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New HSK 2 vocabulary list: all 200 words with pinyin and meaning

What HSK 2 adds over HSK 1

With these words you go from introducing yourself to handling everyday things. The syllabus describes 17 tasks for level 2. Among them: describing someone's looks, clothes and likes; asking for directions and giving them; shopping while comparing prices and colors; saying you're sick and understanding how many times to take a medicine; talking about Chinese New Year; and using forms of address like 张老师 (Teacher Zhang) or 王先生 (Mr. Wang). The writing tasks are short, like filling in a form with your name, age and birthday, or writing 过年好 guònián hǎo (Happy New Year).

The grammar level 2 brings

Many words on the list are grammar pieces. The level 2 grammar syllabus includes, among other things:

• Comparing with 比: 今天比昨天冷 (jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng), it's colder today than yesterday.
• Paired sentences: 因为……所以…… (because…, therefore…) and 虽然……但是…… (although…, but…).
• Experience with 过: 我去过中国 (wǒ qùguo Zhōngguó), I've been to China.
• How something is done, with 得: 他跑得很快 (tā pǎo de hěn kuài), he runs very fast.
• Ongoing states, with 着, and prohibitions with 别 (don't…).
• Direction verbs like 出来, 进去 or 下来.

How to study these 200 words

• 10 words a day. In 20 days you finish the list. Review the HSK 1 words too: they combine with the new ones all the time. In 今天比昨天冷, only 比 is from level 2.
• Group them by topic instead of following the order of the list, which is alphabetical by pinyin. Below you have 10 groups to start with.
• Learn the direction verbs in pairs. The list has 出来/出去, 进来/进去, 上来/上去, 下来/下去, 回来/回去 and 过来/过去. There is one rule: 来 means movement toward the speaker, and 去 means movement away.
• Separate the words that are written the same. 花 appears twice: to spend and flower. 过 too: guò is to pass and guo is the experience particle. And 地 is read de as a particle, but dì in 地铁 (subway).
• Start writing. Practice first the 100 characters on the writing list for levels 1 and 2. You already know almost all of them: 95 appear in HSK 1 words, like 我, 你, 学 or 字, and the other five (比, 地, 过, 为, 长) arrive with level 2.

The list uses the pinyin of the official syllabus. It marks the tone change of 一 and 不 in 一起 (yìqǐ), 一会儿 (yíhuìr) and 不错 (búcuò), and it writes the second syllable of verbs like 回来 (huílái) with its full tone, which dictionaries like CC-CEDICT give in the neutral tone (huílai).

HSK 2 words by topic

Ten groups with some words from the list so you can start with what you'll use most. They aren't all 200: complete each group with the ones you find in the full list.

The full new HSK 2 list

The 200 words in the order of the official syllabus. In the syllabus they're numbered 301 to 500, following the 300 of level 1; here we number them 1 to 200. 花 and 过 appear twice because the syllabus counts each meaning as a different word. If you're missing the base, start with the new HSK 1 vocabulary. You can print this page: when you do, the menus are hidden and only the list is left.

And after HSK 2

The official syllabus doesn't detail the duration or the parts of the level 2 exam. To see which level you need to study or work, read what HSK level you need. Level 3 adds 500 more words (1,000 in total). To see how many characters each level asks for, see how many Chinese characters you need to know.

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Frequently asked questions

How many words are in HSK 2?

In the new HSK syllabus, published in November 2025, level 2 adds 200 new words. With the 300 of level 1, that makes 500 in total.

How many characters do you need to know for HSK 2?

Level 2 adds 125 characters to recognize, which together with the 246 of level 1 make 371. The syllabus also has a list of 100 characters to write for levels 1 and 2.

Do you have to write characters in HSK 2?

Yes. Level 2 is the first in the syllabus with writing tasks, like filling in a form with your name, age and birthday, or writing a greeting such as 过年好 (Happy New Year). The syllabus has a list of 100 characters to write for levels 1 and 2.

How long does it take to learn the HSK 2 vocabulary?

At 10 new words a day, with daily review, that's 20 days of new vocabulary. Add time to review the 300 words of HSK 1, practice listening and start writing.

When does the new HSK start?

The syllabus was published in November 2025 and the new exam starts being offered on December 13, 2026.

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