HSK
Chinese
The Chinese proficiency test. In October 2026 the regular papers were still HSK 2.0.
Read the formatLearn Chinese
Short Chinese lessons in the browser. You learn words, listen to them, and practise with exercises.
Official exams
What the public exam is, who runs it, and how the result is reported. This is a description, not a prep course and not a past paper.
Where this language is spoken
These cities are places where Chinese is official, widely used, or part of daily life for many people. It is not the only language you will hear.
Singapore
Singapore
English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil are official, English leads in schools and business, and Mandarin is common in families and hawker centres.
Beijing
China
Mandarin, called Putonghua, is the official language and the one you hear in public.
Shanghai
China
Mandarin is the public language. Shanghainese is still heard in families.
Shenzhen
China
Mandarin is the language of public life. People bring many home dialects with them.
Chengdu
China
Mandarin is the public language. Sichuanese is common in everyday talk.
Hangzhou
China
Mandarin is what you use in shops, on boats, and on the bus.
Xi'an
China
Mandarin is the language of the street, the wall, and the market.
Taipei
Taiwan
Mandarin is the main public language. Taiwanese Hokkien is widely spoken. Signs use traditional characters.
Who it is for
For anyone learning Chinese for travel, work, study, or everyday conversation. You start at the level you choose.
In the app
You choose Chinese as the language to study, set a level and a daily time, then take short lessons. Pronunciation uses zh-CN.
Words you hear every day
These are starter words from the same pack as the games. Where the spelling is not Latin, the reading next to it shows the sound. Tap the speaker to hear the word itself.
| Word | Reading | In this page's language | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 水 | shuǐ | water | |
| 面包 | miànbāo | bread | |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee | |
| 茶 | chá | tea | |
| 房子 | fángzi | house | |
| 门 | mén | door | |
| 钥匙 | yàoshi | key | |
| 窗户 | chuānghu | window | |
| 书 | shū | book | |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | morning | |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week | |
| 名字 | míngzi | name | |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city | |
| 火车 | huǒchē | train | |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport | |
| 街道 | jiēdào | street | |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | job | |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office | |
| 团队 | tuánduì | team | |
| 日历 | rìlì | calendar | |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | |
| 喝 | hē | to drink | |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open | |
| 读 | dú | to read | |
| 写 | xiě | to write | |
| 说 | shuō | to speak | |
| 想要 | xiǎngyào | to want | |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to work | |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | |
| 家人 | jiārén | family | |
| 学校 | xuéxiào | school | |
| 钱 | qián | money | |
| 天 | tiān | day | |
| 年 | nián | year |
A few phrases
| Phrase | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 谢谢 | Xièxie | Thank you |
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning |
| 我叫… | Wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
