At HSK 1 you know about 300 words and can read 246 characters, which is enough for short dialogues about family, food, school and daily life. This page has two free HSK 1 texts with pinyin, English, vocabulary and questions, plus one real story with native audio.
What you can read at HSK 1
Under the new HSK 3.0, level 1 covers 300 words and 246 characters to recognise. That sounds small, but those words are the ones that appear most often, so you can already read:
- Short dialogues between two people
- Simple sentences about family, food, time, school and the weather
- Questions with 吗, 什么, 几 and 谁
What you can’t read yet: news, menus with dish names, or anything with long sentences. That’s normal. See HSK levels explained for the full ladder.
HSK 1 reading practice: text 1
Read the Chinese first and try to follow it without looking down. Then check the pinyin and English.
我叫小美。我是学生。今天是星期六，我不去学校。
早上我在家看书。妈妈做饭，我们吃米饭。
爸爸说：“你想去公园吗？”我说：“想去！”
公园里有很多人。有人喝茶，有人看书。
我很高兴。回家的时候，我对妈妈说：“谢谢。”
Pinyin:
Wǒ jiào Xiǎo Měi. Wǒ shì xuéshēng. Jīntiān shì xīngqīliù, wǒ bú qù xuéxiào.
Zǎoshang wǒ zài jiā kàn shū. Māma zuò fàn, wǒmen chī mǐfàn.
Bàba shuō: “Nǐ xiǎng qù gōngyuán ma?” Wǒ shuō: “Xiǎng qù!”
Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén. Yǒu rén hē chá, yǒu rén kàn shū.
Wǒ hěn gāoxìng. Huí jiā de shíhou, wǒ duì māma shuō: “Xièxie.”
English:
My name is Xiao Mei. I’m a student. Today is Saturday, so I’m not going to school.
In the morning I read at home. Mum cooks, and we eat rice.
Dad says, “Do you want to go to the park?” I say, “Yes!”
There are a lot of people in the park. Some are drinking tea, some are reading.
I’m happy. On the way home, I say to Mum, “Thank you.”
Vocabulary
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student |
| 星期六 | xīngqīliù | Saturday |
| 看书 | kàn shū | to read |
| 做饭 | zuò fàn | to cook |
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | rice |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park |
| 喝茶 | hē chá | to drink tea |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy |
| 回家 | huí jiā | to go home |
Questions
- 小美今天去学校吗？
- 他们吃什么？
- 公园里的人在做什么？
Answers: 1. 不去，今天是星期六。 2. 米饭。 3. 有人喝茶，有人看书。
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HSK 1 reading practice: text 2 (with audio)
This one is the start of a real maayot story, “Then This Isn’t Yours”. Anna orders a drink and gets the wrong one. Read it, then listen to the recording.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 安娜：你好，这个不是我的。 | Ānnà: Nǐ hǎo, zhège bú shì wǒ de. | Anna: Hello, this isn’t mine. |
| 店员：不是吗？你点的是绿茶拿铁，对吗？ | Diànyuán: Bú shì ma? Nǐ diǎn de shì lǜchá nátiě, duì ma? | Assistant: It isn’t? You ordered a green tea latte, right? |
| 安娜：不是，我点的是绿茶。 | Ānnà: Bú shì, wǒ diǎn de shì lǜchá. | Anna: No, I ordered green tea. |
| 店员：啊，那这个不是你的。不好意思。 | Diànyuán: À, nà zhège bú shì nǐ de. Bù hǎoyìsi. | Assistant: Ah, then this isn’t yours. Sorry. |
Listen to the full story, read by a native speaker:
Useful phrases: 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi, sorry / excuse me) · 没关系 (méi guānxi, it’s fine) · 我点的是… (wǒ diǎn de shì…, what I ordered was…)
How to use these texts
- Read once without stopping. Don’t look anything up yet.
- Read again with the pinyin. Say it out loud.
- Answer the questions without looking back at the text.
- Listen while reading, then listen with your eyes closed.
- Come back tomorrow. The second day is where it sticks.
Do this with one short text a day, not one long text a week. For more on the method, see Chinese reading practice for beginners.
Read real Chinese in 5 minutes a day
Tell us your level (or take a quick test) and get a short story written for it every day. Native audio, tap-to-translate and a 1-minute quiz, so you can see it’s sticking.
HSK 1 reading FAQ
How many words do I need for HSK 1?
300 words and 246 characters under the new HSK 3.0. The old HSK 1 asked for 150 words.
Can I pass HSK 1 without learning characters?
The test uses pinyin at level 1, but you’ll stall quickly at HSK 2 and 3 if you skip characters. Learn them from the start.
How long does HSK 1 take?
Most learners reach it in 1–3 months with 15 minutes a day.
What should I read after HSK 1?
Move to longer dialogues and short stories at HSK 2, and keep re-reading the HSK 1 texts until they feel easy.
Related: Chinese reading practice for beginners · HSK levels explained · Pinyin guide with tone chart
