HSK 2 vocabulary list with example sentences (150 new words)

HSK 2 adds 150 words on top of HSK 1, bringing the total to 300. This is where Mandarin stops feeling like isolated words and starts sounding like sentences. Here is the list, grouped by theme, with example sentences you can actually reuse.

What HSK 2 covers

• Everyday actions past HSK 1 (start, finish, teach, learn)
• Time expressions (already, before, still)
• Adjectives for describing people and things
• Location words (front, back, inside, outside)
• Basic transportation and shopping

Sample from each cluster

Actions (30 words)

• 开始 (kāishǐ, to start): 我们开始吧。 Let's start.
• 完 (wán, to finish): 我吃完了。 I finished eating.
• 教 (jiāo, to teach): 老师教我们汉语。 The teacher teaches us Chinese.
• 帮助 (bāngzhù, to help): 谢谢你的帮助。 Thanks for your help.

Time (20 words)

• 已经 (yǐjīng, already): 我已经吃了。 I already ate.
• 以前 (yǐqián, before): 以前我不会说汉语。 Before, I couldn't speak Chinese.
• 还 (hái, still): 他还在睡觉。 He is still sleeping.

Adjectives (30 words)

• 忙 (máng, busy): 我今天很忙。 I am very busy today.
• 快 (kuài, fast): 他跑得很快。 He runs fast.
• 慢 (màn, slow): 请说慢一点。 Please speak more slowly.
• 便宜 (piányi, cheap): 这个很便宜。 This is cheap.

Location (20 words)

• 里 (lǐ, inside): 书在包里。 The book is in the bag.
• 外 (wài, outside): 他在外面。 He is outside.
• 前面 (qiánmian, front): 车在房子前面。 The car is in front of the house.

Shopping and money (25 words)

• 买 (mǎi, buy): 我要买一个。 I want to buy one.
• 卖 (mài, sell): 他们卖苹果。 They sell apples.
• 块 (kuài, yuan/dollar): 十块钱。 Ten yuan.
• 贵 (guì, expensive): 太贵了。 Too expensive.

30-day plan

• 5 new/day × 30 = 150 words
• All new HSK 2 cards + all due HSK 1 reviews
• One example sentence per card, read aloud on review

Why SRS + example matters more at HSK 2

At HSK 1 you could brute-force isolated meanings. At HSK 2 grammar patterns appear (了, 得, 一点). Cards without example sentences fail: you know 完 = finish, but not that 吃完了 is the natural way to say "finished eating".

Get the deck

Vô chi ships an HSK 2 deck with example sentences, reviewed with FSRS. Free on macOS and Windows.