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HSK 2 Vocabulary

HSK 2 Vocabulary List: 500 Words (HSK 3.0)

HSK 2 has 500 words in HSK 3.0, 200 of them new at this level (the old HSK 2.0 list had 300). Fluentide has 292 free stories at the Beginner (HSK 2) level that use them, with transcript and pinyin.

Browse 292 stories ↓

By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated October 2026

Hear HSK 2 words in a real story

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1 min

What is on the HSK 2 word list?

The other 300 come from HSK 1. They cover travel, shopping, weather, health, and simple plans: the first vocabulary that lets you handle a short exchange without English.

HSK proficiency ladderHSK 3.0 levels 1 to 6 with cumulative vocabulary requirements: HSK 1 requires 300 words, HSK 2 requires 500, HSK 3 requires 1,000, HSK 4 requires 2,000, HSK 5 about 3,600, and HSK 6 about 5,400 words. Word counts follow the official HSK 3.0 exam syllabus.HSK levels by cumulative vocabularyHSK 1beginner300 wordsHSK 2elementary500 wordsHSK 3pre-intermediate1,000 wordsHSK 4intermediate2,000 wordsHSK 5upper-intermediate~3,600 wordsHSK 6advanced~5,400 wordsSource: HSK 3.0 exam syllabus, chinesetest.cn
Words needed at each level, counting the levels below it.

HSK 2 word list

All 497 words from the official HSK 3.0 syllabus, the 197 new at HSK 2 first. The syllabus counts 500 because a few words are listed once per reading; here each appears once.

Pinyin from the syllabus, definitions from CC-CEDICT. Tap a word for its other senses.

Showing 151–200 of 497 · page 4 of 10

希望xīwàngHSK 2

to hope

洗xǐHSK 2

to wash

  • to wash
  • to bathe
  • to develop (photographs)
  • to shuffle (cards etc)
  • to erase (a recording)
  • used in 洗马
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
洗手间xǐshǒujiānHSK 2

toilet

下来xiàláiHSK 2

to come down

  • to come down
  • (completed action marker)
  • (after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.)
  • (indicates continuation from the past towards us)
  • to be harvested (of crops)
  • to be over (of a period of time)
  • to go among the masses (said of leaders)
下面xiàmiànHSK 2

below

  • below
  • under
  • next
  • the following
  • also pr.
下去xiàqùHSK 2

to go down

  • to go down
  • to descend
  • to go on
  • to continue
  • (of a servant) to withdraw
小孩儿xiǎoháirHSK 2

child

  • child
  • CL:个
小时候xiǎoshíhouHSK 2

in one's childhood

  • in one's childhood
笑xiàoHSK 2

to laugh

  • to laugh
  • to smile
  • to laugh at
  • old variant of 笑
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
姓xìngHSK 2

family name

  • family name
  • surname
  • to be surnamed ...
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
姓名xìngmíngHSK 2

surname and given name

  • surname and given name
  • full name
颜色yánsèHSK 2

color

  • color
  • countenance
  • appearance
  • facial expression
  • pigment
  • dyestuff
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
眼睛yǎnjingHSK 2

eye

药yàoHSK 2

medicine

  • medicine
  • drug
  • leaf of the iris
  • medicine
  • drug
  • substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting)
  • CL:种,服,味
  • to poison
  • variant of 药
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
药店yàodiànHSK 2

pharmacy

  • pharmacy
  • drugstore
爷爷yéyeHSK 2

(coll.) paternal grandfather

  • (coll.) paternal grandfather
  • grandpa
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
一会儿yíhuìrHSK 2

a moment

  • a moment
  • a while
  • in a moment
  • now...now...
  • also pr.
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
一起yìqǐHSK 2

together

  • together
  • (in) the same place
  • together
  • in company (with)
  • altogether
  • in total
  • an instance of
  • a case of (murder, accident, dispute etc)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
已经yǐjīngHSK 2

already

意思yìsiHSK 2

idea

  • idea
  • opinion
  • meaning
  • wish
  • desire
  • interest
  • fun
  • token of appreciation, affection etc
  • CL:个
  • to give as a small token
  • to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
因为yīnwèiHSK 2

because

阴yīnHSK 2

overcast (weather)

  • overcast (weather)
  • cloudy
  • shady
  • Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang)
  • negative (electric.)
  • feminine
  • moon
  • implicit
  • hidden
  • genitalia
  • surname Yin
  • variant of 阴
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
游yóuHSK 2

to swim

  • to swim
  • to walk
  • to tour
  • to roam
  • to travel
  • surname You
  • variant of 游
游泳yóuyǒngHSK 2

swimming

有时yǒushíHSK 2

sometimes

  • sometimes
  • now and then
有意思yǒu yìsiHSK 2

interesting

  • interesting
  • meaningful
  • enjoyable
  • fun
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
右yòuHSK 2

(bound form) right

  • (bound form) right
  • right-hand side
  • (bound form) (politics) right of center
  • (bound form) (old) west
  • (literary) the right side as the side of precedence
右边yòubianHSK 2

right side

鱼yúHSK 2

fish (CL:条,尾)

  • fish (CL:条,尾)
  • used in the names of various aquatic animals that are not fish (including abalone 鲍鱼, alligators and crocodiles 鳄鱼 and octopi 章鱼)
  • surname Yu
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
远yuǎnHSK 2

far

  • far
  • distant
  • remote
  • (intensifier in a comparison) by far
  • much (lower etc)
  • to distance oneself from (classical)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
运动yùndòngHSK 2

to move

  • to move
  • to exercise
  • sports
  • exercise
  • motion
  • movement
  • campaign
  • CL:场
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
站zhànHSK 2

station

  • station
  • to stand
  • to halt
  • to stop
  • branch of a company or organization
  • website
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
长cháng / zhǎngHSK 2

long

  • long
  • (bound form) length
  • (bound form) strong point
  • forte
  • (bound form) to be good at
  • (literary) surplus
  • spare (Taiwan pr. )
  • chief
  • head
  • elder
  • to grow
  • to develop
  • to increase
  • to enhance
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
丈夫zhàngfuHSK 2

husband

这么zhèmeHSK 2

so much

  • so much
  • this much
  • how much?
  • this way
  • like this
这样zhèyàngHSK 2

this way

  • this way
  • like this
  • so
  • (before a noun) this kind of
  • such
着zhe / zháoHSK 2

aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state

  • aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state
  • a move in chess (Taiwan pr. )
  • trick
  • tactic
  • (dialect) okay
  • all right
  • (dialect) to put in
  • to add
  • to touch
  • to come in contact with
  • to feel
  • to be affected by
  • to catch fire
  • to burn
  • (coll.) to fall asleep
  • (after a verb) hitting the mark
  • succeeding in
  • to wear (clothes)
  • to contact
  • to use
  • to apply
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
正zhèngHSK 2

straight

  • straight
  • upright
  • proper
  • main
  • principal
  • to correct
  • to rectify
  • exactly
  • just (at that time)
  • right (in that place)
  • (math.) positive
  • first month of the lunar year
周zhōuHSK 2

week

  • week
  • circle
  • to make a circuit
  • to circle
  • circle
  • circumference
  • lap
  • cycle
  • complete
  • all
  • all over
  • thorough
  • to help financially
  • week
  • weekly
  • surname Zhou
  • Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC)
  • variant of 周
准备zhǔnbèiHSK 2

preparation

  • preparation
  • to prepare
  • to intend
  • to be about to
  • reserve (fund)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
自己zìjǐHSK 2

oneself

走zǒuHSK 2

to walk

  • 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)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
走路zǒulùHSK 2

to walk

  • to walk
  • to go on foot
  • to leave
  • to depart
  • (informal) to clear off
  • to beat it
  • (of sb who gets fired or resigns) to leave the job
  • to get out
足球zúqiúHSK 2

soccer

  • soccer
  • football
  • a soccer ball
  • a football
最zuìHSK 2

(before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree

  • (before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree
  • (the) most ...
  • -est
  • (after 之) best or most extreme example (e.g. 世界之最 "the greatest in the world")
  • variant of 最
  • old variant of 最
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
左zuǒHSK 2

left

  • left
  • the Left (politics)
  • east
  • unorthodox
  • queer
  • wrong
  • differing
  • opposite
  • surname Zuo
  • variant of 佐
左边zuǒbianHSK 2

left

爱àiHSK 1

to love

  • to love
  • to be fond of
  • to like
  • affection
  • to be inclined (to do sth)
  • to tend to (happen)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
八bāHSK 1

eight

爸爸bàbaHSK 1

(coll.) father

Stories that use these HSK 2 words

Each one is a Fluentide Beginner (HSK 2) story, written inside that word band. Press play; the first few need no account.

HSK 2 Chinese listening episodes

Showing 12 of 292

How to actually learn HSK 2 vocabulary

Reading a word on a page and catching it at speed in a sentence are different skills. The HSK listening section tests the second.

Four steps in a loop. One: skim this list and note which words feel unfamiliar. Two: hear them in HSK 2 stories every day. Three: look a word up only after you have heard it. Four: check the list monthly; the gaps show what to listen for next. Then repeat.Hear a word first, look it up second1Skim this listNote the wordsyou don't know2Hear themHSK 2 stories,every day3Look up afteronly once youhave heard it4Check monthlyGaps show whatto listen forrepeat
Use the list as a checklist, and do the learning by ear.

The method in practice

Hear HSK 2 vocabulary in real Mandarin

Each HSK 2 episode uses this word band, with the transcript, pinyin and line-by-line English. Five free episodes after a one-tap magic-link sign-in — no password, no payment.

More HSK 2