Numbers, family, food, time and more: 277 beginner words from the HSK lists sorted by topic, each with its pinyin and meaning. Read a topic here, then let Lock&Learn Chinese put the words on your Lock Screen.
Exam lists run in list order; a beginner thinks in topics. These 15 pages regroup the HSK vocabulary by what the words are about, every entry with its pinyin and meaning and a level chip, and the HSK 1 words with a real example sentence. Start with numbers and greetings, and come back for the rest.
Digits, tens, hundred, thousand, ten thousand
八 eight · 二 two · 九 nine · 零 zero
19 words Read the list → Days, months and timeDays of the week, months, seasons, today, tomorrow, hours
点 o'clock or dot · 分钟 minute · 今天 today · 明天 tomorrow
23 words Read the list → ColorsRed, blue, white, black and the rest
白 white in color · 黑 black or dark · 红 red color · 颜色 color
15 words Read the list → FamilyParents, siblings, grandparents, spouses, children
爸爸 father or dad · 儿子 son · 家 home · 妈妈 mother or mom
31 words Read the list → Body and healthHead to foot, plus sick, hospital, medicine
医生 doctor · 医院 hospital
35 words Read the list → Food and drinkMeals, dishes, drinks, eating and ordering
菜 dish or vegetable · 茶 tea · 吃 to eat · 饭馆 restaurant
17 words Read the list → AnimalsPets, farm and wild animals, birds, fish
狗 dog · 猫 cat
19 words Read the list → Weather and natureRain, snow, hot, cold, mountain, river, sea
冷 cold · 热 hot · 天气 weather · 下雨 to rain
18 words Read the list → ClothesShirts, shoes, coats, and the verbs for wearing them
衣服 clothes
25 words Read the list → Home and everyday objectsRooms, furniture, household objects
杯子 cup or glass · 电脑 computer · 电视 television · 椅子 chair
8 words Read the list → School and workSchool, study, exams, office, company, job
读 to read · 工作 to work or job · 老师 teacher · 书 a book
16 words Read the list → Travel and placesTransport, stations, tickets, hotels, directions
北京 Beijing city · 出租车 taxi · 飞机 airplane · 后面 behind
21 words Read the list → FeelingsHappy, sad, angry, tired, surprised
爱 to love · 高兴 happy or glad · 喜欢 to like
10 words Read the list → Question wordsWhat, who, where, when, why, how, which
多少 how many or how much · 几 how many · 哪 which · 什么 what
11 words Read the list → Greetings and phrasesHello, goodbye, thank you, sorry, please
不客气 you are welcome · 对不起 i am sorry · 没关系 it does not matter · 请 please
9 words Read the list →Every word on these topic pages also sits on its level list, in the order the HSK syllabus runs. Pick a level when you want the whole picture.
The ones a beginner meets first: every word on the HSK lists that belongs to an everyday topic (numbers, time, family, food, the body, the weather, clothes, the home, school and work, travel, feelings, question words and greetings). Most of them sit at the first two levels, and the level chip on every row says which. Abstract words and grammar words stay on the level lists, where list order matters more than topic.
The words come from the HSK vocabulary lists this site publishes level by level; the topic on each word is Lock&Learn's own tagging, one topic per word, kept deliberately strict so that a topic page holds only what a learner would look for under that heading.
Install Lock&Learn Chinese, then touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the widget area and choose Lock&Learn Chinese. The HSK 1 pack, free in the app, holds most of the words on these pages. A word waits in hanzi with its pinyin; one tap reveals the meaning and a real sentence.
Yes. The app is free on iOS: HSK 1 is free, every other pack opens with a free preview, and another word unlocks daily. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase.