HSK1 Flashcards
1
Q
愛
A
love
2
Q
八
A
eight
3
Q
爸爸
A
father
4
Q
杯子
A
cup
The left part “木” (mù) means wood — old cups were often made of wood.
The right part “不” (bù) gives a hint for how it sounds (bēi).
5
Q
北京
A
Beijing
6
Q
不客氣
A
you’re welcome (bu ke qi)
氣 has two parts:
气 (qì) on top = air, vapor (this is the ancient version of “air.”)
米 (mǐ) below = rice.
Idea: Ancient Chinese thought of cooking rice (steam rising) — steam = air = “qi” (life force, energy).
7
Q
菜
A
dish
艹 (cǎo) on top = “grass” radical 🌿 — anything related to plants.
采 (cǎi) below = “to pick” or “to gather.”
8
Q
吃
A
eat
9
Q
車
A
car
10
Q
火車
A
firetruck (huǒchē)
11
Q
汽車
A
car (qìchē)
steam vehicle
12
Q
打電話
A
make a phone call
- 打 (dǎ) = “to hit” / “to make” (an action)
Left side: 扌 (hand radical) = hand 🤚
Right side: 丁 (dīng) = a sound component (helps with pronunciation) - 電 (diàn) = “electricity”
Top part: 雨 (yǔ) = rain
Bottom part: 田 (tián) = field + some strokes → this evolved to mean lightning ⚡ or electric things.
Idea:
Rain + field + lightning = electricity! - 話 (huà) = “speech” / “words”
Left side: 訁 (yán) = words / speaking 🗣️
Right side: 舌 (shé) = tongue
13
Q
打手
A
hit the hand (Dǎshǒu)
14
Q
電腦
A
computer
(diànnǎo)
electricity brain
15
Q
電視
A
TV
16
Q
電影
A
movie (diànyǐng)
- 影 (yǐng) = “shadow” / “reflection”
Left part: 景 (jǐng) = scenery, view (sun + capital city → imagine sunlight over scenery).
Right part: 彡 (shān) = lines representing light, patterns, or movement.
17
Q
北
A
north (Běi)
Taipei (台北)
Beijing (北京)
18
Q
東西
A
thing (dong xi)
literal translation: east, west
19
Q
讀
A
study (dú)
1. Left side: 言 (yán) = “speech” / “words”
2. Right side: 賣 (mài) = “to sell”
Originally, reading was seen as “offering words” like selling knowledge or sharing ideas.
Combining words (言) and selling (賣) → reading = moving words around, transmitting knowledge 📚.
20
Q
書
A
book
讀書 study book (Dúshū)
21
Q
對不起
A
I’m sorry (dui bu qi)
22
Q
多少
A
how much
23
Q
兒子
A
son
24
Q
飯店
A
restaurant (fàndiàn)
25
飛機
airplane (fēijī)
26
幾個
several (Jǐ gè)
27
分鍾
minute
分 (fēn) = "to divide" / "to separate" / "minute" / "point"
1. Top: 八 (bā) = "eight" ➗
Represents splitting or separating — like how 8 can be seen as splitting into two 4’s.
2. Bottom: 刀 (dāo) = "knife" 🔪
A knife is used to cut or divide things.
鍾 (zhōng) = "clock"
1. Left side: 釒 (jīn) = metal 🛠️
2. Right side: 重 (zhòng) = heavy 🏋️
28
高興
happy
1. 高 (gāo) = "high" / "tall"
2. 興 (xìng) = "to rise" / "to flourish" / "to be excited"
29
賊
thief
30
坏蛋
bad egg
31
我的猫是ー個賊
又是一個坏蛋
my cat is a thief (Zéi) and a bad egg
32
虫子
bug
chon zi
33
手
毛
hand, hair
34
工作
job
35
狗
dog
36
喝
to drink
37
家
family
38
今天
today
39
開
to start (Kāi)
40
看見
to see
41
塊
unit of currency (Kuài)
土 (tǔ) – means "earth" or "soil"
42
來
to come
43
老師
teacher
44
冷
cold
45
媽媽
mother
46
買
buy
47
貓
cat
48
沒關系
it doesn't matter (Méiguānxì)
49
沒有
haven't (Méiyǒu)
50
米飯
rice
51
名字
name
52
明天
tomorrow
53
年
year
54
女兒
daughter
55
朋友
friend
56
漂亮
pretty
漂 (piào) = "beautiful" / "flowing" / "elegant"
Left side: 水 (shuǐ) = "water" 💧
Right side: 票 (piào) = "ticket" 🎫
57
我要
i want
58
蘋果
apple (Píngguǒ)
59
前面
ahead (Qiánmiàn)
60
錢
money (Qián)
61
請
ask (Qǐng)
62
去
to go
63
熱
to heat up (Rè)
64
我認識他很多年了
(Wǒ rèn shí tā hěn duō nián le.)
"I’ve known him for many years."
65
商店
store (shang dian)
66
上午
morning (shang wu)
67
少
less (Shǎo)
68
誰
who (Shuí)
69
時候
time (shi hou)
70
書
book
71
睡覺
sleep (Shuìjiào)
72
說
to speak (Shuō)
73
歲
age (Suì)
74
太
highest (tai)
75
天氣
weather
76
聽
to listen (Tīng)
77
同學
classmate (Tóngxué)
同 (tóng) — means "together," "same."
Left side: 冂 — looks like an open box, means "boundary" or "open area."
Right side: 口 — means "mouth."
78
我們
us (wo men)
79
下午
afternoon (xia wu)
80
下雨
to rain (xia yu)
81
先生
mister (xian sheng)
82
現在
now (Xiànzài)
83
想
to think (Xiǎng)
84
小姐
lady
85
寫
to write (Xiě)
86
謝謝
thanks
87
學生
student
88
醫生
doctor
醫 (yī) — means "doctor" or "medicine."
Left side: 酉 — a wine vessel (connected to fermentation/alcohol, ancient medicine often involved alcohol).
Right side (top and bottom combined):
殳 — a weapon (shows action, like treating or curing).
Plus extra components for pronunciation and meaning.
醫 combines wine (medicine/alchemy) + action (treating) = healing.
89
醫院
hospital
院 (yuàn) — means "courtyard" or "institution" (like hospital, school, etc.).
Left side: 阝 — this is actually 阜 (mound/hill) in simplified form, often shows places or buildings.
Right side: 完 — means "complete" or "finished."
→ 院 = a place where things are completed or done → an enclosed building or institution.
90
衣服
clothes (Yīfú)
91
月
month
92
再見
goodbye (zai jian)
93
坐
sit (Zuò)
94
昨天
yesterday (Zuótiān)
昨 (zuó) — means "yesterday."
Left side: 日 — means "sun" or "day."
Right side: 乍 — means "suddenly" or "for the first time."
→ 昨 combines sun/day + sudden → meaning a day that has just passed → yesterday.
95
桌子
table
桌 (zhuō) — means "table" or "desk."
Left side: 木 — means "wood" or "tree" (makes sense — tables are made of wood!).
Right side: 卓 — means "outstanding," "high," or "elevated."
→ 桌 = wood + elevated → a wooden surface that stands up → table.
96
中午
midday (Zhōngwǔ)
97
中國
china
98
壞蛋
bad egg
99
學生
student (Xuéshēng
100
報紙
newspaper (Bàozhǐ)
報 (bào) — means "to report" or "to announce."
紙 (zhǐ) — means "paper."
Left side: 糸 (mì) — silk thread (related to weaving and thin materials like paper).
Right side: 氏 — originally a family name symbol, used here mainly for pronunciation.
→ 紙 = silk threads + 氏 = paper (made from fine fibers).
101
與
and (Yǔ)
102
貓小孩
cat child
103
入口
entrance (rùkǒu)
104
出口
exit (chūkǒu)
105
太陽
sun (Tàiyáng)
106
你先走吧
(Nǐ xiān zǒu ba.)
"You go first."
107
我喜歡坐在公園的椅子上
(Wǒ xǐhuān zuò zài gōngyuán de Yǐzǐ shàng.)
→ "I like to sit on the bench in the park."
108
喜歡
xǐhuān
like
109
公園
gōngyuán
park
110
椅子
Yǐzǐ
chair
111
下
xià
down
112
你隨便坐！
(Nǐ suíbiàn zuò!)
→ "Sit wherever you like!"
113
魚
yú
114
豬肉
zhūròu
pork
115
雞肉
jīròu
chicken
116
牛肉
niúròu
beef
117
蔬菜
shūcài
vegeteables
118
飯
fàn
rice
119
湯
tāng
soup
120
辣
là
spicy
121
甜
tián
sweet
122
不辣
bù là
not spicy
123
這是簡體中文嗎
is this simplified chinese?
Zhè shì jiǎntǐ zhōngwén ma
124
我要一份雞肉飯
(Wǒ yào yí fèn jīròu fàn.)
→ I want a chicken rice.
125
可以不要辣嗎？
(Kěyǐ bú yào là ma?)
→ Can you make it not spicy?
126
請給我一碗湯。
(Qǐng gěi wǒ yì wǎn tāng.)
→ Please give me a bowl of soup.
