Conquer HSK 1 in 10 Days: Themed Vocabulary Guide
Dreaming of passing the HSK Level 1 Chinese proficiency test but short on time? While true mastery takes consistent effort, a focused 10-day plan can help you grasp the essential HSK 1 vocabulary and build a solid foundation. This guide breaks down the 150 core words into daily themes, making your HSK 1 study plan more manageable and effective. Let's embark on this ambitious journey to learn beginner Chinese vocabulary and prepare for the HSK 1!
Disclaimer: This 10-day plan is intensive and aims for familiarization with the HSK 1 words. For comprehensive understanding and long-term retention, we recommend a structured course like those offered by Sprachlingua.
Understanding HSK Level 1
The HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is China's standardized test of Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers. Level 1 is designed for beginners who can understand and use very simple Chinese phrases, meet basic needs for communication, and possess the ability to further their Chinese language studies. It requires knowledge of 150 common words and basic grammar patterns.
Day 1: Greetings & Introductions
Start with the absolute basics: how to greet people and introduce yourself. These are the building blocks of any conversation.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 你 | You | 你好 (nǐ hǎo) - Hello |
| 好 | Good / Well | 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?) - How are you? |
| 我 | I / Me | 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuéshēng) - I am a student. |
| 叫 | To be called / To call | 我叫 [name] (wǒ jiào [name]) - My name is [name]. |
| 谢谢 | Thank you | 谢谢你！(xièxie nǐ!) - Thank you! |
| 不 | No / Not | 不客气 (bú kèqi) - You're welcome. (Lit: not polite) |
| 是 | To be (am, is, are) | 他是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī) - He is a teacher. |
Day 2: Numbers & Time
Numbers are crucial for prices, dates, and telling time. Master these early on!
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | One | 一个苹果 (yī ge píngguǒ) - One apple. |
| 二 | Two | 两点 (liǎng diǎn) - Two o'clock. (Note: 两 is used for 'two' before measure words and for time) |
| 三 | Three | 三本书 (sān běn shū) - Three books. |
| 点 | O'clock / Dot | 现在几点？ (xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) - What time is it now? |
| 现在 | Now | 现在是早上八点 (xiànzài shì zǎoshang bā diǎn) - It's 8 AM now. |
| 今天 | Today | 今天天气很好 (jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo) - The weather is very good today. |
| 月 | Month / Moon | 一月 (yī yuè) - January |
| 日 | Day / Sun | 一月一日 (yī yuè yī rì) - January 1st |
(HSK 1 includes numbers 1-99. Practice forming them: e.g., 十一 (shíyī) - 11, 二十 (èrshí) - 20, 三十五 (sānshíwǔ) - 35)
Day 3: People & Family
Learn how to refer to common people in your life, including family members.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 爸爸 | Dad / Father | 我爸爸是医生 (wǒ bàba shì yīshēng) - My dad is a doctor. |
| 妈妈 | Mom / Mother | 我爱我妈妈 (wǒ ài wǒ māma) - I love my mom. |
| 儿子 | Son | 他有一个儿子 (tā yǒu yī ge érzi) - He has a son. |
| 女儿 | Daughter | 我的女儿很可爱 (wǒ de nǚ'ér hěn kě'ài) - My daughter is very cute. |
| 老师 | Teacher | 老师好！(lǎoshī hǎo!) - Hello, teacher! |
| 学生 | Student | 我们是学生 (wǒmen shì xuéshēng) - We are students. |
| 朋友 | Friend | 他是我的好朋友 (tā shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou) - He is my good friend. |
| 家 | Family / Home | 我家有四口人 (wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén) - My family has four people. |
Day 4: Everyday Objects & Locations
Vocabulary for things you see and places you go often.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 桌子 | Table / Desk | 书在桌子上 (shū zài zhuōzi shàng) - The book is on the table. |
| 椅子 | Chair | 请坐椅子 (qǐng zuò yǐzi) - Please sit on the chair. |
| 书 | Book | 我喜欢看书 (wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū) - I like to read books. |
| 学校 | School | 我去学校学习 (wǒ qù xuéxiào xuéxí) - I go to school to study. |
| 商店 | Store / Shop | 妈妈去商店买东西 (māma qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi) - Mom goes to the store to buy things. |
| 医院 | Hospital | 他在医院工作 (tā zài yīyuàn gōngzuò) - He works at the hospital. |
| 中国 | China | 我爱中国 (Wǒ ài Zhōngguó) - I love China. |
Day 5: Food & Drink
Essential for survival and enjoyment! Learn words for common food and drink items.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 吃 | To eat | 你想吃什么？ (nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?) - What do you want to eat? |
| 喝 | To drink | 我喜欢喝茶 (wǒ xǐhuan hē chá) - I like to drink tea. |
| 米饭 | Cooked rice | 请给我一碗米饭 (qǐng gěi wǒ yī wǎn mǐfàn) - Please give me a bowl of rice. |
| 水 | Water | 我想喝水 (wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ) - I want to drink water. |
| 茶 | Tea | 这是中国茶 (zhè shì Zhōngguó chá) - This is Chinese tea. |
| 苹果 | Apple | 这个苹果很大 (zhège píngguǒ hěn dà) - This apple is very big. |
| 菜 | Dish (type of food) / Vegetable | 你喜欢吃中国菜吗？ (nǐ xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài ma?) - Do you like to eat Chinese food? |
Day 6: Actions & Verbs (Part 1)
Verbs are action words. Here are some of the most common ones.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 看 | To see / To look / To watch | 我看电视 (wǒ kàn diànshì) - I watch TV. |
| 听 | To listen / To hear | 请听我说 (qǐng tīng wǒ shuō) - Please listen to me speak. |
| 说 | To speak / To say | 他会说汉语 (tā huì shuō Hànyǔ) - He can speak Chinese. |
| 读 | To read | 我喜欢读书 (wǒ xǐhuan dú shū) - I like to read books. |
| 写 | To write | 你会写汉字吗？ (nǐ huì xiě Hànzì ma?) - Can you write Chinese characters? |
| 去 | To go | 我们去公园 (wǒmen qù gōngyuán) - We go to the park. |
| 来 | To come | 他明天来我家 (tā míngtiān lái wǒ jiā) - He will come to my house tomorrow. |
| 买 | To buy | 我想买这个 (wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhège) - I want to buy this. |
Day 7: Descriptions & Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns. Learn how to describe things as big, small, good, etc.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 大 | Big / Large | 这个房子很大 (zhège fángzi hěn dà) - This house is very big. |
| 小 | Small / Little | 那只猫很小 (nà zhī māo hěn xiǎo) - That cat is very small. |
| 多 | Many / Much | 这里人很多 (zhèli rén hěn duō) - There are many people here. |
| 少 | Few / Little | 水太少了 (shuǐ tài shǎo le) - There's too little water. |
| 高兴 | Happy / Pleased | 认识你很高兴 (rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng) - Pleased to meet you. |
| 漂亮 | Beautiful / Pretty | 她很漂亮 (tā hěn piàoliang) - She is very beautiful. |
| 冷 | Cold | 今天很冷 (jīntiān hěn lěng) - It's very cold today. |
| 热 | Hot | 水太热了 (shuǐ tài rè le) - The water is too hot. |
Day 8: Questions & Asking for Help
Knowing how to ask questions is vital for communication.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 吗 | Question particle (yes/no) | 你是老师吗？ (nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?) - Are you a teacher? |
| 什么 | What | 这是什么？ (zhè shì shénme?) - What is this? |
| 谁 | Who | 他是谁？ (tā shì shéi?) - Who is he? |
| 哪儿 | Where | 你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr?) - Where are you? |
| 多少 | How much / How many | 这个多少钱？ (zhège duōshao qián?) - How much is this? |
| 怎么 | How / Why (sometimes) | 去火车站怎么走？ (qù huǒchēzhàn zěnme zǒu?) - How to get to the train station? |
| 请问 | Excuse me / May I ask... | 请问，洗手间在哪儿？ (qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?) - Excuse me, where is the restroom? |
Day 9: Transportation & Directions
Words for getting around and understanding directions.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 飞机 | Airplane | 我坐飞机去北京 (wǒ zuò fēijī qù Běijīng) - I take a plane to Beijing. |
| 出租车 | Taxi | 请叫一辆出租车 (qǐng jiào yī liàng chūzūchē) - Please call a taxi. |
| 火车 | Train | 他坐火车回家 (tā zuò huǒchē huí jiā) - He takes the train home. |
| 上 | Up / On / To get on | 请上车 (qǐng shàng chē) - Please get on the vehicle. |
| 下 | Down / Under / To get off | 我要下车 (wǒ yào xià chē) - I want to get off. |
| 前面 | Front / Ahead | 学校在前面 (xuéxiào zài qiánmiàn) - The school is ahead. |
| 后面 | Back / Behind | 商店在医院后面 (shāngdiàn zài yīyuàn hòumiàn) - The store is behind the hospital. |
Day 10: Common Expressions & Review
Round off with some common expressions and take time to review all the vocabulary from the past nine days. Consistent review is key for HSK preparation.
| Character | Meaning | Example Usage (Pinyin & English) |
|---|---|---|
| 对不起 | Sorry | 对不起，我迟到了 (duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le) - Sorry, I am late. |
| 没关系 | It's okay / No problem | A: 对不起! B: 没关系! (A: duìbuqǐ! B: méi guānxi!) - A: Sorry! B: It's okay! |
| 再见 | Goodbye | 老师再见！(lǎoshī zàijiàn!) - Goodbye, teacher! |
| 太...了 | Too / So (expresses excessiveness) | 太好了！(tài hǎo le!) - Great! / Too good! |
| 很 | Very / Quite | 我很好 (wǒ hěn hǎo) - I am very good. |
| 爱 | To love | 我爱学汉语 (wǒ ài xué Hànyǔ) - I love to learn Chinese. |
| 喜欢 | To like | 我喜欢中国菜 (wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài) - I like Chinese food. |
Tips for Your 10-Day HSK 1 Challenge
- Daily Dedication: Allocate at least 1-2 hours each day. Consistency is more important than long, infrequent sessions.
- Use Flashcards: Create physical or digital flashcards (e.g., Anki, Pleco) for new vocabulary. Include Hanzi, Pinyin, and English meaning.
- Practice Pronunciation: Pay close attention to Pinyin and tones. Use online audio resources or apps. Sprachlingua's speaking-focused exercises are great for this.
- Write Characters: Practice writing the characters. This helps with memory and understanding their structure.
- Form Simple Sentences: Try to use the new words in simple sentences, even if they are very basic.
- Review Regularly: Don't just learn new words; review words from previous days. Spaced repetition is effective.
- Find a Study Partner: If possible, practice with someone also learning Chinese.
- Stay Motivated: Remember your reasons for learning Chinese!
FAQs on HSK 1 in 10 Days
1. Is it realistic to master HSK 1 in just 10 days?
Mastery is a strong word. This 10-day plan is designed for intensive familiarization and building a foundational vocabulary. True mastery and fluency require more prolonged study and practice. However, this plan can give you a significant head start and help you pass the exam if you are highly dedicated.
2. What materials do I need for this plan?
You'll need the official HSK 1 vocabulary list (readily available online), a good dictionary app (like Pleco), flashcard tools, and resources for Pinyin pronunciation. A structured online Chinese course can provide all these materials in one place.
3. Beyond vocabulary, what else is tested in HSK 1?
HSK 1 tests listening and reading comprehension. While this plan focuses on vocabulary, you should also familiarize yourself with the test format and practice with sample HSK 1 listening and reading exercises.
4. What if I miss a day in the 10-day plan?
Try to catch up as soon as possible, but don't get discouraged. The goal is progress, not perfection. It's better to adjust the plan and continue than to give up entirely.
Conclusion: Your HSK 1 Journey Begins!
This 10-day themed vocabulary guide offers an ambitious but achievable path to tackle the HSK 1 vocabulary. By breaking it down into daily themes, learning becomes more contextual and hopefully, more enjoyable. Remember that this is a sprint to build familiarity; continued practice and deeper study are essential for long-term proficiency.
If you're serious about mastering Mandarin Chinese and achieving higher HSK levels, consider enrolling in a comprehensive program. Sprachlingua's Chinese courses offer expert instruction, structured lessons, and a supportive learning environment to help you succeed.
Explore our online Chinese classes, or if you're in India, check out our Chinese classes in Chennai.
Start Your HSK Journey with Us祝你学习顺利！ (Zhù nǐ xuéxí shùnlì! - Wishing you success in your studies!)