Vocabulary by topic
250+ subtopics in 20 categories: survival, digital China, etiquette, foodways, travel, health, university, characters, grammar and situational dialogues.
265 topics · 20 categories · ~18,046 indexed words
These pages are not an infinite dictionary. They group Chinese Trainer's HSK inventory by situation: greet, pay, order food, ride the metro, queue at a 医院. Start with survival (greetings, numbers, food, transport, hospital) if your Chinese still dies at a counter. The other nineteen categories cover digital China, etiquette, foodways, paperwork, university, and dialogue packs — do not open all of them on day one. Each leaf tags the HSK band of the row; the same words feed SRS in the app. The lists are not an official PDF from chinesetest.cn. They are this site's inventory, cut to the topic.
Start here
How HSK tags work
HSK 1–6 here follow the classic bands still sat at most centers. HSK 7+ groups the 2021 advanced bands in this database. Do not mix both syllabi in the same week. Check dates and registration on Chinese Testing International (chinesetest.cn); the framework is published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation.
Survival & basics
Greetings, numbers, time, colors, places and essential relationships (HSK 1–2).
Greetings, numbers, time, colors, places and family: the HSK 1–2 floor so you are not mute. Start here, not with chengyu.
Greetings, courtesy & basic communication
Formal and informal greetings, apologies, thanks and essential phrases.
43 words →
Numbers, quantities & measures
Numbers, prices, currencies, measures and essential classifiers.
186 words →
Time, calendar & frequency
Hours, days, seasons, basic holidays and frequency expressions.
237 words →
Colors, shapes & simple descriptions
Basic colors, shapes and simple adjectives for describing objects.
156 words →
Places & directions
Cities, buildings, streets and how to get around.
180 words →
Pronouns, people & basic relationships
Personal pronouns, family members and essential social roles.
182 words →
Nationalities & languages
Where you are from, what you speak and introducing yourself without a national anthem.
1419 words →
Phone, address & spelling a name
Numbers, 区, 号 and reciting a Latin name to someone taking notes.
115 words →
Repeat, slower, write it down
听不懂, 慢一点, 写下来: the pack you need on day one, not day three.
63 words →
Lost items & asking for help
Lost property, police, a counter and the Chinese of not freezing on the platform.
67 words →
Weather small-talk
It's hot, it will rain, 雾霾: elevator talk, not a meteorology class.
57 words →
Stationery & classroom objects
Pen, notebook, board, backpack: week-one classroom inventory.
21 words →
Speak slower / write it down
The linguistic emergency pack: ear, paper, map.
16 words →
Home & daily life
House, routine, clothing, sports and hobbies.
Home, routine, clothes and hobbies: 07:00 Chinese and sofa Chinese, not airport Chinese.
The home
Rooms, furniture, appliances and household vocabulary.
81 words →
Daily routine & chores
Morning routines, cleaning, cooking and everyday activities.
61 words →
Clothing, fashion & accessories
Garments, dressing and shopping for clothes.
46 words →
Sports & physical activity
Sports, gym, exercise and outdoor activities.
80 words →
Hobbies & leisure
Free time, entertainment, games and personal interests.
61 words →
Cooking at home
Fridge, stove, a supermarket run and shared-kitchen Chinese, not restaurant Chinese.
62 words →
Repairs & calling 师傅
AC, lock, pipes and explaining what broke without mime.
87 words →
Utility bills
水电煤, 物业费 and the Chinese of not getting cut off.
92 words →
Sleep & rest
Going to bed, jet lag, naps and asking for quiet at eleven.
67 words →
Roommates & 合租
Kitchen shifts, guests, noise and the social contract of a shared flat.
45 words →
Smart home & gadgets
Plugs, robot vacuums, cameras and Xiaomi Chinese when the app is in Mandarin.
41 words →
Weekend plans
What are you doing Saturday, meeting up, cancelling and not leaving someone on read.
85 words →
Calling a 师傅
AC, lock, pipes: symptom, address, price before they come up.
72 words →
Digital China & super-apps
WeChat, Alipay, QR codes, mini programs and the phone as daily ID.
WeChat, Alipay, QR and the phone as ID. Spoken Chinese will not pay for the metro without this.
WeChat survival
Chats, groups, voice notes, Moments and the minimum to keep up in a 群.
100 words →
Pay with QR
Scan, transfer, red packets and the Chinese of WeChat Pay and Alipay at the till.
94 words →
Mini programs & super-apps
WeChat mini programs, bookings, virtual queues and on-screen Chinese.
67 words →
Food delivery apps
Orders, rider notes, delays and the Chinese of 外卖.
25 words →
Maps & ride-hailing
Routes, traffic, Didi, shared bikes and telling the driver where to stop.
51 words →
Shopping apps
Cart, sizes, reverse logistics and the Chinese of Taobao, JD and returns.
13 words →
Real-name registration
ID, face scan, linking a bank card and the Chinese of 实名.
74 words →
Phone, SIM & typing Chinese
SIM, data, pinyin keyboard, handwriting input and scan.
39 words →
Getting a Chinese SIM
Shop, passport, top-up and 流量 Chinese before maps die.
51 words →
First WeChat Pay / Alipay
Linking a card, verifying and buying water with no cash.
47 words →
Returning something on Taobao
Reverse logistics, reason and a 退货 that stalls halfway.
12 words →
Picking up a parcel at 菜鸟
Code, locker, ID and a crowded station at 19:00.
56 words →
Functional Chinese: signs, menus & forms
The Chinese of screens, paper and counters: signs, forms, tickets and medicine boxes.
Signs, menus, tickets and medicine boxes: Chinese you read, not Chinese you recite in class.
Public signs
Exits, forbidden, caution, toilets and the Chinese on streets and in the metro.
45 words →
Reading a menu
Cold/hot, spice, portions, 不要香菜 and ordering without guessing the dish.
48 words →
Forms & applications
Name, sex, address, signature and the Chinese of any box they put in front of you.
104 words →
Tickets, receipts & fapiao
Official invoice, tickets, boarding pass and asking for the paper you will need later.
29 words →
Packaging & labels
Expiry, ingredients, directions and allergens in a Chinese supermarket.
58 words →
Contracts you will actually sign
Rent, probation, courses: plain-Chinese clauses, not commercial law class.
34 words →
ATM, metro & kiosk screens
Confirm, cancel, balance, language and not hitting the wrong button.
53 words →
Medicine boxes & dosage
Times a day, after meals and the Chinese on a pharmacy box.
107 words →
Etiquette, face & unwritten rules
How to address people, gifts, toasts, polite refusals and not putting your foot in it.
Titles, gifts, toasts and polite refusals: the lexicon that avoids a social mess.
Face, gifts & guanxi
面子, 送礼 and 关系: the vocabulary of not humiliating someone and returning a favour.
53 words →
How to address people
老师, 师傅, 老板, 阿姨, 总: the right title beats a perfect hello.
67 words →
Banquet & drinking etiquette
Seating, 敬酒, 干杯 and how not to drink without breaking protocol.
44 words →
Polite refusal & hedging
不太方便, 再说吧, 考虑一下: saying no without slamming the door.
123 words →
Queues, photos & public space
排队, 让一下, 能不能拍照: the Chinese of not being the loud foreigner.
56 words →
Taboos & lucky numbers
4 vs 8, clocks as gifts, 忌讳 and the Chinese of not spoiling a celebration.
82 words →
Business card & first meeting
名片 with two hands, 请多指教 and the minute that decides whether 关系 starts.
63 words →
Hosting & being hosted
随便吃, 慢用, 添麻烦了: the polite theatre of a meal in someone else's home.
140 words →
Food, shopping & money
Food, stores, mobile payments and personal finance.
Order, pay and return: food, shops and yuan, with a QR code in the middle.
Shopping & consumer life
Stores, online shopping, bargaining and returns.
61 words →
Money & personal finance
Banking, payments, budgets and financial basics.
92 words →
Food & drink
Restaurants, ingredients, flavors and ordering food.
119 words →
Complaint at restaurant or store
How to complain politely and effectively.
24 words →
Wet market, supermarket & 24h store
菜市场, 超市, 便利店: three Chineses for buying the same thing.
52 words →
Consumer credit & personal tax
花呗, payroll, 个税 and not signing credit you do not understand.
42 words →
618, Singles' Day & coupons
满减, coupons and the Chinese of not panic-buying a fake shortage.
27 words →
Fapiao & company reimbursement
发票, 报销, paying a company: the Chinese that turns a slip into money back.
33 words →
Counterfeit & failed returns
正品, 假货 and what to say when the refund dies in 客服 chat.
60 words →
Opening a bank account
Queue, 身份证, signing and not leaving with a passbook you cannot use.
69 words →
Complaining in a 群 or to 客服
Screenshot, order number and the tone that gets a refund without torching the chat.
41 words →
Chinese foodways & street food
Breakfasts, regional cooking, hotpot, tea, dietary limits and paying the bill.
Street food, regional cuisines, hotpot and AA制: finer than generic 'restaurant'.
Breakfast & street food
豆浆油条, 包子, 夜宵 and the Chinese of the stall on the corner at 7 a.m.
61 words →
Regional cuisines
Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese, Dongbei, Xinjiang, Yunnan: spicy, fresh, wheat or rice.
36 words →
Hotpot, BBQ & malatang
Broth, dipping sauces, skewers, spice level and not losing chopsticks in the pot.
20 words →
Tea, milk tea & coffee
Green, pu'er, 奶茶, Luckin and ordering tea without defaulting to hot water.
35 words →
Ordering with dietary limits
Vegetarian, halal, allergies, less oil and 打包 when there are leftovers.
130 words →
Home cooking verbs
Stir-fry, steam, stew and the Chinese of the cutting board.
54 words →
Paying, treating & going Dutch
我请客, AA制, fighting over the POS and when it is not theatre.
68 words →
Banquet dishes & lucky names
Auspicious names, whole fish, cold-then-hot order and not stabbing the 鱼.
37 words →
Ordering 外卖 with notes
少辣, 放门口, cutlery and a delivery that matches the note.
101 words →
I treat / splitting the bill
我请客 versus AA: the most expensive social minute of a dinner.
85 words →
Hotpot with colleagues
Spice, 蘸料, a half-hearted 我请客 and not dropping the phone in the pot.
51 words →
Travel, transport & city
Transport, tourism, city services and situational dialogues.
Metro, 高铁, hotel and city: platform and reception Chinese, not brochure Chinese.
Transport
Car, metro, train, taxi and getting around.
83 words →
Travel & tourism
Airports, hotels, luggage and sightseeing.
52 words →
City, services & paperwork
Public services, utilities and everyday city life.
92 words →
Housing in China
Renting, landlords, contracts and living as an expat.
32 words →
First day in China
Essential pack for arrival and first steps.
41 words →
Renting an apartment
Finding and renting a place to live.
29 words →
Buying a car or motorbike
Vehicle purchase, registration and dealers.
45 words →
Parents visiting China
Hosting family visits and travel together.
39 words →
Neighbors & community
Neighborhood life and community relations.
33 words →
Rural tourism & ancient villages
Countryside travel and heritage villages.
52 words →
High-speed rail & 12306
G and D trains, changing tickets, security and not missing 检票.
57 words →
Shared bikes & e-bikes
Unlocking, parking zones, helmets and not dumping the bike on the pavement.
14 words →
Driving, licence & fines
驾照 conversion, 违章 and the Chinese of a camera that does not care you are foreign.
32 words →
Hotels, 民宿 & check-in
Passport at reception, deposit, wifi and the Chinese of 续住.
33 words →
Chunyun, Golden Week & 调休
春运, 黄金周 and a work calendar that shifts so the country can travel.
89 words →
HK & Macau border crossings
Immigration, visa, queues and the practical Chinese of a crossing, not a political debate.
38 words →
Public toilets
厕所, paper, occupied and finding a toilet when the map is lying.
69 words →
Museums, tickets & booking
预约, real-name tickets and a box office that no longer sells at the window.
18 words →
Lost passport, phone or wallet
Counter, police, freezing cards: the worst two hours of a trip.
41 words →
Buying a 高铁 ticket
Date, time, seat, ID and 12306 Chinese on Friday at 18:00.
68 words →
Hotel check-in with passport
Reception, deposit, wifi, breakfast and 续住.
25 words →
Nearby weekend trip
门票, train, 民宿: 周边游 Chinese, not a national tour.
38 words →
Traffic accident & insurance
Photos, 保险, not moving the car and Chinese that stops you signing too much.
38 words →
Renting a car for 自驾
Deposit, insurance, km and not returning it with a silent scratch.
23 words →
Personal care, beauty & pets
Hygiene, salon, skincare, pets, everyday pharmacy and park life.
Haircut, skin, everyday pharmacy and the dog in the park: non-medical appointment Chinese.
Hygiene & bathroom
Toothbrush, paper, hairdryer and bathroom Chinese that HSK 1 skips.
34 words →
Hair salon & nails
Cut, dye, perm, booking and not leaving with the wrong cut.
418 words →
Skincare & makeup
Sunscreen, moisturiser, lipstick shade and the Chinese of the 护肤 shelf.
27 words →
Pets at home
Walking the dog, pet food, vaccines and the Chinese of 养宠物 in a 小区.
28 words →
Glasses, dentist & everyday pharmacy
Prescription, toothache, syrup and non-urgent health errands.
28 words →
Gym, yangsheng & park life
Tai chi, plaza dancing, foot massage and 养生 at 6:30 a.m.
77 words →
Health & body
Anatomy, hospital, wellness and medical emergencies.
Body, 挂号 and A&E: Chinese you need when it hurts, not when you read an anatomy manual.
Body parts & sensations
Anatomy, pain, comfort and physical feelings.
141 words →
Hospital & medical care
Doctors, symptoms, treatment and hospital visits.
38 words →
Nutrition, fitness & lifestyle
Healthy eating, fitness and wellness habits.
34 words →
First aid & emergencies
Urgent care, accidents and emergency phrases.
23 words →
Babies, childhood & parenting
Childcare, parenting and early childhood.
28 words →
Elderly care & aging
Senior care, retirement and aging-related terms.
43 words →
Specialized medicine
Medical specialties and advanced healthcare.
21 words →
Hospital visit without fluent Chinese
Emergency hospital communication pack.
34 words →
Telemedicine & health apps
Online doctors and health apps in China.
27 words →
Traditional Chinese medicine
上火, 穴位, herbs and 中医 Chinese without turning it into folklore.
30 words →
Pharmacy & over-the-counter
感冒药, 药店 and describing a cold to the pharmacist at 11 p.m.
39 words →
Talking about mental health
压力, 心理咨询 and asking for help without disguising it as tiredness.
62 words →
Women's health
Gynaecology, cycle, early pregnancy: basic clinical vocabulary, not a treatise.
43 words →
Medical insurance & 三甲 hospitals
医保, 专家号 and the Chinese of an appointment that is not a GP.
42 words →
Masks & air quality
口罩, 雾霾 and a day when the index decides whether you go for a run.
68 words →
Dentist, glasses & vaccines
The trio of health errands that is not an emergency and still needs vocabulary.
34 words →
Night pharmacy
Symptom, allergy, dose and a 药店 with the shutter half down.
34 words →
Taking family to a 三甲 hospital
Queues, 专家, results and translating fear as well as the symptom.
54 words →
Study & work
School, university, employment and professional communication.
Classroom, office and jobs: 上课 and 加班 Chinese, not a word-for-word translated CV.
School & study
Classes, exams, books and academic life.
110 words →
Professions & the workplace
Jobs, office life, colleagues and career vocabulary.
105 words →
Meetings & professional communication
Emails, meetings, presentations and workplace etiquette.
44 words →
Entrepreneurship & startups
Startups, pitching, funding and innovation.
20 words →
Factory or office life
Workplace survival pack for factory or office.
64 words →
Job interview
Interview questions, answers and professional tone.
39 words →
Business meeting with Chinese clients
Meetings, negotiation and business etiquette.
28 words →
Studying for the HSK
Exam prep, study plans and test vocabulary.
67 words →
University class debate
Academic debate and classroom discussion.
44 words →
Overtime, 996 & clocking in
加班, 打卡, 年会, 团建: real workplace calendar Chinese, not the HR brochure.
63 words →
Resigning & probation
离职证明, 试用期 and leaving without setting company WeChat on fire.
85 words →
Teaching English / 外教
Classroom, parents, 机构 and the Chinese of being paid in yuan to speak your language.
86 words →
Freelancing & invoices
个体户, 发票 and getting paid for work without a salary.
23 words →
Workplace WeChat
Company 群, read receipts, not answering at 23:40 and digital etiquette Chinese.
58 words →
Office supplies
Print, staples, meeting rooms and the Chinese of an internal errand.
37 words →
Chinese résumé
简历 versus a Western CV: photo, 自我评价 and the order a local recruiter expects.
42 words →
First week after 入职
Clocking in, 群, canteen and not being the new person who asks three times.
42 words →
Short toast at the 年会
Thirty seconds, 感谢, 明年 and not improvising a wedding speech.
58 words →
HR exit conversation
Date, 证明, unused leave and the Chinese of a clean exit.
54 words →
University, exams & the school system
Campus, gaokao, graduate school, language exchange and academic Chinese.
Campus, gaokao, postgraduate and exchange: Chinese for people studying in China, not for a tourism paper.
Campus life in China
Dorm, canteen, campus card, military training and clubs.
50 words →
Gaokao & exam culture
高考, cut-off scores, university choices and a country that bets the future in June.
53 words →
Graduate school & 考研
研究生, supervisor, thesis proposal and the Chinese of life after undergrad.
17 words →
Study in China as a foreigner
Admission, scholarship, international dorms and the Chinese of 留学.
43 words →
Language exchange & tandem
语伴, correcting pronunciation and meeting to talk without becoming a free lesson.
49 words →
Online class tools
网课, Tencent Meeting, DingTalk and roll-call without missing the link.
37 words →
Civil service & 编制
考公, a permanent post, SOEs and the Chinese of hunting a 稳 job.
46 words →
Academic Chinese
提出, 表明, 因此, references: the register a university paper actually wants.
32 words →
Parent-teacher meeting
Grades, homework, 表现 and not smiling into the void.
43 words →
Thesis proposal with the 导师
开题, hypothesis, deadline and not defending an empty deck.
52 words →
International school / 学区
Fees, language, 学区房 and a parents' conversation in Chinese.
34 words →
People, emotions & relationships
Feelings, personality, friendship, dating and networking.
Feelings, relationships and small talk: vocabulary so you are not stuck on '还好'.
Emotions & basic psychology
Joy, sadness, anger, fear, stress and expressing opinions.
50 words →
Personality & character
Traits, strengths, weaknesses and compliments.
47 words →
Interpersonal relationships
Friendship, dating, conflict and social bonds.
33 words →
Dating & social life
Social outings, invitations and casual conversation.
66 words →
Romantic date
Dating scenarios and relationship phrases.
36 words →
Extended kinship
表哥, 舅妈, 亲家: the web A6 cannot hold and that shows up at every 年夜饭.
22 words →
Small talk
Weather, work, where you are from: keeping a thread going without an interrogation.
149 words →
Conflict, apology & making up
吵架, 和解 and fixing it without losing 面子.
33 words →
In-laws & marriage family
婆婆, meeting the parents and a meal where you are being assessed.
49 words →
Making plans, cancelling & being late
对不住, 堵车 and not leaving someone 20 minutes at the door.
56 words →
Compliments without awkwardness
Receiving 厉害 and returning it without endless 哪里哪里 or British silence.
87 words →
Meeting the parents (Chinese family)
Gift, formal address, 吃饭 and an evaluation disguised as soup.
65 words →
Culture, art & media
Festivals, traditions, art, internet and Chinese social media.
Holidays, shows, KTV and Douyin: cultural Chinese you hear, not only what a textbook prints.
Chinese culture & festivals
Traditions, holidays and cultural customs.
39 words →
Art, shows & entertainment
Music, film, theatre and popular culture.
55 words →
Media, internet & digital life
Social media, apps, streaming and online communication.
18 words →
Religion, spirituality & philosophy
Beliefs, philosophy and spiritual vocabulary.
26 words →
Weddings & social events
Ceremonies, celebrations and event vocabulary.
28 words →
Chinese New Year festival
Spring Festival traditions and celebration.
50 words →
Festival calendar
Mid-Autumn, Dragon Boat, Qingming, National Day: one festival each, not a junk drawer.
68 words →
C-drama, variety & binge-watching
C-dramas, variety shows and talking about what you watched last night.
55 words →
KTV, script murder & social games
Karaoke, script-murder, escape rooms: urban leisure that is not ‘the cinema’.
66 words →
Hanfu, kungfu & calligraphy
汉服, 功夫, 书法: culture you wear, train and write, not only visit.
37 words →
Tang poetry for beginners
Living 唐诗 vocabulary, not a literature degree: moon, wine, farewell, the road.
73 words →
Xiaohongshu, Douyin & Bilibili
种草, 打卡, danmu: the Chinese of three apps F6 cannot swallow.
51 words →
Superstition, feng shui & zodiac
属相, 风水 and a 忌讳 your host actually takes seriously.
98 words →
Wedding banquet as a guest
红包, seating, toast and not opening the envelope at the table.
58 words →
KTV night
Room, song, beer and choosing a track without hogging the mic.
51 words →
Nature & environment
Geography, weather, animals, plants and ecology.
Weather, geography and smog: forecast and mask Chinese, not school-atlas Chinese.
Geography & landscapes
Countries, regions, terrain and maps.
74 words →
Weather & natural phenomena
Sun, rain, temperature, storms and seasons.
62 words →
Flora, fauna & ecosystems
Plants, animals, wildlife and nature.
66 words →
Environment & ecology
Pollution, conservation, climate and sustainability.
36 words →
Universe & natural sciences
Space, physics, chemistry and biology basics.
40 words →
Pets, farm & zoo
Splitting dog, pig and panda: three animal registers, not one G3 drawer.
15 words →
Hiking & camping
爬山, 露营 and a weekend that is not a 古镇.
88 words →
Smog & city recycling
Bin rules by city and 垃圾分类 when the 小区 tells you off.
12 words →
Rivers, mountains & provinces
长江, 黄河, 省市: China geography for reading a map and a headline.
49 words →
Electric cars & charging
新能源, 充电桩 and a car park that is no longer petrol-only.
50 words →
Business, economy & academia
Company, marketing, logistics, science and research.
Company, sales, data and factory: professional Chinese that assumes you already survive outside the office.
Academic science & research
Research, labs, papers and university science.
41 words →
Corporate economy & finance
Markets, accounting, investment and corporate finance.
40 words →
Marketing, sales & customer service
Branding, sales, CRM and client relations.
40 words →
Human resources & management
Hiring, HR policies, leadership and teams.
29 words →
Manufacturing, logistics & supply chain
Production, shipping, warehouses and operations.
31 words →
Commercial law & contracts
Legal terms, agreements and business law.
13 words →
Mathematics & logic
Numbers, equations, geometry and logical terms.
53 words →
IT & programming
Software, coding, hardware and tech industry terms.
27 words →
Architecture, construction & real estate
Buildings, construction and property.
58 words →
Agriculture & industrial food
Farming, food industry and agribusiness.
16 words →
Investor or startup pitch
Pitching, fundraising and startup demos.
34 words →
Company payments & chops
对公, 公账, 合同章: the Chinese that decides whether the money arrives.
31 words →
Factory visit & quality control
验厂, samples, defects: buyer-on-the-floor Chinese, not tourist Chinese.
44 words →
Cross-border e-commerce
Customs, international shipping and selling out / buying in.
45 words →
Live commerce & 带货
Selling livestreams, 主播 and a cart that moves in 60 seconds.
45 words →
Data, reports & PPT
Slide Chinese: trend, percentage, conclusion, action.
20 words →
Linguistics of Chinese (for teachers)
Syllable, morpheme, classifier as a system: metalanguage for teachers.
21 words →
Factory audit / 验厂
Documents, PPE, questions to the line leader: buyer Chinese, not a school trip.
44 words →
Sales pitch (not a startup demo)
Product, price, lead time: commercial Chinese that O16 does not cover in five words.
63 words →
Society, law & politics
Government, law, immigration, security and history.
Hukou, paperwork, neighbourhood and consumer rights: civic Chinese, carefully, without a speech.
Politics & government
Government, policy, elections and public affairs.
30 words →
Law & the judicial system
Courts, lawyers, trials and legal procedures.
44 words →
Paperwork, bureaucracy & immigration
Visas, documents, permits and official procedures.
17 words →
Security, emergencies & crime
Police, safety, theft and emergency services.
33 words →
History of China
Dynasties, modern history and historical vocabulary.
37 words →
World history
Global history, wars, civilizations and timelines.
11 words →
Military, defense & geopolitics
Military, security and international relations.
33 words →
Police emergency
Police, legal trouble and emergency help.
29 words →
Visa & renewal procedures
Visa applications, renewals and immigration office.
27 words →
Daily news
Reading and discussing news headlines.
30 words →
Hukou, residence & registration
户口, 居住证, 临时住宿登记: existing in the eyes of local government.
39 words →
Labour law you actually feel
Contract, overtime, 五险一金: usable rights Chinese, not a legal code.
36 words →
Consumer rights
315, warranties and a complaint that is more than 不好吃.
28 words →
Notary & certified translation
公证, 翻译件 and a stamp a visa office will accept.
25 words →
Privacy & personal data
个保法 in plain Chinese: consent, deleting an account, not handing ID to a sketchy QR.
46 words →
Neighborhood committee & notices
居委会, 网格员 and a notice in the lobby that does affect you.
30 words →
24h registration at the 派出所
Temporary stay paperwork and the Chinese of not turning it into a bigger problem.
35 words →
Work-permit / residence appointment
Documents, window number and an appointment you do not wing.
72 words →
Commenting on a short news clip
Reading a 短视频, opining without 喷 and current-affairs thread Chinese.
47 words →
Characters, pinyin & classroom Chinese
Tones, radicals, classifiers, stroke order and the metalanguage for studying hanzi.
Pinyin, radicals, classifiers and strokes: the character workshop, not another topic list.
Pinyin & tones
Initials, finals, first to fourth tone, neutral tone and why 买 and 卖 are not the same mistake.
24 words →
Radicals & character parts
部首, phonetic series and guessing meaning without memorising ink blots.
166 words →
Classifiers (measure words)
个本张条杯件辆口: the list HSK 1 leaves half-done.
180 words →
Classroom language
老师, 再说一遍, 怎么写, 对不对: surviving class without switching to English.
83 words →
Stroke order & handwriting
笔画, 笔顺 and why print does not look like what comes out of the pen.
107 words →
Simplified vs traditional
简体 and 繁体: what changes, where you meet it, and not mixing them in one text.
24 words →
Homophones & tone pairs
买/卖, 四/十 and the pairs a Spanish ear mixes up through HSK 4.
45 words →
Dictionary & lookup skills
By pinyin, by radical and the habit of not guessing the character on the menu.
67 words →
Grammar you drill as vocabulary
Particles, 把/被, modals and complements as drillable lists, not abstract grammar.
了/着/过, 把/被, 的/地/得: grammar that unlocks sentences, not a faculty syllabus.
Particles 了 着 过
Completed, ongoing and experiential aspect: frames, not a theory lecture.
63 words →
把, 被 and 让
Disposal, passive and making someone do: the three frames HSK 3–4 actually tests.
292 words →
的, 地 and 得
The three de: adjective, adverb and complement. The costliest mix-up on a written paper.
1473 words →
能, 会, 可以 and 要
Ability, learned skill, permission and wanting: not synonyms, even if Spanish flattens them.
62 words →
Resultative & directional complements
看见, 听懂, 上来下去过来: the Chinese verb does not end at the verb.
109 words →
才, 就, 还, 再, 又, 也
Time, repetition and addition: six particles that change the moral of a sentence.
78 words →
Formal connectors II
从而, 以便, 反之, 鉴于: the second shelf after 因为所以.
28 words →
Question & modal particles
吗吧呢啊嘛: sentence endings Spanish lacks and a Chinese ear hears.
213 words →
Idioms, slang & advanced Chinese
Chengyu, formal connectors, written language and specialized topics.
Chengyu, slang and news Chinese: last, when you no longer translate every 的.
Detailed physical descriptions
Appearance, height, build, hair and detailed adjectives.
103 words →
Abstract concepts
Ideas, values, logic and abstract nouns.
47 words →
Logical connectors & formal discourse
Formal linking words and written-style connectors.
99 words →
Action & movement verbs
Verbs of motion, action and change.
130 words →
Degree adverbs & modality
Intensity, frequency, certainty and modal adverbs.
123 words →
Synonyms, antonyms & nuance
Near-synonyms, antonyms and subtle differences.
30 words →
Philosophy, ethics & debate
Ethics, argumentation and philosophical concepts.
25 words →
Restaurant, hotel & services
Dialogues for dining, hotels and customer service.
39 words →
Chengyu (成语) by category
Common chengyu grouped by theme and usage.
35 words →
Proverbs, sayings & xiehouyu
Traditional sayings and two-part allegorical phrases.
39 words →
Slang, internet & youth language
Online slang, memes and informal youth speech.
25 words →
Regional variants & dialects
Regional differences and dialect awareness.
25 words →
Formal written vs spoken language
Written-style Chinese and formal register.
38 words →
Yearly internet buzzwords
A rotating shelf of 网络热词: 内卷, 躺平 and what HSK will not ask… yet.
28 words →
Classical Chinese still alive
文言文 phrases that still show up in headlines, toasts and dish names.
24 words →
Euphemisms & sound puns
谐音: why a clock is a funeral and 8 opens a shop.
71 words →
Fillers & repairing a sentence
就是说, 那个, 我的意思是: real spoken Chinese is not the textbook.
69 words →
Newspaper Chinese
Headline, 据悉, 呼吁: the register of a short news item, not an editorial.
45 words →
False friends ES/EN → ZH
Words Spanish or English push you toward the wrong character.
46 words →
Swearwords: recognise, don't use
Words you will hear in a 出租. Comprehension only, not production.
21 words →