How many words are in HSK Level 2?

The new HSK 3.0 Level 2 adds 200 new vocabulary terms, for 500 words in total through this level.

How many characters do you need for HSK 2?

The new HSK 3.0 Level 2 adds 200 new vocabulary terms, but only 125 new Chinese characters, because many of the new words reuse characters from earlier levels, such as: 来 (to come): 出来 (to come out), 回来 (to come back), 起来 (to get up); 去 (to go): 出去 (to go out), 回去 (to go back), 进去 (to go in). By the end of this level, you need to know 371 characters in total.

How long does it take to pass each HSK level?

The Chinese HSK becomes more difficult as the levels increase, and upper levels contain more and more vocabulary, which is naturally harder and more advanced as well. For someone very hard-working you may be able to pass HSK 1 or 2 exams with 3-6 months of serious study, but proficiency at upper levels may take a few years to reach. See our full HSK Guide for more guidance.

Where can I download the HSK vocabulary lists?

You can find our full HSK download page here which provides free PDF, CSV, JSON and Anki text file downloads for each level in the new HSK 3.0 syllabus.

Where can I find the other HSK Levels?

The new HSK 3.0 syllabus has nine levels: HSK 1 to 6, then HSK 7–9 as one combined, advanced group.

HSK 2 Vocabulary: Characters and Pinyin

Sean Smith1 min readLast updated Nov 6, 2026

The new HSK 3.0 Level 2 adds 200 new vocabulary terms and 125 new Chinese characters, for 500 words and 371 characters in total.[1]

Here you can find the full HSK Level 2 vocabulary list, with pinyin and translations for each word.

HSK 2 download

View all HSK downloads Free HSK 2 PDF download

HSK 3.0 Level 2 • 200 new words • 125 new characters

★ words make an appearance in Second Language

#	Simplified	Traditional	Pinyin	English
1	啊	啊	a	(exclamatory sentence-final particle)
2	爱好	愛好	àihào	to be fond of; hobby; interest
3	白色	白色	báisè	white
4	班	班	bān	class; team; work shift
5	帮Taught in Second Language	幫	bāng	to help; to assist
6	帮忙	幫忙	bāngmáng	to help; to do a favor
7	包	包	bāo	to wrap; bag; package
8	本子	本子	běnzi	notebook; book
9	比Taught in Second Language	比	bǐ	to compare; than
10	笔	筆	bǐ	pen; writing brush
11	别Taught in Second Language	別	bié	don't
12	不错	不錯	búcuò	not bad; pretty good
13	不好意思	不好意思	bù hǎoyìsi	embarrassed; sorry to trouble you
14	长	長	cháng	long
15	车站	車站	chēzhàn	station; stop
16	出	出	chū	to go out; to come out
17	出国	出國	chūguó	to go abroad
18	出来Taught in Second Language	出來	chūlái	to come out
19	出门	出門	chūmén	to go out; to leave home
20	出去	出去	chūqù	to go out
21	床	床	chuáng	bed
22	词	詞	cí	word
23	次	次	cì	time (occurrence); measure word for occurrences
24	从Taught in Second Language	從	cóng	from; through
25	从小	從小	cóngxiǎo	since childhood
26	错	錯	cuò	wrong; mistake
27	打Taught in Second Language	打	dǎ	to hit; to strike
28	打车	打車	dǎchē	to take a taxi
29	打开	打開	dǎkāi	to open; to turn on
30	但Taught in Second Language	但	dàn	but; only
31	但是Taught in Second Language	但是	dànshì	but; however
32	得	得	de	(particle marking degree or result)
33	地Taught in Second Language	地	de	(adverbial particle, '-ly')
34	等Taught in Second Language	等	děng	to wait; to wait for
35	地铁	地鐵	dìtiě	subway; metro
36	点Taught in Second Language	點	diǎn	to order (food); to click; to tap; to light
37	懂	懂	dǒng	to understand
38	动	動	dòng	to move
39	饭馆	飯館	fànguǎn	restaurant
40	飞	飛	fēi	to fly
41	高	高	gāo	tall; high
42	高中	高中	gāozhōng	senior high school
43	告诉Taught in Second Language	告訴	gàosu	to tell; to inform
44	个子	個子	gèzi	height; stature; build
45	跟Taught in Second Language	跟	gēn	with; and; to follow
46	公交车	公交車	gōngjiāochē	public bus
47	过	過	guò	to pass; to spend (time)
48	过来Taught in Second Language	過來	guòlái	to come over
49	过年	過年	guònián	to celebrate the Lunar New Year
50	过去	過去	guòqù	to go over; to pass by
51	过	過	guo	(experienced-action particle)
52	还是Taught in Second Language	還是	háishi	or; still; had better
53	黑色	黑色	hēisè	black
54	红茶	紅茶	hóngchá	black tea
55	红色	紅色	hóngsè	red
56	后面	後面	hòumiàn	behind; the back
57	花	花	huā	to spend (money, time)
58	花	花	huā	flower; fancy pattern
59	画	畫	huà	to draw; to paint; painting
60	坏	壞	huài	bad; broken
61	回来Taught in Second Language	回來	huílái	to come back
62	回去	回去	huíqù	to go back
63	机场	機場	jīchǎng	airport
64	机票	機票	jīpiào	plane ticket
65	记得Taught in Second Language	記得	jìde	to remember
66	间	間	jiān	measure word for rooms; room
67	教	教	jiāo	to teach
68	教室	教室	jiàoshì	classroom
69	介绍	介紹	jièshào	to introduce
70	进	進	jìn	to enter; to advance
71	近	近	jìn	near; close
72	进来	進來	jìnlái	to come in
73	进去	進去	jìnqù	to go in
74	经常	經常	jīngcháng	often; frequently
75	酒店	酒店	jiǔdiàn	hotel; restaurant
76	就Taught in Second Language	就	jiù	then; right away; precisely
77	咖啡	咖啡	kāfēi	coffee
78	开始Taught in Second Language	開始	kāishǐ	to begin; beginning
79	开学	開學	kāixué	to start school; to begin a new term
80	考	考	kǎo	to take an exam; to test
81	考试	考試	kǎoshì	to take an exam; exam
82	可能Taught in Second Language	可能	kěnéng	possible; maybe
83	裤子	褲子	kùzi	pants; trousers
84	快Taught in Second Language	快	kuài	fast; quick; soon
85	快乐	快樂	kuàilè	happy
86	快要	快要	kuàiyào	about to; soon
87	篮球	籃球	lánqiú	basketball
88	累	累	lèi	tired
89	离	離	lí	to leave; away from; from
90	里面	裡面	lǐmiàn	inside
91	楼	樓	lóu	building; floor
92	路	路	lù	road; route
93	路上	路上	lùshang	on the way
94	旅游	旅遊	lǚyóu	to travel; tourism
95	绿茶	綠茶	lǜchá	green tea
96	绿色	綠色	lǜsè	green
97	慢	慢	màn	slow
98	没意思	沒意思	méi yìsi	boring; of no interest
99	每	每	měi	each; every
100	门	門	mén	door; gate
101	门口	門口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance
102	门票	門票	ménpiào	entrance ticket
103	面	面	miàn	side (suffix); face; surface
104	名	名	míng	name; measure word for people
105	拿Taught in Second Language	拿	ná	to take; to hold
106	那么Taught in Second Language	那麼	nàme	like that; so; then
107	那样	那樣	nàyàng	that way; that kind
108	奶茶	奶茶	nǎichá	milk tea
109	奶奶	奶奶	nǎinai	grandmother (paternal)
110	男孩儿	男孩兒	nánháir	boy
111	鸟	鳥	niǎo	bird
112	女孩儿	女孩兒	nǚháir	girl
113	旁边	旁邊	pángbiān	beside; next to
114	跑	跑	pǎo	to run
115	跑步	跑步	pǎobù	to run; to jog
116	票	票	piào	ticket
117	妻子	妻子	qīzi	wife
118	起来Taught in Second Language	起來	qǐlái	to get up; to stand up
119	前面	前面	qiánmiàn	in front; ahead
120	晴	晴	qíng	sunny; clear (weather)
121	球	球	qiú	ball
122	让Taught in Second Language	讓	ràng	to let; to allow
123	肉	肉	ròu	meat
124	商场	商場	shāngchǎng	shopping mall
125	上来	上來	shànglái	to come up
126	上面	上面	shàngmiàn	on top; above
127	上去	上去	shàngqù	to go up
128	上网	上網	shàngwǎng	to go online
129	身体	身體	shēntǐ	body; health
130	生日	生日	shēngrì	birthday
131	时Taught in Second Language	時	shí	time; hour; when
132	事情Taught in Second Language	事情	shìqing	matter; thing
133	手	手	shǒu	hand
134	手表	手錶	shǒubiǎo	wristwatch
135	书包	書包	shūbāo	schoolbag
136	舒服	舒服	shūfu	comfortable
137	送	送	sòng	to give (a gift); to send; to see off
138	虽然	雖然	suīrán	although
139	所以Taught in Second Language	所以	suǒyǐ	so; therefore
140	疼	疼	téng	to hurt; sore; to love dearly
141	踢	踢	tī	to kick
142	题	題	tí	question; topic; problem
143	条	條	tiáo	measure word for long thin things
144	跳舞	跳舞	tiàowǔ	to dance
145	头	頭	tóu	head
146	外国	外國	wàiguó	foreign country
147	外面	外面	wàimiàn	outside
148	完	完	wán	to finish; to be over
149	万	萬	wàn	ten thousand
150	往	往	wǎng	towards; in the direction of; to go
151	网上	網上	wǎngshang	online; on the internet
152	忘	忘	wàng	to forget
153	位	位	wèi	measure word for people (polite)
154	为什么Taught in Second Language	為什麼	wèi shénme	why
155	希望Taught in Second Language	希望	xīwàng	to hope
156	洗	洗	xǐ	to wash
157	洗手间	洗手間	xǐshǒujiān	restroom; toilet
158	下来	下來	xiàlái	to come down
159	下面	下面	xiàmiàn	below; next
160	下去	下去	xiàqù	to go down; to continue
161	小孩儿	小孩兒	xiǎoháir	child
162	小时候	小時候	xiǎoshíhou	childhood; when one was young
163	笑	笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
164	姓	姓	xìng	surname; to be surnamed
165	姓名	姓名	xìngmíng	full name
166	颜色	顏色	yánsè	color
167	眼睛	眼睛	yǎnjing	eye
168	药	藥	yào	medicine; drug
169	药店	藥店	yàodiàn	pharmacy; drugstore
170	爷爷	爺爺	yéye	paternal grandfather; grandpa
171	一会儿	一會兒	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
172	已经Taught in Second Language	已經	yǐjīng	already
173	一起Taught in Second Language	一起	yìqǐ	together
174	意思Taught in Second Language	意思	yìsi	meaning; idea
175	阴	陰	yīn	overcast; cloudy
176	因为Taught in Second Language	因為	yīnwèi	because
177	游	游	yóu	to swim
178	游泳	游泳	yóuyǒng	to swim; swimming
179	有意思	有意思	yǒu yìsi	interesting; fun
180	有时	有時	yǒushí	sometimes; now and then
181	右	右	yòu	right (direction)
182	右边	右邊	yòubian	right side; to the right
183	鱼	魚	yú	fish
184	远	遠	yuǎn	far; distant
185	运动	運動	yùndòng	to exercise; sports
186	站	站	zhàn	station; stop
187	丈夫	丈夫	zhàngfu	husband
188	这么Taught in Second Language	這麼	zhème	so; like this
189	这样Taught in Second Language	這樣	zhèyàng	this way; like this; so
190	着	著	zhe	(marks an ongoing action or state)
191	正	正	zhèng	just; exactly; right now
192	周	週	zhōu	week; measure word for weeks
193	准备Taught in Second Language	準備	zhǔnbèi	to prepare; to intend
194	自己Taught in Second Language	自己	zìjǐ	oneself
195	走Taught in Second Language	走	zǒu	to walk; to leave
196	走路	走路	zǒulù	to walk; to go on foot
197	足球	足球	zúqiú	soccer; football
198	最Taught in Second Language	最	zuì	most (superlative)
199	左	左	zuǒ	left
200	左边	左邊	zuǒbian	left side; to the left

Showing words 1–25 of 200

Questions about HSK 2

How many words are in HSK Level 2?: The new HSK 3.0 Level 2 adds 200 new vocabulary terms, for 500 words in total through this level.[1]
How many characters do you need for HSK 2?: The new HSK 3.0 Level 2 adds 200 new vocabulary terms, but only 125 new Chinese characters, because many of the new words reuse characters from earlier levels, such as:
来 (to come): 出来 (to come out), 回来 (to come back), 起来 (to get up)

去 (to go): 出去 (to go out), 回去 (to go back), 进去 (to go in)
By the end of this level, you need to know 371 characters in total.[1]
How long does it take to pass each HSK level?: The Chinese HSK becomes more difficult as the levels increase, and upper levels contain more and more vocabulary, which is naturally harder and more advanced as well. For someone very hard-working you may be able to pass HSK 1 or 2 exams with 3-6 months of serious study, but proficiency at upper levels may take a few years to reach. See our full HSK Guide for more guidance.
Where can I download the HSK vocabulary lists?: You can find our full HSK download page here which provides free PDF, CSV, JSON and Anki text file downloads for each level in the new HSK 3.0 syllabus.
Where can I find the other HSK Levels?: The new HSK 3.0 syllabus has nine levels: HSK 1 to 6, then HSK 7–9 as one combined, advanced group.

Handwriting Practice

Interested in learning how to write Chinese characters by hand? Check out our free Chinese stroke writing tool, which includes stroke writing animations for all the Chinese HSK characters.

Practice writing characters

Sources

HSK 3.0 syllabus (2025)Chinese Testing International
CC-CEDICTcc-cedict.org
CC BY-SA 4.0Creative Commons