HSK Study Blog
Expert guides, study tips, and the latest HSK news to help you master Chinese.
What Is HSK? China's Chinese Proficiency Test Explained
A clear guide to the HSK test — what it is, who runs it, the 9 levels, and why your score matters for study and work in China.
HSK 3.0 vs HSK 2.0: What Actually Changed
The new HSK 3.0 format, vocabulary changes, and scoring system — and what they mean if you studied for the old version.
HSK 2026 Test Dates & Schedule, Registration, Fees
Every HSK and HSKK session in 2026, with registration deadlines, official fees, and how to sign up at chinesetest.cn.
How to Pass HSK 3: A Spaced-Repetition Study Plan
An 8-week study plan for HSK 3, built around spaced repetition, with the grammar points, vocabulary categories, and practice schedule.
How to Pass HSK 4: 12-Week Science-Driven SRS Study Plan
A 12-week study plan for HSK 4 covering all 600 new words, 8 core grammar modules, and section-specific drilling tactics, built around spaced repetition.
How to Pass HSK 5: Evidence-Based Long-Term SRS Study Roadmap
A 12-month study plan for HSK 5 covering all 1300 new words, 9 core grammar modules, and section-specific drilling tactics, built around spaced repetition.
The Science of Spaced Repetition
Learn how spaced repetition works, why it is the most efficient learning method, and how to apply it to your HSK vocabulary studies.
Reviso vs Anki: Which is Better for HSK Preparation?
A head-to-head comparison of Reviso and Anki for HSK study — features, pros, and which tool fits your learning style.
HSK 1: Start Here
Build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese. Greet people, introduce yourself, and handle everyday transactions with 300 essential words.
HSK 2: Daily Life
Expand your Mandarin toolkit. Talk about weather, shopping, transportation, hobbies, and your work or school week with 500 words.
HSK 3: Bridge to Intermediate
Move beyond tourist phrases. Hold real conversations about school, work, travel, and current life with 1,000 words.
HSK 4: Real Conversation
Operate confidently in Chinese. Discuss work, society, news, and complex personal topics with 2,000 words.
HSK 5: Professional Chinese
Use Chinese at work. Discuss business, society, technology, and culture with fluency on 3,600 words.
HSK 6: Near-Native Fluency
Operate at a near-native level. Read literary prose, write academic essays, and engage in professional debates on 5,400 words.
HSK 7-9: Mastery
The apex of HSK. Read classical Chinese, translate at professional level, and analyze literature with the 11,000-word lexicon of a near-native scholar.
How Flashcards Work: The Smart Way to Master HSK Vocabulary
Smart flashcards combine active recall, micro-sessions, and cross-device sync to fit vocabulary study into even the busiest schedule — built on the science of spaced repetition.
Is Learning Chinese Difficult? Honest Guide with Real Timelines
The honest, evidence-based answer about how hard Chinese really is — plus FSI difficulty data, realistic timelines for every learning goal, and 7 tips to learn faster.
Pinyin & Tones: Pronounce Chinese Correctly
How the pinyin system works, the four tones plus neutral, common pronunciation mistakes, and tone sandhi rules you need to know.
Chinese Radicals: The Beginner's Guide to 200+ Characters
Chinese radicals are the 214 building-block components hidden inside every Chinese character — mastering the top 20 unlocks hundreds of new characters. A complete beginner's guide.
First 100 Chinese Words & Characters
The exact words and characters to learn first as a beginner — pronouns, verbs, numbers, and the radicals that unlock thousands more.
10 Common Mistakes Chinese Beginners Make (and How to Fix)
The 10 most common mistakes new Chinese learners make — and the exact fixes that work. Backed by Reddit community insights and decades of teaching experience.
Chinese Measure Words: The Beginner's Guide to Classifiers
A practical guide to the 30 most common Chinese measure words, with audio-friendly example sentences, common mistakes to avoid, and a printable cheat sheet.
How to Type Chinese on Any Device: Pinyin, Handwriting & Voice
Step-by-step setup for Chinese typing on iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac — plus 5 input methods compared and pro tips to type 3x faster.
Order Food in Chinese: 50 Essential Restaurant & Takeout Phrases
A complete restaurant survival kit: 50 essential phrases, a full enter-to-leave dialogue, 30+ common menu items, and 20 popular dishes every traveler should know.
HSK 7-9 Explained: 11,000 Words, 210 Minutes (2026 Standard)
HSK 7-9 is the new top tier of China's official Chinese proficiency test, launching worldwide on July 1, 2026 under the HSK 3.0 standard — a single 210-minute exam that places you at Level 7, 8, or 9 based on your score.
Why Chinese Has No Alphabet: 3,000 Years of Logographic History
Chinese is a logographic writing system: each character carries meaning, not sound. 1.4 billion people share one script across dozens of mutually unintelligible spoken languages — Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Wu.
Classical (文言文) vs Modern Chinese: Two Languages, One Script
Classical Chinese (文言文, wényánwén) and Modern Chinese (白话文, báihuàwén) are written in the same characters, but they are as different as Latin is from Italian.
Chinese Internet Slang 2026: 50 Words From Bilibili to Xiaohongshu
Chinese internet slang in 2026 is dominated by ~5 platforms (Bilibili, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, WeChat) and ~3 generations of users (Gen Z, young millennials, post-00s). The words below appear in 80%+ of casual online conversations.
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