HSK 1 key terms

The most common greeting in Mandarin, used when meeting someone at any time of day. Literally built from 你 (you) and 好 (good), and it works in both formal and casual settings with people of any age.

A word of thanks said after receiving help, a gift, or a kind gesture. It is appropriate with strangers, teachers, and friends alike, and a short reply such as 不客气 is the usual response.

An apology used when you have made a mistake, bumped into someone, or caused trouble. It is stronger than a casual sorry and often prompts a reply like 没关系 from the other person.

A reassuring reply meaning that something does not matter, typically said after another person apologizes. It can also calm someone who is worried, and it functions as the standard answer to 对不起.

A farewell said when leaving a place or ending a conversation. It is neutral in tone and suits shops, classrooms, and phone calls, with the repeated form 拜拜 reserved for more casual goodbyes.

A polite opener placed before a question, especially when approaching a stranger for information. It softens the request and signals that a question about directions, prices, or names is coming next.

An interrogative pronoun meaning what, used to ask about things, names, or activities. It appears in questions such as 你叫什么名字 and 这是什么, and it never moves to the front of the sentence the way English what does.

A question word meaning who, used to ask about a person's identity. It occupies the position of the person in the sentence, so 他是谁 literally orders as he is who, and it can also ask whose something is.

A question word asking where, used with verbs of going, living, or being. In northern speech it is often pronounced and written nǎr, and the answer typically uses 在 plus a place.

A question word meaning which, placed before a measure word and noun to choose among options, as in 哪个人 or 哪个. It differs from 哪儿, which asks about location rather than selection.

A question word asking how many, used with small numbers and always followed by a measure word, as in 几个人 or 几点. It is not used with numbers above ten, where 多少 takes its place.

A question word asking how much or how many, usable with any quantity including prices and phone numbers. It often appears in 多少钱 when shopping, and unlike 几 it does not require a measure word.

The most general measure word, required between a number or 这/那 and a noun. It covers people, objects, and many abstract nouns, and learners use it as a default when the specific measure word is unknown.

A measure word for books, notebooks, and similar bound printed items, as in 一本书 or 三本词典. It is also a noun meaning the root or origin of something, but the measure-word use dominates beginner texts.

A particle that links a modifier to a noun, marking possession or description, as in 我的书 or 很贵的杯子. It is often omitted after close family terms and is pronounced de in this use.

The verb to be, used to link a subject with a noun that identifies or classifies it, as in 我是学生. It is not used before adjectives, where 很 normally stands instead, and it is negated with 不是.

The basic negator, placed before verbs and adjectives to mean not, as in 不去 or 不好. Its tone changes to second tone before a fourth-tone syllable, which matters for listening accuracy in the exam.

The negator used to deny possession or past events, as in 我没有书 or 我没去. It contrasts with 不, which rejects habits, intentions, and states rather than completed actions.

A verb meaning to have or there is, used for possession and existence, as in 我有一个哥哥 or 桌子上有一本书. Its negative form is 没有 rather than 不有, which is never correct.

A verb meaning to be located at a place, as in 他在家, and a preposition marking where an action happens, as in 我在学校学习. It also appears in the pattern 在 plus place plus 有 to state existence.

The word for a person's or thing's name. It appears in the fixed question 你叫什么名字, where 叫 introduces the name, and in statements such as 我的名字是… when introducing yourself.

A noun used after a number to state someone's age, as in 我二十岁. Unlike English, no verb is needed, and questions use 几岁 for children or 多大 for adults rather than asking directly with 是.

A time word meaning today, placed before the verb or at the start of a sentence. Related forms follow the same pattern, such as 明天 for tomorrow and 昨天 for yesterday, which is useful in listening tasks about schedules.

A time word meaning tomorrow, used before the verb as in 明天见 or 我明天去北京. It takes no preposition, and pairing it with 今天 and 昨天 helps track time references in short dialogues.

The word for week, combined with numbers to name weekdays: 星期一 for Monday through 星期六 for Saturday, with 星期日 or 星期天 for Sunday. It also appears in questions about the day of the week.

A measure word for hours when telling time, as in 三点 for three o'clock, and for a small amount, as in 一点儿. Questions about clock time use 几点, and minutes follow with 分.

The general word for money, used when asking prices with 多少钱 and when talking about payment. The currency unit 块 appears in speech, as in 五块钱, while 元 is the formal written form.

A verb meaning to buy, used for shopping of any kind, as in 我买苹果 or 你买什么. Its opposite 卖 sounds identical in some accents, so context and tone carry the distinction in listening items.

A verb meaning to eat, used with food objects and in invitations such as 你吃什么. It appears in common phrases about meals, and the related 喝 covers drinking, which learners must keep separate.

A verb meaning to drink, used with water, tea, coffee, and similar liquids, as in 我喝茶. It is never used for solid food, where 吃 is required, and this pairing is a frequent listening distinction.

The word for water, both the substance and a serving of it, as in 我要一杯水. It is a common object after 喝 and appears in shop and restaurant dialogues where quantities are requested.

The word for tea, whether the drink or the leaves. It follows 喝 in phrases like 喝茶 and is often offered to guests, making it a frequent item in short listening conversations about hospitality.

Cooked rice served as a staple food, distinct from the raw grain. It follows 吃 and appears on menus and in meal conversations, often paired with dishes ordered separately.

A word for a dish of food or for vegetables, depending on context. In restaurants it refers to ordered dishes, as in 点菜, while alone it can mean greens, so the surrounding verb decides the meaning.

The word for a school of any level, used with 去, 在, and 是. It appears in self-introductions about where someone studies or works, and in directions when asking how to get there.

A noun for a teacher, used as both a job title and a respectful form of address with a surname, as in 王老师. It never takes the surname after it, unlike English word order.

A noun for a student or pupil, used to describe one's role in introductions such as 我是学生. It pairs naturally with 学校 and 老师 and appears in questions about identity and occupation.

A noun meaning friend, used for both close and casual relationships. It appears in introductions, in questions about who someone is, and in phrases like 我的朋友, where 的 is normally kept.

A verb meaning to like, followed by a noun or another verb, as in 我喜欢喝茶 or 我喜欢音乐. It is a state verb, so it does not take 了 for a present liking and is negated with 不.

A verb meaning to love or to be fond of, stronger in feeling than 喜欢. It works with people, places, and activities, and in questions about hobbies it often signals a deeper preference than simple liking.