HSK 3 Vocabulary List 2026: 500 New Words (Official)
HSK Level 3 adds 500 new words to the 500 you already know from Levels 1 and 2, bringing the cumulative total to 1,000. These words span 11 topic domains — from health and housing to modern society and arts. This guide breaks them down by category to make studying efficient.
HSK 3 Vocabulary List 2026 — Image
1,000
Total Words
500
New at L3
11
Topic Categories
B1
CEFR Level
What Changed in the HSK 3 Word List?
The new 2026 syllabus overhauled the HSK 3 vocabulary in three key ways:
9 New Topic Domains
Vocabulary for housing, office work, family education, nature, environmental protection, modern technology, and arts were not tested at this level before. These account for roughly 200 of the 500 new words.
More Abstract & Opinion Words
Words like 影响 (influence), 发展 (development), 社会 (society), 环境 (environment), and 质量 (quality) reflect the shift from simple description to analysis and opinion at L3.
Professional & Academic Register
The level now includes professional words like 职业 (profession), 会议 (meeting), 完成 (to complete), 课程 (curriculum), and 成绩 (results) — vocabulary for adult learners navigating real-world Chinese.
Categorized Breakdown (Preview)
Below is a curated sample of key vocabulary organized by topic category. For the complete 500-word list with audio flashcards, use the PASS HSK app.
1. People & Society (人与社会)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 阿姨 | āyí | aunt; auntie (polite address) |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbor |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; coworker |
| 老人 | lǎorén | elderly person; the old |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we (inclusive of listener) |
| 大人 | dàrén | adult; grown-up |
| 运动员 | yùndòngyuán | athlete; sportsman |
2. Body & Health (身体与健康)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 发烧 | fāshāo | to have a fever |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | cold; flu; to catch a cold |
| 咳嗽 | késou | to cough; cough |
| 头疼 | tóuténg | headache; to have a headache |
| 药 | yào | medicine; drug |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | health; healthy |
| 锻炼 | duànliàn | to exercise; to work out |
3. Food & Dining (饮食)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 餐厅 | cāntīng | restaurant; dining room |
| 味道 | wèidào | taste; flavor |
| 苹果 | píngguǒ | apple |
| 甜 | tián | sweet |
| 辣 | là | spicy; hot |
| 饿 | è | hungry; to starve |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to treat (to a meal); to be the host |
| 外卖 | wàimài | takeaway; food delivery |
4. Transport & Travel (交通出行)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane; plane |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport |
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high-speed rail |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | subway; metro |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to depart |
| 到达 | dàodá | to arrive; to reach |
| 行李 | xíngli | luggage; baggage |
| 导游 | dǎoyóu | tour guide |
5. Shopping & Money (购物与金钱)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 便宜 | piányí | cheap; inexpensive |
| 贵 | guì | expensive; valuable |
| 打折 | dǎzhé | to discount; to give a discount |
| 质量 | zhìliàng | quality; standard |
| 超市 | chāoshì | supermarket |
| 银行 | yínháng | bank |
| 付钱 | fùqián | to pay (money) |
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive (mail/goods) |
6. Home & Living (居住生活)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 客厅 | kètīng | living room; lounge |
| 卧室 | wòshì | bedroom |
| 厨房 | chúfáng | kitchen |
| 家具 | jiājù | furniture |
| 搬家 | bānjiā | to move house |
| 小区 | xiǎoqū | residential community; compound |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioner |
| 电梯 | diàntī | elevator; lift |
7. Work & Career (工作与职业)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 公司 | gōngsī | company; corporation |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office |
| 会议 | huìyì | meeting; conference |
| 工资 | gōngzī | wages; salary |
| 职业 | zhíyè | occupation; profession |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; coworker |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday; day off |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete; to finish |
8. Study & Campus (学习与校园)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 作业 | zuòyè | homework; assignment |
| 考试 | kǎoshì | exam; to take an exam |
| 成绩 | chéngjì | grades; results; achievement |
| 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | library |
| 宿舍 | sùshè | dormitory |
| 课程 | kèchéng | course; curriculum |
| 留学 | liúxué | to study abroad |
| 毕业 | bìyè | to graduate; graduation |
9. Leisure & Arts (休闲与文艺)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | to travel; tourism |
| 爬山 | páshān | to hike; to climb a mountain |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | movie; film |
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | performance; to perform |
| 养宠物 | yǎng chǒngwù | to keep a pet |
| 骑行 | qíxíng | cycling; to go cycling |
| 比赛 | bǐsài | competition; match; race |
10. Nature & Environment (自然与环境)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 季节 | jìjié | season |
| 春天 | chūntiān | spring |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | autumn; fall |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal |
| 植物 | zhíwù | plant; vegetation |
| 环境 | huánjìng | environment; surroundings |
| 气候 | qìhòu | climate |
| 保护 | bǎohù | to protect; protection |
11. Modern Society & Technology (现代社会)
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone; cell phone |
| 支付 | zhīfù | to pay; payment |
| 网络 | wǎngluò | internet; network |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city; town |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | development; to develop |
| 社会 | shèhuì | society; community |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; to make things easy |
| 影响 | yǐngxiǎng | influence; to affect |
How to Memorize 500 New Words
The jump from 500 to 1,000 words feels steep. Here is the most efficient approach:
Learn by topic cluster, not alphabetically
Study all housing words (客厅, 卧室, 厨房, 家具) together — your brain forms stronger associations when words share context.
Prioritize the 9 new domains
The new topic areas (housing, office, nature, society, arts) are the biggest source of exam surprises. Tackle these first before reviewing L1/L2 vocabulary.
Use spaced repetition
500 words studied once is not the same as 100 words reviewed 5 times. The PASS HSK app uses SRS to schedule reviews at optimal intervals.
Study words in sentences
Every HSK 3 word appears in an exam task context. Learn 高铁 in the sentence '我坐高铁去上海' not in isolation.
Continue with HSK 3
Practice All 1,000 Words with AI
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