standard HSK 1 list contains exactly 150 essential words.

I’ve categorized these words by their part of speech to make your study sessions much easier.

Learning these terms will give you a solid foundation for basic daily communication in Mandarin.

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence.

Mandarin pronouns are incredibly simple because they don’t change based on the subject or object of a sentence.

You only need to add one character (们 - men) to make a pronoun plural.

Numbers and measure words

Counting in Mandarin is highly logical.

Once you learn the numbers from one to ten, you can easily form numbers all the way up to 99.

This section also includes measure words, which are required when counting objects or people in Chinese.

Time and dates

Expressing time is a daily necessity in any language.

Mandarin time structures always move from the largest unit of time to the smallest unit.

You’ll place the time word either at the very beginning of the sentence or directly after the subject.

Common nouns

Nouns make up the largest portion of the HSK 1 vocabulary list.

These cover basic everyday items, family members, professions, and common places.

I’ve grouped the most important nouns below.

Essential verbs

Verbs are the action words that drive your sentences.

Mandarin verbs don’t conjugate based on tense or the person speaking.

You use the exact same verb form for past, present, and future actions.

Adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs modify verbs or adjectives.

In Mandarin, adjectives can often act as verbs themselves.

You’ll frequently use the adverb 很 (hěn) to link nouns and adjectives together.

Question words and particles

Asking questions is how you’ll navigate most of your early Mandarin conversations.

Mandarin sentence structure doesn’t change when you ask a question.

You simply replace the unknown information with the appropriate question word.