HSK 1 · 300 Words

Read Chinese.
Don't Just Pass a Test.

Pinyin, tones, and words — one short session a day

Chinese 101 teaches the 300 words of HSK 1 with native audio and the tone in every card. Once you know a word the pinyin hides, then comes back right before you'd forget it.

Try Free for 2 Days How It Works

2 days free · No account needed · Native audio

Chinese 101 lesson screen showing 你好 with pinyin, audio, and an example sentence
你好 nǐ hǎo
HSK 1
谢谢 xiè xiè
Welcome to Chinese 101 — read Chinese, don't just pass a test
Optional stroke-order handwriting practice for 你
Personalized starting point — I know pinyin already
Welcome to Chinese 101 — read Chinese, don't just pass a test
Optional stroke-order handwriting practice for 你
Personalized starting point — I know pinyin already
Welcome to Chinese 101 — read Chinese, don't just pass a test
Optional stroke-order handwriting practice for 你
Personalized starting point — I know pinyin already
How It Works

Why Flashcard Apps Alone Don't Teach You
to Read Chinese

Memorizing pinyin without the character, or the character without the tone, leaves gaps. Chinese 101 keeps the character, the pinyin, the tone, and the sound together in every lesson — then times the review so it sticks.

01

Character + Pinyin + Tone, Together

你好 = nǐ hǎo, hello. You see the character, hear it, and read the tone marks in the same glance — no separate tone drills.

02

Native Audio, On-Device

Every one of the 300 HSK 1 words has a native recording bundled with the app, so pronunciation is never a guess.

03

Pinyin Fades as You Learn

Once you know a word, the pinyin hides and only the character remains. That's the actual skill — reading Chinese.

04

Review Timed to Beat Forgetting

A word you're about to forget comes back the next day, right on schedule — not buried in a deck of 300.

HSK 1 Vocabulary

All 300 HSK 1 Words, One Lesson at a Time

HSK 1 is the first official level of Mandarin proficiency. Chinese 101 teaches every word on the list — greetings, numbers, family, time, food, and everyday verbs — as today's lesson, not a wall of flashcards.

Greetings
你好 谢谢 再见
The words you'll actually use first.
你 好 谢 请 对
Numbers & Time
0–100, days, hours
Counting, dates, and telling time.
一 二 三 天 点
People & Family
Core relations
Talking about who's who.
我 你 他 爸 妈
Food & Daily Life
Common nouns
Ordering, shopping, everyday objects.
水 米 饭 钱 书
Everyday Verbs
Action & state
Building your first real sentences.
是 有 去 来 看
Features

Everything You Need. Nothing You Don't.

🔊

Native Audio

Every one of the 300 HSK 1 words has a native recording, stored on your phone so it works offline.

🃏

Flashcards + Quiz

Study with flashcards, then test yourself with a four-choice quiz that checks what actually stuck.

🎵

Tones Built In

Pinyin with full tone marks on every card — the piece most beginner apps treat as an afterthought.

✍️

Stroke Order Practice

Optional handwriting practice for every character, with correct stroke order. Skip it whenever you want.

📱

Today's Character Widget

A Home Screen widget shows today's character so review starts before you even open the app.

⏱️

A Short Session a Day

No marathon study sessions. One focused lesson a day, timed so what you learned yesterday doesn't fade.

Who It's For

Built for Absolute Beginners

Complete Beginners

  • Zero Chinese required to start
  • Pinyin and tones taught together
  • One short lesson gets you moving

HSK 1 Exam Preppers

  • Covers the full official word list
  • Quiz mode checks real recall
  • Study exactly what's tested

Travelers

  • Practical, everyday vocabulary
  • Native audio for real pronunciation
  • Works fully offline

Heritage Learners

  • Learn to read what you already speak
  • Stroke order for confident writing
  • No account, study at your own pace

Learn More: Guides & Resources

HSK 1 vocabulary breakdowns and Mandarin study tips

BEGINNER GUIDE

How to Learn Mandarin as a Complete Beginner

A practical path through pinyin, tones, and your first HSK 1 words — without getting overwhelmed.

Read the guide →
REFERENCE

The Full HSK 1 Vocabulary List, Explained

All 300 HSK 1 words grouped by topic, with pinyin and why the list changed in the 2021 HSK 3.0 standard.

Read the guide →
COMPARISON

Chinese 101 vs Other Mandarin Apps

How Chinese 101 compares to Duolingo and HelloChinese on tones, audio, and HSK 1 focus.

Read the comparison →
RESOURCES

All Blog Posts

Browse all guides and comparisons on Mandarin study and HSK 1 prep.

Browse blog →
Get in Touch

Questions or Feedback?

We read every message. Whether it's a bug, a suggestion, or just to say nǐ hǎo — we'd love to hear from you.

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Privacy

Privacy Policy

Chinese 101: Learn Mandarin is designed with your privacy in mind. We collect no personal data, and no account is required.

Works fully offline after download
No account or login needed
All data stays on your device

No personal data is collected, stored, or shared with any third party. Ever.

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