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HSK · HSK · HSK 1

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  • 1

    任务一、六 · Introductions, identity and polite exchanges

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Meet a new classmate

    Greet someone, exchange names, and ask about an identity.

    Build the meaning

    Use 我叫…… for your name and 我是…… for an identity. Say 你叫什么名字？ to ask a name.

    Add 吗 to a statement to ask a yes–no question. Answer the question given: 你是老师吗？ — 不是，我是学生。

    Useful words in context

    • 你好 nǐ hǎo — hello. 你好！我叫林安。
    • 名字 míngzi — name. 你叫什么名字？
    • 学生 xuésheng — student. 我是学生。
    • 老师 lǎoshī — teacher. 你是老师吗？
    • 谢谢 xièxie — thank you. 谢谢你！

    Read for meaning

    你好！我叫林安。我是学生。王力是老师。

    Hello! My name is Lin An. I am a student. Wang Li is a teacher.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    你好！我叫王力。我是学生。你叫什么名字？

    Hello! My name is Wang Li. I am a student. What is your name?

    Speak and write

    Greet a new classmate, give your name, and ask their name. Use real or fictional names.

    Write a greeting, your name, and your identity. Use a fictional role if you wish.

    One speaking model: 你好！我叫林安。你叫什么名字？

    One writing model: 你好！我叫林安。我是学生。

    • A greeting makes sense in the situation.
    • 我叫 introduces the name.
    • 我是 introduces an identity.

    Check the distinction: 叫 gives a name; 是 gives an identity. Use 我叫林安 and 我是学生, rather than swapping the two verbs.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

    Vocabulary
    Train
    English
    to love
    eight
    father
    cup
    Beijing
    measure word for books
    not
    you're welcome
    dish
    tea
    to eat
    taxi
    to make a telephone call
    big
    possessive particle
    point
    computer
    television
    movie
    thing
    all
    to read
    I'm sorry
    many
    how much
    son
    two
    restaurant
    airplane
    minute
    happy
    measure word
    to work
    dog
    Chinese language
    good
    to drink
    and
    very
    the back
    to return
    can
    train station
    how many
    home
    to shout
    today
    nine
    to open
    to see
    to catch sight of
    piece
    to come
    teacher
    completed-action particle
    cold
    inside
    zero
    six
    mama
    question particle
    to buy
    cat
    not have
    it doesn't matter
    rice
    name
    tomorrow
    which
    that
    follow-up question particle
    to be able to
    you
    year
    daughter
    friend
    pretty
    apple
    seven
    ahead
    money
    to ask
    to go
    hot
    person
    to know
    sun
    three
    store
    up
    morning
    few
    what?
    ten
    time
    to be
    book
    who
    water
    fruit
    to go to bed
    to speak
    four
    years old
    he
    she
    too
    weather
    to listen to
    to study at the same school
    hello
    I
    we
    five
    to like
    down
    afternoon
    to rain
    gentleman
    now
    to think
    small
    young lady
    some
    to write
    to thank
    week
    student
    to learn
    school
    one
    clothes
    doctor
    hospital
    chair
    to have
    moon
    goodbye
    to exist
    how?
    how about?
    this
    China
    noon
    to live
    table
    letter
    yesterday
    to sit
    to make
  • 2

    任务二 · Dates, time and event information

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Arrange a time to meet

    Ask the day and time, then agree when to meet.

    Build the meaning

    Numbers combine: 十一 is 11, 二十 is 20, and 二十三 is 23. For clock time, 三点 is 3 o’clock and 三点半 is 3:30.

    星期几 asks the weekday; 几点 asks the clock time. A simple time phrase can come before the verb: 我明天三点去学校。

    Useful words in context

    • 明天 míngtiān — tomorrow. 我明天去学校。
    • 星期三 xīngqīsān — Wednesday. 明天是星期三。
    • 几点 jǐ diǎn — what time. 你几点去？
    • 半 bàn — half. 三点半。
    • 学校 xuéxiào — school. 我去学校。

    Read for meaning

    明天是星期三。王力三点去学校。林安三点半去学校。

    Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wang Li goes to school at three. Lin An goes at half past three.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    明天星期三，我们下午四点在学校见。

    Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will meet at school at four in the afternoon.

    Speak and write

    Ask a partner the day and time of a fictional meeting. They suggest Wednesday at four; confirm it.

    Write a two-line meeting note: the weekday and time, then the place. Change at least one detail from the reading.

    One speaking model: A: 星期几？几点？ B: 星期三下午四点。 A: 好，下午四点见。

    One writing model: 星期四下午三点半。我们在学校见。

    • The weekday and clock time are identifiable.
    • The place is stated.
    • The time differs from the reading.

    Check the distinction: 星期三 is a weekday; 三点 is a clock time. Do not answer one question with the other.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 3

    任务三、九 · Objects, quantities and buying

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Buy a small quantity

    Ask the price and buy a stated number of things.

    Build the meaning

    Count ordinary objects with number + measure word + noun: 两个苹果, two apples. 两 is useful before 个; 二 is used in numbers such as 二十.

    多少钱 asks a price. 我要…… says what you want in this buying situation; it is not the same as 我有……, I have.

    Useful words in context

    • 苹果 píngguǒ — apple. 我要两个苹果。
    • 个 ge — general measure word. 三个苹果。
    • 多少钱 duōshao qián — how much money. 多少钱？
    • 块 kuài — yuan, spoken. 十块钱。
    • 要 yào — want, in this request. 我要水。

    Read for meaning

    林安要两个苹果和一杯水。两个苹果六块钱，一杯水三块钱。一共九块钱。

    Lin An wants two apples and one cup of water. The apples cost six yuan and the water three: nine yuan altogether.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    我要三个苹果，不要水。三个苹果九块钱。

    I want three apples, not water. Three apples cost nine yuan.

    Speak and write

    Be a customer: ask a price, then order three apples. Be the seller and give a price.

    Write a short order for two apples and water. State a fictional total price.

    One speaking model: A: 三个苹果多少钱？ B: 九块钱。 A: 我要三个苹果。

    One writing model: 我要两个苹果和一杯水。一共十块钱。

    • Use a number and measure word with 苹果.
    • Include both requested items.
    • Label the price as a total.

    Check the distinction: The count is 两个, not 二个 in this ordinary phrase. Use a measure word instead of directly copying English two apples.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 4

    任务四、五 · Weather, places and location

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Describe weather and location

    Say what the weather is like and where a place is.

    Build the meaning

    For an ordinary description, say 今天很冷, today is cold. 很 often supports a neutral adjective description; it does not always mean strongly “very”.

    A place expression can use 在: 学校在医院旁边, the school is beside the hospital. The adjective pattern and location pattern do different jobs.

    Useful words in context

    • 冷 lěng — cold. 今天很冷。
    • 热 rè — hot. 今天很热。
    • 下雨 xià yǔ — rain. 今天下雨。
    • 旁边 pángbiān — beside. 学校在医院旁边。
    • 哪里 nǎlǐ — where. 学校在哪里？

    Read for meaning

    今天很冷，还下雨。林安不去公园。她去学校。学校在医院旁边。

    It is cold and also raining today. Lin An does not go to the park. She goes to school, which is beside the hospital.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    今天很热，不下雨。公园在学校旁边。

    It is hot today and not raining. The park is beside the school.

    Speak and write

    Describe today’s weather. Ask a partner where a fictional school is and answer with 旁边.

    Write one weather sentence and one location sentence using a different place order.

    One speaking model: A: 今天天气怎么样？ B: 很冷。 A: 学校在哪里？ B: 在医院旁边。

    One writing model: 今天很热。医院在学校旁边。

    • Use an adjective or weather expression.
    • Use 在 for location.
    • Keep the two sentence purposes distinct.

    Check the distinction: For the ordinary adjective description use 今天很冷. Do not insert 是 just because English says is cold.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 5

    任务七、十五 · Meals and traditional foods

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Choose food and a drink

    Ask what someone wants to eat and drink.

    Build the meaning

    想吃 says what someone would like to eat. 在吃 describes eating in progress. Compare 我想吃饺子 and 我在吃饺子.

    Ask 吃什么 or 喝什么 for the missing food or drink; reply with that information rather than a bare yes.

    Useful words in context

    • 吃 chī — eat. 我想吃饭。
    • 喝 hē — drink. 我喝水。
    • 饺子 jiǎozi — dumplings. 我想吃饺子。
    • 水 shuǐ — water. 我要一杯水。
    • 想 xiǎng — would like to. 你想吃什么？

    Read for meaning

    王力想吃饺子。林安想吃米饭。两个人都喝水。他们中午在学校吃饭。

    Wang Li wants dumplings. Lin An wants rice. Both drink water. They eat at school at noon.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    我想吃米饭，不想吃饺子。我喝茶。

    I want rice, not dumplings. I drink tea.

    Speak and write

    Ask a partner what they want to eat and drink. Repeat their choices to check you understood.

    Write a lunch choice: one food and one drink. Then state the place you eat.

    One speaking model: A: 你想吃什么？ B: 我想吃米饭。 A: 喝什么？ B: 水。

    One writing model: 我想吃饺子，喝水。我在学校吃饭。

    • Name a food and a drink.
    • Use 想 for the choice.
    • Give a place with 在.

    Check the distinction: 我想吃 means I want to eat, not I am eating now. Do not treat wanting and ongoing action as the same.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 6

    任务八 · Travel, destinations and simple directions

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    State a destination and departure time

    Say where you are going, when, and how.

    Build the meaning

    Put time before the main action in this simple pattern: 我明天八点去上海. Mandarin does not add an English-style future verb ending here.

    坐火车 describes transport; 去上海 gives the destination. Asking 去哪里 needs a place; asking 怎么去 needs a method.

    Useful words in context

    • 去 qù — go. 我去学校。
    • 火车 huǒchē — train. 我坐火车。
    • 坐 zuò — travel by / sit. 我坐火车去上海。
    • 上海 Shànghǎi — Shanghai. 我明天去上海。
    • 八点 bā diǎn — eight o’clock. 我八点去。

    Read for meaning

    王力明天八点坐火车去上海。林安明天九点坐车去学校。王力今天在学校。

    Tomorrow Wang Li takes a train to Shanghai at eight. Lin An goes to school by vehicle at nine. Wang Li is at school today.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    我明天九点坐火车去上海。

    Tomorrow I take a train to Shanghai at nine.

    Speak and write

    Ask where a partner is going tomorrow and how. Give your own fictional departure plan.

    Write a travel plan with a time, method, and destination. Change the time from the reading.

    One speaking model: A: 你明天去哪里？ B: 上海。 A: 怎么去？ B: 坐火车。

    One writing model: 我明天十点坐火车去上海。

    • Include a time before the action.
    • Include 坐 plus transport.
    • Include 去 plus a place.

    Check the distinction: 在上海 gives a location; 去上海 gives a destination. Do not answer 去哪里 with only 坐火车.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 7

    任务十、十一 · Needs, wellbeing and leisure

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Express a need and respond kindly

    Say how you feel and what you would like to do.

    Build the meaning

    我不舒服 states feeling unwell; 我想休息 states a wish to rest. A language exercise does not diagnose illness.

    会 asks about a learned skill; 能 can ask about possibility in the situation. Compare 会游泳 and 今天能游泳.

    Useful words in context

    • 不舒服 bù shūfu — feel unwell. 我不舒服。
    • 休息 xiūxi — rest. 我想休息。
    • 游泳 yóuyǒng — swim. 我会游泳。
    • 会 huì — know how to. 你会游泳吗？
    • 能 néng — can in the situation. 你今天能去吗？

    Read for meaning

    林安会游泳，但是今天不舒服。她今天不去游泳，想在家休息。

    Lin An knows how to swim, but feels unwell today. She does not go swimming and wants to rest at home.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    我会游泳，但是今天不能去。我想休息。

    I know how to swim, but cannot go today. I want to rest.

    Speak and write

    Ask a partner whether they can go today. In a fictional role, say you feel unwell and want to rest.

    Write two sentences contrasting a skill and today’s possibility.

    One speaking model: A: 你今天能去吗？ B: 我不舒服，想休息。 A: 好。

    One writing model: 我会游泳。今天我不能去，想休息。

    • Use 会 for the skill.
    • Use 今天 to locate the situation.
    • State the wish clearly.

    Check the distinction: 会 and 能 overlap in some contexts, but a learned skill is different from being able to participate today.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 8

    任务十二—十四 · School, study and work routines

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Read a timetable and say what exists

    Find a lesson time and describe a school facility.

    Build the meaning

    有 states having or existence; its ordinary negative is 没有. 学校有图书馆 and 学校没有游泳池 describe different facilities.

    中文课几点开始 asks when the Chinese lesson starts. Match the correct subject and time before answering.

    Useful words in context

    • 中文课 Zhōngwén kè — Chinese lesson. 中文课九点开始。
    • 开始 kāishǐ — begin. 九点开始。
    • 有 yǒu — have / there is. 学校有图书馆。
    • 没有 méiyǒu — do not have / there is no. 学校没有游泳池。
    • 图书馆 túshūguǎn — library. 我去图书馆。

    Read for meaning

    星期一，中文课九点开始，数学课十点开始。学校有图书馆，没有游泳池。

    On Monday, Chinese starts at nine and mathematics at ten. The school has a library but no swimming pool.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    星期二，中文课十点开始。学校有游泳池。

    On Tuesday, Chinese starts at ten. The school has a swimming pool.

    Speak and write

    Ask when a fictional Chinese class starts. Then ask about a library and reply with 有 or 没有.

    Write a small timetable note and one sentence about a facility.

    One speaking model: A: 中文课几点开始？ B: 九点。 A: 学校有图书馆吗？ B: 有。

    One writing model: 星期三，中文课十点开始。学校有图书馆。

    • State the weekday and subject.
    • State a clock time.
    • Use 有 or 没有 for the facility.

    Check the distinction: Do not write 不有 for this ordinary absence statement. 没有 can refer to a current situation.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

  • 9

    听力与阅读 · Listen for the referent and read for the relationship

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    Handout

    Use the examples with their context and limits. Recall a sentence before reading the model. Original teaching additions accompany examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA); see the course reference provenance.

    Find details in a short notice

    Distinguish people, quantities, places, and times in short messages.

    Build the meaning

    Read or listen first for the type of information: who, how many, where, or when. Familiar words alone do not guarantee the right detail.

    桌子上有两个杯子 locates two cups on a table. 上 follows the place noun; 有 introduces what exists there.

    Useful words in context

    • 桌子 zhuōzi — table. 桌子上有书。
    • 上 shàng — on / above. 桌子上。
    • 杯子 bēizi — cup. 两个杯子。
    • 书 shū — book. 三本书。
    • 本 běn — measure word for books. 两本书。

    Read for meaning

    桌子上有两个杯子和三本书。林安的书在学校。王力下午三点去学校。

    There are two cups and three books on the table. Lin An’s book is at school. Wang Li goes to school at three in the afternoon.

    Listen to a different passage

    Ask a partner to read this with the script closed. Use the online practice for browser playback.

    桌子上有三个杯子，没有书。

    There are three cups on the table and no books.

    Speak and write

    Describe a fictional table with two cups and one book. Ask a partner how many cups they heard.

    Write a new table description with different quantities. Ask one detail question about it.

    One speaking model: A: 桌子上有两个杯子和一本书。 B: 几个杯子？ A: 两个。

    One writing model: 桌子上有三个杯子和两本书。几个杯子？

    • State the place.
    • Use 个 with cups and 本 with books.
    • Ask a quantity question.

    Check the distinction: If you read the transcript before answering, record that as supported reading, not unseen listening.

    Learn step by step · Practise and review.

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