Learn Chinese Online FreeMaster Mandarin, HSK Vocabulary & Characters
A free Chinese learning platform with HSK 1-6 vocabulary lists, interactive Mandarin flashcards, character writing practice with stroke order animation, pinyin pronunciation with audio, and Chinese quizzes. Start learning Chinese today.
714+ Chinese words across 6 HSK levels — beginner to mastery — 100% free
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爱
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Open Full Review Mode → with all levels, saved words list, and more.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Pick the description that fits you best. There's no wrong answer — starting too easy is better than starting too hard. You can always jump levels later.
🟢 I know zero Chinese.
I can't read any characters, I don't know what tones are, and I might not know the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese. Start at HSK 1.
🟡 I know the basics.
I can say hello, introduce myself, count to ten, and order food. I know maybe 50-100 words and understand the four tones. Start at HSK 2.
🟠 I can handle daily conversations.
I can shop, ask for directions, talk about my job, and describe my day in simple sentences. I know 200-400 words but make grammar mistakes. Start at HSK 3.
🔵 I can talk about abstract topics.
I can discuss opinions, describe experiences, and read simple news. I still struggle with formal language and nuanced expressions. Start at HSK 4.
🟣 I read Chinese newspapers.
I can follow movies without subtitles, discuss professional topics, and write in Chinese. I want to close the gap between functional and literary Chinese. Start at HSK 5.
🔴 I'm essentially fluent.
I can read academic papers and literature. I'm here for chengyu, classical patterns, and the fine distinctions that separate fluent speakers from truly literate ones. Start at HSK 6.
Learn Chinese Online — Actually Free, Actually Useful
I built this site because the existing options for learning Chinese online are either locked behind paywalls or scattered across a hundred different places. Here, you can look up any HSK word, hear how it sounds, flip through flashcards, test yourself with quizzes, and watch how characters are written — all on one site, all free, no sign-up required. Pick your level and go. If you're brand new to Chinese, HSK 1 is where you want to start. If you've been at it for years, jump into HSK 5 or 6 and see how you do.
Free Chinese Learning Tools
Everything you need to learn Mandarin online — vocabulary, characters, pronunciation, and tests
HSK Vocabulary Lists
700+ words across HSK 1–6. Each word has the character, pinyin, English meaning, and a real example sentence with audio.
Chinese Flashcards
Flip cards to test yourself. See a character → guess the meaning and pronunciation → flip to check. Mark what you know.
Chinese Quiz & Tests
10 questions per quiz. Three question types: character-to-meaning, meaning-to-character, and listen-and-match.
Chinese Character Writing
Pick a character and watch the stroke order animation. See radical info, component breakdown, and stroke count.
How to Use This Site to Actually Learn Chinese
I built this site because I kept seeing the same problems: Chinese learning tools locked behind paywalls, or scattered across ten different apps, or filled with AI-generated filler that nobody bothered to check. What I wanted — and what I hope you’ll find here — is one clean, free site where you can do all the core study activities in one place. Here’s how I’d suggest using it:
Pick your HSK level and browse the vocabulary.
Go to the HSK Vocabulary page, pick a level, and scroll through the word list. Read the example sentences — they’re how words actually behave. Use the 🔊 button for every word you’re not 100% sure how to pronounce.
Drill with flashcards until the deck is empty.
Same level, switch to flashcards. See the character, say the pinyin and meaning out loud, flip to check. Mark honestly. Words you don’t know cycle back. Repeat daily. Ten minutes a day beats two hours on Saturday.
Test yourself with a quiz.
Take a quiz at your level. Pay attention to which question type trips you up most — if it’s the listening questions, you need more audio exposure. If it’s meaning-to-character, you need more writing practice. The quiz is a diagnostic, not a final exam.
Write the characters you missed, by hand.
After the quiz, take the characters you got wrong to the Writing page. Watch the stroke order animation. Write each one ten times on paper. Handwriting creates motor memory that screen tapping can’t match. Five characters a day, every day, and in a month you’ll have 150 characters in your hand.
Read the articles for deeper context.
The articles section covers both language learning strategies (character memorization, tones, radicals, self-study) and fun explorations of how language works. They’re not required reading — but they’ll make you a smarter learner.
This is the routine I recommend: 15–30 minutes a day, cycling through vocabulary → flashcards → quiz → writing. Don’t wait until you feel “ready” to start. Start now, with whatever level feels slightly challenging but not impossible. Mess up. Learn from the mistakes. Come back tomorrow. That’s how every single person who ever learned Chinese did it.
Chinese Vocabulary, From 你好 to 众所周知
Every word entry on this site includes the simplified character, the pinyin, the English meaning, and a real example sentence with its own pinyin and translation. That last part matters — a lot of vocabulary lists give you isolated words, but you don't actually learn a word until you see it in a sentence. You can search across all 700+ words, sort by pinyin or meaning, listen to the pronunciation as many times as you want, and jump straight into flashcard mode from any HSK level page.
HSK Chinese Proficiency Levels
Chinese proficiency test vocabulary for beginners to advanced learners — pick your HSK level
HSK 1
127 wordsBeginner
Greetings, numbers, family, basic conversation
HSK 2
130 wordsElementary
Daily life, shopping, directions, time expressions
HSK 3
125 wordsIntermediate
Work, travel, emotions, comparisons, abilities
HSK 4
122 wordsUpper Intermediate
Society, relationships, abstract concepts, opinions
HSK 5
110 wordsAdvanced
Formal language, news, literature, professional topics
HSK 6
100 wordsMastery
Academic Chinese, idioms, classical references, fluency
Learning to Write Chinese Characters Without Losing Your Mind
Chinese characters look intimidating — I get it. Some of them have 20+ strokes and they all look kind of similar when you're starting out. Our writing tool breaks things down: pick a character from the grid, and you'll see the stroke order animation, the radical (which gives you a hint about the meaning), the component breakdown, and the stroke count. Hit the 'Animate' button and watch how the character is built stroke by stroke. Then practice it yourself. Start with easy ones like 人 (person, 2 strokes) and work your way up.
Flashcards That Actually Help You Remember
The flashcard system here is dead simple: you see a Chinese character, you try to remember what it means and how it sounds, then you tap to flip the card. If you knew it, mark it 'known' and it leaves your deck. If you didn't, mark it 'still learning' and it comes back later. Keep going until your deck is empty. No algorithm, no spaced repetition timer, no gamification nonsense — just you, 700+ words, and honest self-assessment. The simplicity is the point.
Frequently Asked Questions About Learning Chinese
Common questions about Mandarin Chinese learning, HSK tests, and using this platform
How can I learn Chinese online for free?
You're on the site right now. Browse the HSK vocabulary lists for your level, flip through some flashcards, try a quiz, or play with the character writing tool. Nothing costs money, nothing asks for your email. Start at HSK 1 if you don't know any Chinese yet.
What is HSK and how many levels are there?
HSK stands for Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi — it's the official Chinese proficiency test, kind of like TOEFL is for English. There are 6 levels. HSK 1 is beginner (~150 words — greetings, numbers, family). HSK 6 is near-native fluency (~2500+ words — academic papers, classical references, chengyu idioms). This site covers vocabulary across all six.
How do I learn Chinese character writing?
Go to the Writing page, pick a character from the grid, and the tool shows you its stroke order animation, radical, components, and stroke count. The 'Animate' button replays the stroke-by-stroke animation. Watch it a few times, then try writing the character on paper. Start with low-stroke characters like 一 (1 stroke), 人 (2 strokes), 大 (3 strokes) before tackling characters with 15+ strokes.
Can I learn Mandarin pronunciation and pinyin?
Every word in the vocabulary lists has pinyin and a 🔊 button that plays the pronunciation using your browser's speech synthesis set to Mandarin Chinese. It's not a native speaker recording, but it's accurate for tones. Listen to each word as many times as you need — the button doesn't cost anything.
What's the best way to memorize Chinese vocabulary?
Honestly, the best way is regular, short practice sessions. Ten minutes a day beats two hours once a week. Our flashcards help: see the character, guess the meaning and pronunciation, flip to check, then mark it as known or unknown. Unknown words come back. Keep going until everything is marked known. Rinse and repeat tomorrow. There's no magic shortcut — it's just about putting in the minutes.
Is this suitable for complete beginners learning Chinese?
Yes. Start at HSK 1 — it has 127 basic words like 你 (you), 好 (good), 谢谢 (thank you), and 再见 (goodbye). Each word has an example sentence with pinyin, so you can see how it's used. Listen to the pronunciation. When you know most of HSK 1, move to HSK 2. Lather, rinse, repeat up to HSK 6.
How many Chinese characters do I need to know?
For basic conversation, about 150–300 words (HSK 1–2). For daily life in China, about 600 words (HSK 4). For reading a newspaper, 1200+. For fluency, the official HSK 6 target is 2500+ words — but honestly, many HSK 6 test-takers know far more than the official list. Our site covers the core HSK vocabulary at each level. Beyond that, you learn by reading and living.
What's the difference between simplified and traditional Chinese characters?
This site uses simplified Chinese — the character system used in mainland China, Singapore, and by the vast majority of Chinese learners worldwide. Simplified characters were introduced in the 1950s–60s to increase literacy by reducing the number of strokes in commonly-used characters. Traditional characters are still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and many overseas Chinese communities. If you're learning for travel to mainland China or for the HSK exam, simplified is what you want.
Start Learning Chinese Today
Begin your Mandarin Chinese learning journey now. Browse HSK vocabulary, practice with flashcards, test your knowledge, and learn to write Chinese characters — all for free.