HSK 1 starter guide: 150 words that unlock basic Mandarin
The 150 HSK 1 words let you order food, ask directions, and hold a first conversation. A study plan that gets you there in 30 days with FSRS spaced repetition, 10 minutes a day.
HSK 1 is 150 words. Sounds small, but they cover greetings, family, food, time, transport, and the top 20 verbs in daily Mandarin. Learn them well and you can survive a trip to Shanghai or Taipei.
What HSK 1 actually contains
- Pronouns: 我 (I), 你 (you), 他 (he), 她 (she), 我们 (we)
- Everyday verbs: 是, 有, 想, 吃, 喝, 看, 听, 说, 去, 来, 做
- Numbers and time: 一–十, 百, 千, 现在, 今天, 明天, 年, 月, 星期
- Family and people: 妈妈, 爸爸, 老师, 学生, 朋友, 先生, 小姐
- Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪, 哪儿, 几, 多少, 怎么
30-day plan (10 min/day)
Split 150 words into 6 chunks of 25. Learn 5 new/day, review all due. Rest days on 5 and 6 of each week.
| Week | Focus | New words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pronouns, numbers 1–10 | 25 |
| 2 | Time, days, months | 25 |
| 3 | Family, people | 25 |
| 4 | Food, drink, verbs | 25 |
| 5 | Places, transport | 25 |
| 6 | Question words, review | 25 |
Character vs pinyin
Learn both from day 1. Reading pinyin only is a trap — you plateau at HSK 2 and cannot read menus or signs. Start with the character on the front, pinyin + meaning on the back.
Tones matter more than you think
妈 (mā, mom) vs 马 (mǎ, horse) is not a joke. Say each word aloud with the tone. Vô chi shows the tone mark next to every card.
Why SRS wins for characters
Character shape decays fast without review. FSRS schedules review right before you would forget, so you keep 90% retention on 3× fewer reps than paper flashcards.
Get started
Download Vô chi free for macOS/Windows. Open the HSK 1 deck (included). Set 5 new words + all due reviews. See you in 30 days.