Chinese course / HSK1 / Characters
HSK1: character recognition
Begin with the gentle character starter if these shapes are new. This page is the official HSK 3.0 study list, with links to words containing each character. Use five to ten targets alongside words you already understand.
Look at a character inside a familiar word. Cover the word's reading and meaning, recall them, then open its example to check. Recognising a component alone does not tell you the meaning of every word containing it.
246 characters · Batch 13 of 25. Showing the selected level's list.
奶
Learn inside a word
女 on the left and 乃 on the right. Compare its right-hand bend with the 马 in 妈.
牛奶 · niú nǎi
milk
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 5 strokes · write 奶
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
男
Learn inside a word
田 above 力. The top enclosure has a crossing inside, unlike 日.
男生 · nán shēng
male student; boy
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
男 · nán
male; man, usually in a phrase
男朋友 · nánpéngyou
boyfriend
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 7 strokes · write 男
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
脑
Learn inside a word
月 on the left and a right-hand part with a dot above a crossed shape inside an open-top enclosure.
电脑 · diàn nǎo
computer
脑 names the brain in other uses. 电脑 is the whole word for computer, not a phrase to translate character by character.
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 10 strokes · write 脑
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
呢
Learn inside a word
口 on the left and 尼 on the right. Compare the right side with the 马 in 吗.
你呢 · nǐ ne
what about you
呢 is neutral ne in this follow-up question. It does not replace 吗 in every yes-or-no question.
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
呢 · ne
a particle used in follow-up questions and other frames
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 8 strokes · write 呢
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
能
Learn inside a word
厶 and a 月-like part are on the left, with two 匕-shaped parts on the right. Compare the entire outline with 月 alone.
能 · néng
can; be able to, in the selected uses
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 10 strokes · write 能
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
你
Learn inside a word
A narrow 亻 on the left, with 尔 on the right. Compare the right-hand part with 他.
你 · nǐ
you
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
你好 · nǐ hǎo
hello
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 7 strokes · write 你
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
年
Learn inside a word
A short sloping top stroke sits above several horizontal strokes, with a central vertical stroke extending down. Do not substitute the crossing of 十.
今年 · jīn nián
this year
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
年 · nián
year
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 6 strokes · write 年
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
您
Learn inside a word
你 above 心. Keep the lower 心 when distinguishing the polite pronoun from 你.
您 · nín
you, in a respectful form
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 11 strokes · write 您
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
牛
Learn inside a word
A short sloping stroke and two horizontal lines are crossed by a vertical stroke that reaches above the upper horizontal. Compare with 午.
牛奶 · niú nǎi
milk
牛 names a cow in other uses. 牛奶 is the useful whole word for milk here.
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 4 strokes · write 牛
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
女
Learn inside a word
The crossing lower strokes and long horizontal stroke make a shape that differs from 人. Compare with the narrower 女 on the left of 好.
女生 · nǚ shēng
female student; girl
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
女 · nǚ
female; woman, usually in a phrase
女儿 · nǚ’ér
daughter
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 3 strokes · write 女
Watch the direction and order. Use “Next stroke” to go slowly, then try writing with the model hidden. On paper, copy once, cover the model, write once, and compare.
Open this panel to load the model.
The writing check compares your strokes with this model. A completed trace is practice, rather than proof of independent handwriting. Your strokes stay on this page.
The model's font shape can differ from the reading font. Compare stroke structure and proportions rather than font styling.
Source and coverage
Character lists come from the official HSK 3.0 syllabus. Recognition and handwriting lists remain separate. All listed characters have local stroke models; the guided prose teaches selected characters. This inventory, model practice and word links do not constitute complete character instruction or exam readiness.
Stroke models: Hanzi Writer Data, derived from Make Me a Hanzi. Copyright © 1999 Arphic Technology Co., Ltd. Data is provided without warranty and may be redistributed under the Arphic Public License. The renderer uses the MIT license.