At HSK 3 you know about 1,000 words and 655 characters, which is where reading starts to feel like reading: full paragraphs, opinions and feelings, not just facts. This page has two free HSK 3 texts with pinyin, English, vocabulary and questions.
What you can read at HSK 3
Under the new HSK 3.0, level 3 covers 1,000 words and 655 characters to recognise. This is the level where most learners start reading graded stories for pleasure. You can handle:
- Paragraph-length stories with a beginning, middle and end
- Opinions and feelings: 觉得, 希望, 有意思, 难过
- Linked ideas: 虽然…但是, 如果…就, 一边…一边, 越来越
- Simple messages, menus and short notices
Not there yet? Work back through HSK 2 reading practice.
HSK 3 reading practice: text 1
上个月，我搬到了一个新的城市。刚开始的时候，我一个人也不认识，觉得有点儿难过。
后来，我在楼下的小咖啡店找到了一份周末的工作。老板很热情，还教我做咖啡。
现在，我认识了很多人。虽然工作有时候很累，但是我觉得很有意思。
上个星期，同事问我：“你以后想做什么？”
我想了想，说：“我想开一家自己的咖啡店。”
Pinyin:
Shàng ge yuè, wǒ bān dào le yí ge xīn de chéngshì. Gāng kāishǐ de shíhou, wǒ yí ge rén yě bú rènshi, juéde yǒudiǎnr nánguò.
Hòulái, wǒ zài lóuxià de xiǎo kāfēidiàn zhǎodào le yí fèn zhōumò de gōngzuò. Lǎobǎn hěn rèqíng, hái jiāo wǒ zuò kāfēi.
Xiànzài, wǒ rènshi le hěn duō rén. Suīrán gōngzuò yǒu shíhou hěn lèi, dànshì wǒ juéde hěn yǒu yìsi.
Shàng ge xīngqī, tóngshì wèn wǒ: “Nǐ yǐhòu xiǎng zuò shénme?”
Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, shuō: “Wǒ xiǎng kāi yī jiā zìjǐ de kāfēidiàn.”
English:
Last month I moved to a new city. At first I didn’t know a single person, and I felt a bit low.
Later, I found a weekend job at the small café downstairs. The owner is warm, and even taught me how to make coffee.
Now I know a lot of people. Although the work is tiring sometimes, I find it interesting.
Last week a colleague asked me, “What do you want to do later on?”
I thought about it and said, “I want to open a café of my own.”
Vocabulary
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 搬 | bān | to move (house) |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city |
| 刚开始 | gāng kāishǐ | at first |
| 认识 | rènshi | to know (someone) |
| 难过 | nánguò | sad, low |
| 后来 | hòulái | later, afterwards |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss, owner |
| 热情 | rèqíng | warm, friendly |
| 虽然…但是… | suīrán… dànshì… | although… still… |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague |
Questions
- 他刚到新城市的时候，觉得怎么样？
- 他在哪儿找到了工作？
- 他以后想做什么？
Answers: 1. 有点儿难过，因为一个人也不认识。 2. 楼下的小咖啡店。 3. 开一家自己的咖啡店。
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HSK 3 reading practice: text 2 (a conversation about learning Chinese)
小李：你最近怎么样？听说你在学中文。
安娜：是的，我已经学了一年了。虽然还有很多字不认识，但是我可以看懂简单的故事了。
小李：真棒！你觉得最难的是什么？
安娜：声调。有时候我说错了，别人听不懂。
小李：慢慢来。如果你每天都读一点，进步会很快。
安娜：谢谢你！那你能帮我看看这个句子吗？
Pinyin:
Xiǎo Lǐ: Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng? Tīngshuō nǐ zài xué Zhōngwén.
Ānnà: Shì de, wǒ yǐjīng xué le yì nián le. Suīrán hái yǒu hěn duō zì bú rènshi, dànshì wǒ kěyǐ kàndǒng jiǎndān de gùshi le.
Xiǎo Lǐ: Zhēn bàng! Nǐ juéde zuì nán de shì shénme?
Ānnà: Shēngdiào. Yǒu shíhou wǒ shuō cuò le, biérén tīng bù dǒng.
Xiǎo Lǐ: Màn man lái. Rúguǒ nǐ měitiān dōu dú yìdiǎn, jìnbù huì hěn kuài.
Ānnà: Xièxie nǐ! Nà nǐ néng bāng wǒ kànkan zhège jùzi ma?
English:
Xiao Li: How have you been? I hear you’re learning Chinese.
Anna: Yes, I’ve been learning for a year now. There are still lots of characters I don’t know, but I can understand simple stories.
Xiao Li: That’s great! What do you find hardest?
Anna: Tones. Sometimes I say them wrong and people don’t understand me.
Xiao Li: Take your time. If you read a little every day, you’ll improve quickly.
Anna: Thank you! Could you help me look at this sentence?
Vocabulary
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently |
| 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear that… |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already |
| 看懂 | kàndǒng | to read and understand |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple |
| 故事 | gùshi | story |
| 声调 | shēngdiào | tone |
| 听不懂 | tīng bù dǒng | can’t understand (by listening) |
| 如果…就… | rúguǒ… jiù… | if… then… |
| 进步 | jìnbù | progress |
Questions
- 安娜学中文学了多长时间？
- 她觉得最难的是什么？
- 小李给了她什么建议？
Answers: 1. 一年。 2. 声调。 3. 每天都读一点，慢慢来。
How to use these texts
- Read once without stopping, even where you lose the thread.
- Read again with the pinyin, out loud.
- Answer the questions from memory.
- Write one sentence of your own using a pattern from the text, like 虽然…但是….
- Re-read tomorrow, and add a new text the day after.
More on the method: Chinese reading practice for beginners.
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HSK 3 reading FAQ
How many words do I need for HSK 3?
1,000 words and 655 characters under the new HSK 3.0, counting everything from levels 1 and 2.
Is HSK 3 conversational?
It’s the level where you can hold a simple conversation about daily life and read short stories without help on every line.
How long does HSK 3 take?
Usually 6–12 months of steady study from scratch, depending on how much you read and listen.
What should I read at HSK 3?
Graded stories, simple messages and menus. Real news is still too hard; that comes around HSK 4–5.
Related: HSK 1 reading practice · HSK 2 reading practice · Best apps to learn to read Chinese
