17 

Chinese Words for Numbers   

Chinese Pinyin English

零 líng zero

一 yī one

二 èr two

三 sān three

四 sì four

五 wǔ five

六 liù six

七 qī seven

八 bā eight

九 jiǔ nine

十 shí ten

两 liǎng two

百 bǎi hundred

千 qiān thousand

万 wàn ten thousand

第一 dì-yī first

半 bàn half
Two new numeral words are added to the HSK 3 vocabulary list: 万 (wàn), which
means “ten thousand”, and 半 (bàn) which means “half”.

Pay attention to the way 半 (bàn) is used in Chinese. When expressing “half of
something”, begin with 半 (bàn), follow it up with the proper measure word, and
finish by stating the “thing”:
  半个西瓜
bàn gè xīguā
half a watermelon
When expressing “a half”, read out the “a” – 一 (yí) as well.

 我只要一半。
wǒ zhǐ yào yíbàn.
I only need a half.
13 Chinese Pronouns
Three more pronouns are added to the HSK 3 vocabulary List, including the
commonly used reflexive pronoun 自己 (zìjǐ), meaning “oneself”, 其他 (qítā) –
“other” and 别人 (biéren) – “other people”.

自己 (zìjǐ) can be used together with personal pronouns to strengthen the

emphasis of oneself:

 我自己去。
Wǒ zìjǐ qù.
I go by myself.
 他自己学中文。
Tā zìjǐ xué Zhōngwén.
He studies Chinese on his own.
自己 (zìjǐ) can also be used independently as the subject or object of a sentence.
This is especially common when native speakers of Chinese want to give
commands, suggestions, or as a reminder to oneself.

 做自己！
Zuò zìjǐ!
Be yourself!
 照顾好自己。
Zhàogù hǎo zìjǐ.
Take good care of yourself。
Chinese Pinyin English

我 wǒ I or me

你 nǐ you (singular)

您 nín you (singular/honorific)

 他 tā he or him

她 tā she or her

它   tā it

我们 wǒmen we or me

自己 zìjǐ oneself

大家 dàjiā everybody

其他 qítā other

别人 biéren other people

这/这儿 zhè/zhèr this/here

那/那儿 nà/nàr that/there

Note that when 这 (this) and 那 (that) are used with a measure word right behind
them, they are often pronounced zhèi and nèi in spoken Chinese, instead of
zhè and nà:
 这辆车我太喜欢了。
Zhè liàng chē wǒ tài xǐhuan le.
I like this car so much.
 那个人是我的朋友。
Nèi ge rén shì wǒ de péngyou. 
That guy is my friend.
You can also use 那个 (nà ge/nèi ge) as a filler word in a sentence to help you
sound more natural when you speak Chinese. (Read here to find out how it
works)
8 Chinese Question Words      
The questions words required for HSK 3 remain the same as those required for
HSK 2. So…no surprise here.

Chinese Pinyin English

哪/哪儿 nǎ/nǎr which/where

谁 shéi who
 什么 shénme  what

多少 duōshao how many or how much

几 jǐ how many or how much

怎么 zěnme how

怎么样 zěnmeyàng  how about

为什么 wèi shénme why

You do, however, need to learn how to them in more sophisticated sentence
patterns at this point. For example, making words and phrases like “everywhere”,
“nowhere”, “everyone” “no one” etc by combing questions words with the adverb
都 (dōu):

 我哪儿都没去。
Wǒ nǎr dōu méi qù.
I didn’t go anywhere.
 这儿我谁都不认识。
Zhèr wǒ shéi dōu bú rènshi.
I don’t know anyone here.
 我什么都想吃。
Wǒ shénme dōu xiǎng chī.
I want to eat everything.
34 Chinese Words for Time      
At HSK level 3, you need to master 13 new words related to time in Chinese.

Pay attention to 星期 (xīngqī) and 周 (zhōu) – two common ways of saying

“week” in Chinese. Though 周 (zhōu) is not the “officially favored” word that’s
taught to foreigners when they first start Chinese learning, it’s the preferred word
by cultivated city people in China – it’s slightly more formal.

The words 星期 (xīngqī) and 周 (zhōu) are interchangeable most of the time. But
bear in mind while you can use the optional measure word 个 (gè) before 星期
(xīngqī), it would be wrong to do so with 周 (zhōu):

 √ 一星期 yì xīngqī
 √ 一个星期 yí gè xīngqī
  √ 一周 yì zhōu
 × 一个周 yí gè zhōu
Also, for “weekend”, you can only say 周末 (zhōumò), NEVER 星期末
(xīngqī mò).

You can learn more differences between 星期 (xīngqī) and 周 (zhōu), and the
third way of saying “week” in Chinese here in this article.
Chinese Pinyin English

现在   xiànzài now

刚才 gāngcái just now

今天 jīntiān today

明天 míngtiān tomorrow

昨天 zuótiān yesterday

早上 zǎoshàng early morning

上午 shàngwǔ morning

中午 zhōngwǔ noon

下午 xiàwǔ afternoon

晚上 wǎnshàng evening

点 diǎn o’clock

小时  xiǎoshí hour

分钟 fēnzhōng minute

年 nián year

月 yuè month

日 rì day

号 hào date or number

星期   xīngqī week
 周末 zhōumò weekend

时候 shíhou a certain point in time

时间 shíjiān a period of time

一会儿 yíhuìr a short while

以前 yǐqián before or ago

以后 yǐhòu after or later

最近 zuìjìn recent time

过去 guòqù past

去年 qùnián last year

季节 jìjié season

春 chūn spring

夏 xià summer

秋 qiū autumn

冬 dōng winter

节日 jiérì festival

生日 shēngrì birthday

162 Chinese Words for People & Things   

HSK 3 expects you to know 162 nouns related to people and things to pass.

Some of the words might not seem very useful if you live abroad, but they turn
out to be very important in Chinese society or culture, e.g. 阿姨 (āyí) – “maid”, 筷
子 (kuàizi) -”chopsticks”, 熊猫 (xióngmāo) – “panda”, etc. These words could pop
up anywhere on an HSK 3 test, so you still have to learn them even if you never
use them in your language.

Here is the full list.

Chinese Pinyin English
人 rén person or people

男人 nánrén man

女人 nǚrén woman

名字 míngzì name

妈妈 māma mom

爸爸 bàba dad

丈夫 zhàngfu husband

妻子 qīzi wife

孩子 háizi child

儿子 érzi son

女儿 nǚ’ér  daughter

哥哥 gēge elder brother

姐姐 jiějie elder sister

弟弟 dìdi younger brother

妹妹 mèimei younger sister

爷爷 yéye grandpa

奶奶 nǎinai grandma

叔叔 shūshu uncle

阿姨 āyí aunt or maid

朋友 péngyǒu friend

客人 kèren guest

邻居 línjū neighbor

先生 xiānsheng Mr or sir
小姐 xiǎojiě Miss

老师 lǎoshī teacher

学生 xuésheng  student

同学 tóngxué schoolmate

同事 tóngshì colleague

校长 xiàozhǎng head of a school

医生 yīshēng doctor

司机 sījī driver

服务员 fúwùyuán waiter or waitress

经理 jīnglǐ manager

身体 shēntǐ body

脸 liǎn face

眼睛 yǎnjīng eye

耳朵 ěrduo ear

鼻子 bízi nose

口 kǒu mouth

头发 tóufa hair

腿 tuǐ leg

脚 jiǎo foot

声音 shēngyīn sound or voice

东西   dōngxi thing

钱 qián money

水 shuǐ water
茶  chá tea

咖啡 kāfēi coffee

牛奶 niúnǎi milk

面包 miànbāo bread

蛋糕 dàngāo cake

糖 táng candy or sugar

菜 cài dish

米饭 mǐfàn  (cooked) rice

面条 miàntiáo noodle

鸡蛋 jīdàn egg

鱼 yú fish

羊肉 yángròu lamb or mutton

菜单 càidān menu

衣服 yīfu clothes

衬衫 chènshān shirt

裤子 kùzi pants

裙子 qúnzi skirt

帽子 màozi hat or cap

鞋 xié shoe

包 bāo bag

行李箱 xínglǐxiāng suitcase

伞 sǎn umbrella

眼镜 yǎnjìng glasses
书 shū book

报纸 bàozhǐ newspaper

字典 zìdiǎn dictionary

地图 dìtú map

票 piào ticket

信 xìn letter

照片 zhàopiàn photo

护照 hùzhào passport

照相机 zhàoxiàngjī camera

桌子 zhuōzi  table or desk

椅子 yǐzi chair

黑板 hēibǎn blackboard

铅笔 qiānbǐ pencil

水果 shuǐguǒ fruit

苹果 píngguǒ apple

香蕉 xiāngjiāo banana

西瓜 xīguā watermelon

葡萄 pútáo grape

果汁 guǒzhī juice

啤酒 píjiǔ beer

草 cǎo grass

药 yào medicine

杯子 bēizi  cup or glass

碗 wǎn bowl

筷子 kuàizi chopsticks

盘子 pánzi plate

手表 shǒubiǎo watch

手机 shǒujī mobile phone

电视 diànshì TV

电脑 diànnǎo computer

电子邮件 diànzǐ yóujiàn email

冰箱 bīngxiāng refrigerator

空调 kōngtiáo air conditioner

灯 dēng light

电影 diànyǐng  movie

礼物 lǐwù gift

飞机 fēijī  plane

出租车 chūzūchē taxi

公共汽车 gōnggòng qìchē bus

地铁 dìtiě metro

自行车 zìxíngchē bike

船 chuán boat

门 mén door

电梯 diàntī elevator

颜色 yánsè color

动物 dòngwù animal
猫 māo cat

狗 gǒu dog

马 mǎ horse

熊猫 xióngmāo panda

鸟 niǎo bird

树 shù tree

天气 tiānqì weather

太阳 tàiyáng sun

月亮 yuèliang moon

云 yún cloud

雪 xuě snow

字 zì  character

词语 cíyǔ word

句子 jùzi sentence

汉语 Hànyǔ  Chinese (language)

普通话 pǔtōnghuà (standard) Mandarin

数学 shùxué math

课 kè lesson

班 bān class

年级 niánjí grade

作业 zuòyè homework

考试 kǎoshì exam

成绩 chéngjì score
水平 shuǐpíng level or standard

问题 wèntí question

题 tí question (exam, exercise)

意思 yìsi meaning

事情  shìqing matter

兴趣 xìngqù interest

爱好 àihào hobby

音乐 yīnyuè music

体育 tǐyù sports or physical education

办法 bànfǎ method

习惯 xíguàn habit

比赛 bǐsài match

游戏 yóuxì game

故事 gùshi story

关系 guānxì relation

环境 huánjìng environment

会议 huìyì meeting

机会 jīhuì opportunity or chance

节目 jiémù program

世界 shìjiè world

历史 lìshǐ history

文化 wénhuà culture

新闻 xīnwén news
 作用 zuòyòng effect

43 Chinese Words for Places & Directions        

At the HSK 3 level, you should be able to speak sufficient Chinese for traveling in
China by yourself. Make sure you fully understand the following 43 words for
places and directions from the HSK 3 vocabulary list before you head out on your
adventure.

Chinese Pinyin English

中国 Zhōngguó China

北京 Běijīng Beijing

国家 guójiā nation

城市 chéngshì city

地方 dìfāng place

家 jiā home or family

楼 lóu building or floor

房间 fángjiān room

厨房 chúfáng kitchen

洗手间 xǐshǒujiān washroom

学校 xuéxiào school

教室 jiàoshì classroom

图书馆 túshūguǎn library

公司 gōngsī company

办公室 bàngōngshì office

饭馆 fànguǎn restaurant

宾馆 bīngguǎn hotel
商店 shāngdiàn shop

超市 chāoshì supermarket

公园 gōngyuán park

花园 huāyuán garden

银行 yínháng bank

医院 yīyuàn hospital

机场 jīchǎng airport

火车站 huǒchēzhàn train station

路 lù road

街道 jiēdào street

河 hé river

上 shàng on, above or last

下 xià under, below or next

左边 zuǒbiān left

右边 yòubiān right

中间 zhōngjiān middle

旁边 pángbiān side

附近 fùjìn surrounding area

前面 qiánmiàn front

后面 hòumiàn back

里 lǐ  inside

外 wài outside

东 dōng east
 南 nán south

西 xī west

北方 běifāng north or northern China

Note that words like 旁边 (pángbiān), 附近 (fùjìn) are used as nouns in Chinese:

 在我家的附近
zài wǒ jiā de fùjìn
in the surrounding area of my home
Literally: “my home’s surrounding area”
 附近有家银行。
Fùjìn yǒu jiā yínháng.
There is a bank in the vicinity.
Literally: “Vicinity has a bank.”
A common mistake is to use them as adjectives or prepositions.

 × 学校离我家附近。
Xuéxiào lí wǒ jiā fùjìn.
Wrong way to say “The school is near my home.”
Use the adjective “近 (jìn)” instead:

 √ 学校离我家近。
Xuéxiào lí wǒ jiā jìn.
 × 超市附近宾馆
chāoshì fùjìn bīnguǎn
Wrong way to say “the supermarket near the hotel”

√ 宾馆附近的超市
bīnguǎn fùjìn de chāoshì
Literally: “hotel vicinity’s supermarket”
21 Chinese Measure Words  
Whenever you learn a new noun in Chinese, you have to memorize the
corresponding measure word that goes with it. To pass HSK 3, you need to
master 21 measure words altogether.

Chinese Pinyin English

个 gè generic measure word

 元 yuán basic monetary unit of China

块 kuài basic monetary unit of China

角 jiǎo 1/10 of Chinese Yuan

位 wèi measure word for people

本 běn for books

岁 suì  year (of age)

些 xiē some

次 cì time (frequency of an act)

公斤 gōngjīn kilo

米 mǐ meter

件 jiàn for affairs, clothes, furniture

张 zhāng for flat objects

条 tiáo for long objects

辆 liàng for vehicles

把 bǎ for things with a handle

种 zhǒng type

层 céng floor

双 shuāng pair

段 duàn span of time or distance

刻 kè quarter (time)
Note that Chinese measure words tend to work differently than their English
counterparts, even if they share the same meaning.

For example: You can’t say 一双裤子 (yì shuāng kùzi) in Chinese like “a pair of
pants” in English. Instead, you should say 一条裤子 (yì tiáo kùzi). This is because
the measure word 双 (shuāng) can only used for pair of things that
are separated, such as shoes, chopsticks, eyes, etc. It can not be used to
quantify things like pants, glasses, scissors which are treated as one inseparable
entity in Chinese.

Also note that sometimes people use different measure words to quantify the
same item, and the choice would depend on which characteristic they wish to
emphasize.

For example, 张 (zhāng),  把 (bǎ),  条(tiáo) – all these measure words can be
used to count “chairs” in Chinese.

一张椅子  yì zhāng yǐzi
一把椅子  yì bǎ yǐzi

一条长椅  yì tiáo cháng yǐ
(We’ve written a detailed post on how to use these common measure words in
Chinese. Read it here)
153 Chinese Verbs       
Verbs in language are used to help us express ourselves clearly. In the HSK 3
test, you will be tested on the following 153 verbs that contribute to over 1/4 of
the official HSK 3 vocabulary list.

Chinese verbs can often contain several meanings of the English verbs,
especially when they are combined with other words. In the below list, I simply
focus on their most common meanings you need to know for taking HSK 3.

Chinese Pinyin English

做 zuò to do

是 shì to be

姓 xìng to be surnamed

在 zài to be in

有 yǒu to have

住 zhù to live or to stay

来 lái to come

去 qù to go

回 huí to return

进 jìn to enter

出 chū to get out

到 dào to arrive

想 xiǎng to think

要 yào to want

需要 xūyào to need
吃 chī to eat

喝 hē to drink

说话 shuōhuà  to speak

讲 jiǎng to say or to speak

告诉 gàosù to tell

问 wèn to ask

回答 huídá to answer

看 kàn to look or to watch

看见 kànjiàn to see

听 tīng to listen

笑 xiào to smile or to laugh

哭 kū to cry

见面 jiànmiàn to meet

遇到 yùdào to encounter

给 gěi to give

送 sòng to give as a gift or to deliver

带 dài to bring

拿 ná to hold or to take

放 fàng to put

叫 jiào to call

买 mǎi to buy

卖 mài to sell

穿 chuān to wear
开 kāi to drive or to open

关 guān to close or to shut

坐 zuò to sit

站 zhàn to stand

读 dú to read

写 xiě  to write

画 huà to draw or to paint

等 děng to wait

花 huā to spend or to cost

打电话 dǎ diànhuà to make a phone call

介绍 jièshào to introduce

认识 rènshi  to know

知道 zhīdao to know

了解 liǎojiě to know well  

觉得 juédé to feel or to think

认为 rènwéi to think or to consider

以为 yǐwéi to think (wrongly)

懂 dǒng to understand

明白 míngbai to understand

找 zhǎo to find

发现 fāxiàn to discover

记得 jìde to remember

忘记 wàngjì to forget
让  ràng to let

使 shǐ to make

用 yòng to use

希望   xīwàng to hope

帮助 bāngzhù to help

帮忙 bāngmáng to help

玩 wán to play

学习 xuéxí  to learn

教 jiāo to teach

复习 fùxí to review

上网 shàngwǎng to get online

工作 gōngzuò  to work

上班 shàng bān to go to work

睡觉 shuìjiào to sleep

起床 qǐ chuáng to get up

刷牙 shuāyá to brush teeth

洗澡 xǐzǎo to bathe

喜欢 xǐhuan to like

爱 ài to love

唱歌 chàng gē to sing

跳舞 tiào wǔ to dance

旅游 lǚyóu to travel

运动 yùndòng to do sports
走 zǒu to walk

跑步 pǎo bù to run

游泳 yóu yǒng to swim

骑 qí to ride

踢足球 tī zúqiú to play soccer

打篮球 dǎ lánqiú to play basketball

爬山 pá shān to climb mountain

锻炼 duànliàn to work out

休息 xiūxi to rest

生病 shēng bìng to get sick

发烧 fāshāo to have a fever

感冒 gǎnmào to have a cold

疼 téng to ache

洗 xǐ to wash

开始 kāishǐ to begin

完 wán to finish

结束 jiéshù to end

完成 wánchéng to complete or accomplish

打算 dǎsuàn to plan

决定 juédìng to decide

选择 xuǎnzé to choose

准备. zhǔnbèi to prepare

同意 tóngyì to agree
解决 jiějué to solve

担心 dānxīn to worry

生气 shēngqì to get angry

欢迎 huānyíng to welcome

搬 bān to move

还 huán to return (sth)

接 jiē to catch or to pick up

比较 bǐjiào to compare

变化 biànhuà to change

换 huàn to exchange

借 jiè to borrow or to lend

表示 biǎoshì to express

要求 yāoqiú to require

祝 zhù to wish

注意 zhùyì to pay attention to

表演 biǎoyǎn to perform

参加 cānjiā to attend

迟到 chídào to be late

出现 chūxiàn to appear

离开 líkāi to leave

经过 jīngguò to pass

练习 liànxí to practice

提高 tígāo to improve
检查 jiǎnchá to check

打扫 dǎsǎo to clean

相信 xiāngxìn to believe

放心 fàngxīn to rest assured

着急 zháojí to worry

关心 guānxīn to concern

照顾 zhàogù to look after

分 fēn to divide or separate

长 zhǎng to grow

敢 gǎn to dare

害怕 hàipà to fear

小心 xiǎoxīn to be careful

影响 yǐngxiǎng to affect

结婚 jiéhūn to marry

举行 jǔxíng to hold (event)

会 huì can (to know how to)

能 néng  can (to be able to)

可以 kěyǐ can (to be permitted to)

必须 bìxū must

应该 yīnggāi should

愿意 yuànyì to be willing to

下雨 xià yǔ to rain

刮风 guā fēng to blow (wind)

In English, some words may work as both a verb and a noun. For example,
“I plan to leave” vs “I have a plan”. This phenomenon is even more common in
Chinese.
Examples:

 我选择上大学。
Wǒ xuǎnzé shàng dàxué.
I choose to go to college.

这是一个聪明的选择。
Zhè shì yí gè cōngmíng de xuǎnzé.
This is a smart choice.
 学校要求我们参加汉语考试。
Xuéxiào yāoqiú wǒmen cānjiā Hànyǔ kǎoshì.
The school requires us to take the Chinese exam.

我只有一个要求。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yí gè yāoqiú.
I only have one requirement.
To do well on the HSK 3 test, you have to dedicate yourself to mastering these
common verbs and also pay attention to what part of speech they perform in a
Chinese sentence.

109 Chinese Adjectives and Adverbs     

Adjectives and adverbs in language are used to describe people, things and
actions. The below is the full list of the 109 Chinese adjectives and adverbs that
you must know for taking the HSK 3 test.

Note that some seemingly simple adjectives in Chinese are truly versatile. One
example is 难 (nán) – “difficult”. When combined with verbs, its meaning
becomes much more diverse:

 这咖啡真难喝！
Zhè kāfēi zhēn nánhē!
This coffee is really disgusting! (“difficult to drink”)
 你别唱了！难听死了！
Nǐ bié chàng le! Nántīng sǐ le!
Stop singing! Sounds dreadful! (“difficult to listen to”)
  这是一个难忘的故事！
Zhè shì yí gè nánwàng de gùshi!
This is an unforgettable story! (“difficult-to-forget” story)
Be sure to familiarize yourself with compound words like these before you dive
into the HSK 3 test. (Read here to learn more)
Chinese Pinyin English

好    hǎo good

坏 huài bad

差 chà bad (in quality)

大 dà big

小 xiǎo small

多 duō many

少 shǎo few

热 rè hot

冷 lěng cold

快 kuài fast

慢 màn slow

远 yuǎn far

近 jìn near

对 duì right

错 cuò wrong

长 cháng long

久 jiǔ long (in time)

短 duǎn short

高 gāo tall or high

矮 ǎi short (in height)

低 dī low

胖 pàng fat

瘦 shòu thin

新 xīn new

旧 jiù old or used

年轻 niánqīng young

老 lǎo old (in age)

贵 guì expensive

便宜 piányi cheap

黑 hēi black

白 bái white

红 hóng red

黄 huáng yellow

蓝 lán blue

绿 lǜ green

晴 qíng sunny

阴 yīn cloudy

好吃 hǎochī tasty

甜 tián sweet

新鲜 xīnxiān fresh

容易 róngyì easy

简单 jiǎndān simple
难 nán difficult

奇怪 qíguài strange

特别 tèbié special

重要 zhòngyào important

有名 yǒumíng famous

漂亮 piàoliang pretty

聪明 cōngming smart

可爱 Kě’ài cute

高兴 gāoxìng happy

快乐 kuàilè happy

难过 nánguò sad

满意 mǎnyì satisfied

忙 máng busy

累 lèi tired

饿 è hungry

渴 kě thirsty

饱 bǎo full

相同 xiāngtóng same

一样 yíyàng same

主要 zhǔyào main

方便 fāngbiàn convenient

安静 ānjìng quiet

干净 gānjìng clean
清楚 qīngchu clear

健康 jiànkāng healthy

舒服 shūfu comfortable

热情 rèqíng enthusiastic

认真 rènzhēn serious or careful

努力 nǔlì studious or hardworking

很 hěn very

非常 fēicháng extremely

极 jí extremely

太 tài too…

多么 duōme how…

都 dōu both or all

不 bù not

没 méi not

每   měi every

最 zuì most

真 zhēn really

也 yě also

还 hái still

再   zài again

又 yòu again

只 zhǐ only

就 jiǜ at once
 马上 mǎshàng immediately

才 cái just

更 gèng more

越 yuè more

别 bié don’t…

先 xiān first

已经  yǐjīng already

几乎 jīhū almost

一定 yídìng definitely

一起   yìqǐ together

一共 yígòng altogether

可能   kěnéng maybe

其实 qíshí actually

突然 tūrán suddenly

正在 zhèngzài indicating action in progress

一边 yìbiān at the same time

终于 zhōngyú finally

总是 zǒngshì always

经常 jīngcháng often

一般 yìbān generally

一直 yìzhí constantly
Pay attention to the synonyms in the list. For example, 再 (zài) and 又 (yòu): they
are both translated as “again” in English. However, 再 (zài) is used to describe
actions that have not yet occurred (the “future again”) and 又 (yòu) is used for
actions that have already occurred (the “past again”):
 我明天再来。
Wǒ míngtián zài lái.
I’ll come again tomorrow.
 他昨天又来了。
Tā zuótiān yòu lái le.
He came again yesterday.
Besides, the two adverbs have some additional distinct usages. You’ll definitively
be quizzed on how to use these words correctly on the HSK 3 test. So…be
prepared!

12 Chinese Prepositions
“Good for me?” or “Good to me”? I have to admit that it took me ages to finally
figure out how to use prepositions properly in English – even the most basic
ones!
Now here’s the revenge from Chinese…

Joke aside, to do well on the HSK 3 test, you really have to know the below 12
Chinese prepositions well. Pay attention to the subtle difference in their usage.
For example: 为 (wèi) is used to introduce the object of an action, and 为
了 (wèile) is used to introduce the purpose or reason of an action:

 我为你高兴。
Wǒ wèi nǐ gāoxìng.
I am happy for you.
 为了健康，我每天都锻炼。
Wèile jiànkāng, wǒ měi tiān dōu duànliàn.
For the sake of health, I work out every day.
Chinese Pinyin English

从  cóng from

向  xiàng towards

离  lí away from

比 bǐ than

跟 gēn with
 被 bèi by

为 wèi for (sb/sth)

为了 wèile for (purpose)

关于 guānyú about, regarding

像 xiàng as or like

除了 chúle besides or except

根据 gēnjù according to

10 Chinese Particles      
Chinese particles don’t have a concrete meaning on their own, but they are used
all the time in daily Chinese with other words, phrases to serve grammatical
purposes in a sentence. To pass HSK 3, you need to learn two more particles on
top of the eight required by HSK 1 and HSK 2.

Pay special attention to the three “de” in Chinese. Though they sound the same,
each has very different usages: 的 is used to mark possession,
working like ‘s (apostrophe + s) in English. 地 marks adverbs, or converts
adjectives into adverbs. And 得 is used as part of a verb complement.

Chinese Pinyin English

的 de possession particle

得 de structure particle

地 de structure particle

了 le aspect particle

着 zhe aspect particle

过 guò aspect particle

吗 ma question particle

呢 ne question particle
 吧 ba question particle

啊 a exclamatory particle

10 Chinese Conjunctions   
Conjunctions in language are those tiny little words that connect other words,
phrases, and sentences. They re small but vital for making your sentences more
logical. To pass HSK 3, you must master the below 10 basic conjunctions in
Chinese.   

Take note that some conjunctions are supposed to be used together in one
sentence. For instance, whenever you start a sentence with 虽然 (suīrán)
-“although”, you have to follow it up with 但是 (dànshì) – “but” (or words alike) to
clearly express contradiction or concession. To English speakers, this type of
grammar pattern could take a little getting used to. (Read here to learn more)
Chinese Pinyin English

和 hé and

但是 dànshì but

虽然 suīrán although

因为 yīnwèi because

所以 suǒyǐ so

还是 háishì or

或者 huòzhě or

然后 ránhòu then, afterwards

如果 rúguǒ if

而且 érqiě moreover

8 Chinese Expressions  
Finally, Chinese expressions!

By now you should definitely be very comfortable using the expressions

presented in the HSK 3 vocabulary list, as 7 out of 8 of them are already required
by HSK 1 and HSK 2. Only one more expression – 当然 (dāngrán) is added. And
of course, it means…”of course”.

Chinese Pinyin English

喂 wèi hello (on the phone)

谢谢 xièxie thanks

不客气 bú kèqi  you’re welcome

再见 zàijiàn goodbye

请 qǐng   please…

对不起 duìbuqǐ sorry

没关系 méi guānxi it’s all right

当然 dāngrán of course
Easy-peasy, isn’t it?

Don’t take it granted! These simple expressions, when combined with other basic
words, can mean a lot more! For example:

 别想当然。
Bié xiǎng dāngrán.
“Don’t think of course?” Guess what that’s supposed to mean.

Well, it means “Don’t take it for granted”! Another useful Chinese expression,
isn’t it?