HSK 2 vocabulary list: the official HSK2 word list

The HSK2 corresponds to the second level of the HSK exam, the chinese proficiency test dedicated to assess your level of Mandarin Chinese. The HSK has steadily grown in popularity in recent years, with more and more applicants taking it to study or work in an environment where mastering Chinese is mandatory. This language test allows you to certify a level of Mandarin. There are 6 levels, from the one (the lowest level) to the sixth which validates a perfect command of Mandarin Chinese. Candidates who pass the HSK 2 exam have an excellent command of Basic Chinese and can conduct a simple conversation. The HSK 2 justifies the ability to perform simple exchanges and obtain information from everyday life.

HSK 2 word list


ba
modal particle indicating polite suggestion;...right?;...OK?

bái
white; snowy; pure; bright; empty; blank; plain; clear; to make clear; in vain; gratuitous; free of charge; reactionary; anti-communist; funeral; to stare coldly; to write wrong character; to state; to explain; vernacular; spoken lines in opera; surname Bai

bǎi
hundred; numerous; all kinds of; surname Bai
帮助
bāng zhù
assistance; aid; to help; to assist
报纸
bào zhǐ
newspaper; newsprint; CL:份[fen4] ,期[qi1] ,张[zhang1]

particle used for comparison and '-er than'; to compare; to contrast; to gesture (with hands); ratio

bié
do not; must not; to pin; to leave; to depart; to separate; to distinguish; to classify; other; another
宾馆
bīn guǎn
guesthouse; CL:个,家[jia1]

cháng
long; length
唱歌
chàng gē
to sing a song

chū
to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc
穿
chuān
to wear; to put on; to dress; to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to thread

next in sequence; second; the second (day, time etc); secondary; vice-; sub-; infra-; inferior quality; substandard; order; sequence; hypo- (chemistry); classifier for enumerated events: time

cóng
from; via; passing through; through

cuò
mistake; error; blunder; fault; cross; uneven; wrong; CL:个
打篮球
dǎ lán qiú
play basketball
大家
dà jiā
everyone

dào
to (a place); until (a time); up to; to go; to arrive

de
structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc;

děng
to wait for; to await; class (grade); et cetera; and so on; et al. (and other authors); after; as soon as; once;
弟弟
dì di
younger brother; CL:个,位[wei4]
第一
dì yī
first; number one

dǒng
to understand; to know

duì
towards; at; for

duì
right; correct
房间
fáng jiān
room; CL:间[jian1]
非常
fēi cháng
extraordinary; unusual; extreme; very; exceptional
服务员
fú wù yuán
waiter; waitress; attendant; customer service personnel; CL:个

gāo
high; tall; above average; loud; your (honorific); surname Gao
告诉
gào su
to tell; to inform; to let know
哥哥
gē ge
older brother; CL:个,位[wei4]

gěi
to (someone); for; for the benefit of; to give; to allow; to do sth (for sb); (passive particle)
公共汽车
gōng gòng qì chē
bus; CL:辆[liang4] ,班[ban1]
公司
gōng sī
(business) company; company; firm; corporation; incorporated; CL:家[jia1]

guì
expensive; noble; your (name); precious

guo
(used after a verb) to indicate the completion of an action
孩子
hái zi
child

hái
still; yet; even more; still more; also; too; as well
好吃
hǎo chī
tasty; delicious

hēi
black; dark; abbr. for Heilongjiang 黑龙江 province in northeast China

hóng
red; bonus; popular; revolutionary
火车站
huǒ chē zhàn
train station
机场
jī chǎng
airport; airfield; CL:家[jia1] ,处[chu4]
鸡蛋
jī dàn
(chicken) egg; hen's egg; CL:个,打[da2]

jiàn
item; component; classifier for events, things, clothes etc
教室
jiào shì
classroom; CL:间[jian1]
姐姐
jiě jie
older sister; CL:个
介绍
jiè shào
to present; to introduce; to recommend; to suggest; to let know; to brief

jìn
near; close to; approximately

jìn
to enter; to advance; to come (or go) into; to receive or admit; to eat or drink; to submit or present; (used after a verb) into, in; to score a goal

jiù
just (emphasis); at once; right away; only; as early as; already; as soon as; then; in that case; as many as; even if; to approach; to move towards; to undertake; to engage in; to suffer; subjected to; to accomplish; to take advantage of; to go with (of foods); with regard to; concerning
觉得
jué de
to think; to feel
咖啡
kā fēi
coffee; CL:杯[bei1]
开始
kāi shǐ
to begin; beginning; to start; initial; CL:个
考试
kǎo shì
exam; CL:次[ci4]
可能
kě néng
might (happen); possible; probable; possibility; probability; maybe; perhaps; CL:个
可以
kě yǐ
can; may; possible; able to

subject; course; class; lesson; CL:堂[tang2] ,节[jie2] ,门[men2]

kuài
rapid; quick; speed; rate; soon; almost; to make haste; clever; sharp (of knives or wits); forthright; plain-spoken; gratified; pleased; pleasant
快乐
kuài lè
happy; merry

lèi
tired; weary; to strain; to wear out; to work hard

to leave; to part from; to be away from; (in giving distances) from; without (sth); independent of; one of the eight trigrams of the Book of Changes representing fire (old)

liǎng
two (quantities); both; ounce; some; a few; tael; weight equal to 50 grams

líng
zero; nought; zero sign; fractional; fragmentary; odd (of numbers); (placed between two numbers to indicate a smaller quantity followed by a larger one); fraction; (in mathematics) remainder (after division)

road; path; way; CL:条[tiao2]
旅游
lv3 yóu
trip; journey; tourism; travel; tour

mài
to sell; to betray; to spare no effort; to show off or flaunt

màn
slow

máng
busy; hurriedly

měi
each; every
妹妹
mèi mei
younger sister; fig. younger woman (esp. girl friend or rival); CL:个

mén
gate; doo; gateway; doorway; opening; valve; switch; way to do something; knack; family; house; (religious) sect; school (of thought); class; category; phylum or division (taxonomy); classifier for large guns; classifier for lessons, subjects, branches of technologyr; CL:个, 扇[shan4]
面条
miàn tiáo
noodles

nán
male; Baron, lowest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4]; CL:個|个[ge4];

nín
you (polite); as opposed to informal you 你[ni3])
牛奶
niú nǎi
cow's milk; CL:瓶[ping2] ,杯[bei1]

female; woman; daughter;
旁边
páng biān
lateral; side; to the side; beside
跑步
pǎo bù
to walk quickly; to march; to run
便宜
pián yi
cheap; inexpensive; small advantages; to let sb off lightly

piào
ticket; ballot; bank note; person held for ransom; amateur performance of Chinese opera; classifier for shipments and business transactions (topolect); CL:张[Zhang1]
妻子
qī zi
wife; CL:个
起床
qǐ chuáng
to get up

qiān
thousand
铅笔
qiān bǐ
(lead) pencil; CL:支[zhi1] ,枝[zhi1] ,杆[gan3]

qíng
clear; fine (weather)
去年
qù nián
last year

ràng
to permit; to let sb do sth; to have sb do sthto yield

day; day of the month; date; sun; abbr. for 日本 Japan
上班
shàng bān
to go to work; to be on duty; to start work; to go to the office
身体
shēn tǐ
(human) body; health; CL:个
生病
shēng bìng
to fall ill; to sicken
生日
shēng rì
birthday; CL:个
时间
shí jiān
time; period; CL:段[duan4]
事情
shì qing
affair; matter; thing; business
手表
shǒu biǎo
wrist watch; CL:块[kuai4] ,只[zhi1] ,个
手机
shǒu jī
cell phone; cellular phone; mobile phone; CL:部[bu4]
说话
shuō huà
to speak; to say; to talk; to gossip; to tell stories; talk; word

sòng
to deliver; to carry; to give (as a present); to present (with); to see off; to send
虽然…但是…
suī rán …dàn shì …
although…still…; even if…nevertheless...

it (inanimate thing or animal)
踢足球
tī zú qiú
play soccer (football)

topic; problem for discussion; exam question; subject; to inscribe; to mention; surname Ti; CL:个,道[dao4]
跳舞
tiào wǔ
to dance

wài
outside; in addition; foreign; external

wán
to finish; to be over; whole; complete; entire

wán
to play; toy; sth used for amusement; curio or antique (Taiwan pr. wan4); to have fun; to trifle with; to keep sth for entertainment
晚上
wǎn shang
in the evening; CL:个

wǎng
to go (in a direction); to; towards; (of a train) bound for; past; previous
为什么
wèi shén me
for what reason?; why?

wèn
to ask
问题
wèn tí
question; problem; issue; topic; CL:个
希望
xī wàng
to wish for; to desire; hope CL:个
西瓜
xī guā
watermelon; CL:条[tiao2]

to wash; to bathe
小时
xiǎo shí
hour; CL:个

xiào
laugh; smile; CL:个

xīn
new; newly; meso- (chemistry)

xìng
family name; surname; name; CL:个
休息
xiū xi
rest; to rest

xuě
snow; snowfall; to have the appearance of snow; to wipe away, off or out; to clean CL:场[chang2]
颜色
yán sè
color; CL:个
眼睛
yǎn jing
eye; CL:只[zhi1] ,双[shuang1]
羊肉
yáng ròu
mutton

yào
medicine; drug; cure; CL:种[zhong3] ,服[fu4]

yào
to want; will; going to (as future auxiliary); important; vital; may; must

also; too; (in classical Chinese) final particle serving as copula
一下
yī xià
(used after a verb) give it a go; to do (sth for a bit to give it a try); one time; once; in a while; all of a sudden; all at once;
已经
yǐ jīng
already
一起
yī qǐ
together; in the same place; with; altogether (in total)
意思
yì si
idea; opinion; meaning; wish; desire; CL:个
因为…所以…
yīn wèi …suǒ yǐ …
because… thus…; on account of…then…

yīn
overcast (weather); cloudy; shady; Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang); negative (electric.); feminine; moon; implicit; hidden; genitalia
游泳
yóu yǒng
swim
右边
yòu bian
right side; right, to the right

fish; CL:条[tiao2] ,尾[wei3]

yuǎn
far; distant; remote
运动
yùn dòng
movement; campaign; sports; CL:场[chang3]

zài
again; once more; re-; second; another; then (after sth, and not until then)
早上
zǎo shang
early morning; Good morning!; CL:个
丈夫
zhàng fu
husband; CL:个

zhǎo
to try to find; to look for; to call on sb; to find; to seek; to return; to give change

zhe
particle attached after verb to indicate action in progress, like -ing ending

zhēn
really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine
正在
zhèng zài
in the process of (doing something or happening); while (doing)
知道
zhī dào
to know; to be aware of
准备
zhǔn bèi
preparation; prepare

zǒu
to walk; to go; to run; to move (of vehicle); to visit; to leave; to go away; to die (euph.); from; through; away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走); to change (shape, form, meaning)

zuì
most; the most; -est
左边
zuǒ bian
left; the left side; to the left of

More resources to train for the HSK level 2 test