Chinese learning tools from LITTLENEX! Try them free here.
Chinese learning tools from LITTLENEX! Try them free here.
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Each vocabulary list features over 50 relevant and useful Chinese words and expressions with their English translation and their pinyin transcription (phonetics).
Click on up to 12 words in the list to highlight them and have them appear as cards. Click to delete each card as you gradually memorize the Chinese vocabulary words from the list.
Pinyin is the system for transliterating Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet, officially adopted by Mainland China in 1979. Note that pinyin has its own pronunciation keys and MUST NOT be read as English.
HSK stands for Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, which literally means Chinese Level Exam. It is the equivalent of the TOEFL for Mandarin. The HSK certificate is valid for two years.
The classic HSK test started in 1984 as a Chinese proficiency test for foreigners and Chinese citizens for whom mandarin was a second language. It began to be used in the mid-1990s as part of the admissions process for applications to Chinese universities.
A new HSK test appeared around 2005 alongside the classic one. This situation lasted until 2010 when it was decided that only the new version would be recognized. However, the classic HSK continues to operate as an advanced proficiency test. In contrast, the new HSK test aims to appeal to students with minimal mandarin proficiency.
The new HSK test consists of 6 levels of proficiency. The classic version of the HSK test has 3 categories (Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced) and 11 levels.The classic category Beginning corresponds to about Level 4 on the new HSK exam, while the remaining new levels correspond roughly to the classic Intermediate category.
Yet another new version of the HSK tests was revealed in July 2021. There are now 3 stages and 9 levels:
The new standard, more rigorous than the old one, dramatically increases expectations. While the beginner and intermediate stages focus on speaking, writing, real‑life communication, grammar mastery, character recognition, and handwriting, the advanced levels include academic reading, professional communication, complex grammar, and long‑form writing.
All levels test listening, reading, and writing, with difficulty increasing progressively.
Listening test:
Reading test:
Writing test:
Speaking test: speaking is assessed separately (HSKK), but HSK 3.0 integrates more speaking‑related tasks into listening and writing at higher levels.
