HSK 1 Vocabulary: Learn Your First 158 Essential Mandarin Words
Master the complete HSK 1 word list with 158 flashcards covering numbers, family, food, and everyday verbs — the foundation for Mandarin fluency.
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If you're starting Mandarin from zero, HSK 1 is where every learner begins. This deck (code OL4345) packs 158 flashcards covering the core vocabulary tested at the first official proficiency level — numbers, family terms, everyday verbs, and the question words you need to start forming real sentences.
Study this deck: HSK 1 Vocabulary
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What the deck covers
The 158 cards are grouped around situations a beginner actually runs into:
- Numbers 0-10: 零 (líng), 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí)
- Family & people: 爸爸 (bàba), 妈妈 (māma), 儿子 (érzi), 女儿 (nǚ'ér), 朋友 (péngyou), 老师 (lǎoshī), 学生 (xuésheng)
- Question words: 谁 (shéi), 什么 (shénme), 哪儿 (nǎr), 怎么 (zěnme), 几 (jǐ), 多少 (duōshao)
- Time: 今天 (jīntiān), 明天 (míngtiān), 昨天 (zuótiān), 现在 (xiànzài), 星期 (xīngqī), 点 (diǎn), 分钟 (fēnzhōng)
- Food & drink: 茶 (chá), 米饭 (mǐfàn), 水果 (shuǐguǒ), 苹果 (píngguǒ), 吃 (chī), 喝 (hē)
- Core verbs: 是 (shì), 有 (yǒu), 去 (qù), 来 (lái), 看 (kàn), 说 (shuō), 学 (xué), 想 (xiǎng), 喜欢 (xǐhuan)
- Everyday phrases: 谢谢 (xièxie), 对不起 (duìbuqǐ), 再见 (zàijiàn), 请 (qǐng)
That range is deliberate: HSK 1 isn't a random word list, it's the smallest set of vocabulary that lets you introduce yourself, count, ask basic questions, and get through a meal or a taxi ride.
Sample flashcards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| eight | 八 (bā) |
| father / dad | 爸爸 (bàba) |
| happy | 高兴 (gāoxìng) |
| like / enjoy | 喜欢 (xǐhuan) |
| weather | 天气 (tiānqì) |
| thank you | 谢谢 (xièxie) |
| classmate | 同学 (tóngxué) |
| goodbye | 再见 (zàijiàn) |
Each card pairs the English meaning with the Chinese characters and pinyin, so you build character recognition and pronunciation together instead of leaning on romanization alone.
How to study it efficiently
- Nail the numbers 0-10 and the measure word 个 (gè) first. Once you have those, age, time, prices, and quantities all click into place, and cards like 几 (jǐ), 多少 (duōshao), and 岁 (suì) stop feeling like isolated vocabulary and start feeling like grammar.
- Group by pronoun + verb combos, not alphabetically. 我是 (I am), 我有 (I have), 我想 (I want), 我喜欢 (I like) — drilling the same high-frequency verbs against 我 / 你 / 他 builds sentence instinct faster than reviewing the deck in a flat list.
Since HSK 1 words repeat constantly in daily conversation, short and frequent review sessions (10 cards, several times a day) beat one long cram — you want these in fast recall, not just recognition.
Where to go next
Once these 158 words are solid, the natural next step is HSK 2 Vocabulary, which builds directly on this foundation with 303 more flashcards (read the guide). To see how these words combine into sentences, check out Chinese Grammar Essentials for the core patterns.
Search for deck OL4345 in your Flip It library to start reviewing.
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