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 8 of 25. Showing the selected level's list.
候
Learn inside a word
A narrow 亻 is followed by an extra upright stroke and a more complex right part with 矢 below.
时候 · shí hou
time; moment
候 is neutral hou in 时候. Do not infer this word's reading from the shape of another similar 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 候
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.
话
Learn inside a word
讠 on the left and 舌 on the right. The right side includes a short top stroke above a crossing and 口.
电话 · diàn huà
telephone; phone call
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
说话 · shuōhuà
speak; talk
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 8 strokes · write 话
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.
欢
Learn inside a word
又 on the left and 欠 on the right. Compare the right side with the 鸟 in 鸡.
欢迎 · huān yíng
welcome
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
喜欢 · xǐhuan
like
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 6 strokes · write 欢
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.
回
Learn inside a word
An outer enclosure surrounds a smaller 口. Compare with 国, which has a different inner part.
回家 · huí jiā
go home; return home
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
回 · huí
return; go back
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 6 strokes · write 回
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.
会
Learn inside a word
A 人-like top sits above 云. Keep the lower turning part when distinguishing it from 人 or 个.
会 · huì
can, through a learned skill, in the selected use
我会说汉语 means I can speak Chinese. 会 also has other uses, such as indicating a likely future event.
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 6 strokes · write 会
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.
火
Learn inside a word
Two small upper side strokes and two longer spreading strokes below. Check this shape against 人 before recalling it.
火车 · huǒ chē
train
火 means fire in some words, but 火车 is the word for train. Do not translate every character separately to guess the word.
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 火
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.
机
Learn inside a word
木 on the left and 几 on the right. Compare the right part with the 不 in 杯.
飞机 · fēi jī
aeroplane; airplane
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
手机 · shǒujī
mobile phone
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 6 strokes · write 机
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.
鸡
Learn inside a word
又 on the left and 鸟 on the right. Notice the small dot inside the bird-shaped right part.
鸡 · jī
chicken
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
鸡蛋 · jīdàn
egg
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 7 strokes · write 鸡
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.
几
Learn inside a word
A left sloping stroke and a tall bent hooked stroke on the right. The middle is open; compare with 九.
几个 · jǐ ge
how many, with the general classifier 个
几 is jǐ in this question. Learn a different reading from its own word rather than applying this one everywhere.
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
几 · jǐ
how many, often for a small number
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 2 strokes · write 几
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.
家
Learn inside a word
A roof-like 宀 sits above 豕. Notice the long strokes in the lower part without turning the component into an English definition of 家.
家 · jiā
home; family
Practise this character in its guided group. The guided sequence introduces selected useful words across levels.
大家 · dàjiā
everyone
These are whole-word readings and selected meanings. A character can have another reading or function in another word.
Learn the 10 strokes · write 家
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.