The First 10 Chinese Words You Need (All from the New HSK 1 List) — And the Beginner Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To
When I first started learning Mandarin, I wanted to do everything at once. I had high hopes and believed I would magically manifest the discipline to study for 2 hours per day. And the first few days I did! But then I missed a day…then another, and suddenly I felt too guilty to open up my textbook again.
Big mistake.
But I did actually learn Chinese in the end. So, what actually worked?
I found it was all about mastering the most common words first — the ones that show up constantly in real conversations, deeply and one by one instead of trying to cram in as much vocabulary as possible right away.
Every word in this post appears on the new HSK 1 vocabulary list (HSK 3.0 system) — the beginner level of the Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (汉语水平考试), the official Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers. If you haven’t heard of the HSK exam and want to put Chinese on your resume, getting this certificate is a great goal.
HSK 1 focuses on high-frequency, everyday vocabulary. These are not “textbook filler” words. These are survival words.
And as I learned them, I also made every possible beginner mistake. So I’m going to show you:
An in-depth view of what each word really means
How the character is built (radicals & components to help you actually remember it)
How to use it properly
When not to use it
And the most common mistakes beginners make + how to avoid them
Thank you for reading my post. Let’s go!
1️⃣ 我 (wǒ) — I / Me
The moment I learned 我 (wǒ), I could talk about myself. It was my first baby step towards being able to express myself in Chinese.
Comprehensive Meaning: The first-person singular pronoun. In Chinese, 我 (wǒ) works as both “I” and “me.” It does not change form.
Structure
Etymology: Originally, this character depicted a jagged, trident-like weapon. Over time, it was "borrowed" to represent the word "I."
Components:
手 (shǒu) / 扌: Hand (modified on the left).
戈 (gē): Dagger-axe.
Together, they represent a hand holding a weapon, which eventually came to mean "self."
How to Use It
Subject: 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuésheng). (I am a student.)
Object: 他认识我 (tā rènshi wǒ). (He knows me.)
Possession: 我的老师 (wǒ de lǎoshī). (My teacher.)
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Saying 我是忙 (wǒ shì máng).
Correct: 我很忙 (wǒ hěn máng).
(Adjectives typically don’t use 是 (shì).)
❌ Forgetting 的 (de) for possession.
Not: 我老师 (wǒ lǎoshī)
Correct: 我的老师 (wǒ de lǎoshī)
Pro Tip:
Because Chinese is a high-context language, if it’s obvious who you are talking about, repeating the pronoun can actually make you sound a bit robotic or overly insistent. Here is how it works in practice:
1. In Response to a Question
In Mandarin, the question often sets the stage. If the person is looking at you, they know you are the one answering, so 我 (wǒ) becomes redundant.
Question: 你是学生吗？ (Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?) — Are you a student?
Natural Answer: 是学生。 (Shì xuésheng.) — [I] am a student.
Textbook Answer: 我是学生。 (Wǒ shì xuésheng.) — I am a student. (Perfectly fine, just sounds more formal).
2. Chained Sentences (The Topic-Comment Structure)
Once you've established that you are the topic of the sentence, you don't need to keep hitting the listener over the head with "I, I, I."
Example: 我很高兴，也是学生，不想去学校。 (Wǒ hěn gāoxìng, yě shì xuésheng, bù xiǎng qù xuéxiào.)
Translation: I [am] very happy, [I] also am [a] student, [I] don't want [to] go [to] school.
Note: You only need 我 (wǒ) at the very beginning.
3. Common Daily Phrases
In many set phrases, the "I" is almost always omitted because the context is 100% clear.
谢谢 (Xièxie): Thank [you].
懂了 (Dǒng le): [I] understand now.
不知道 (Bù zhīdào): [I] don't know.
是对的 (Shì duì de): [That] is correct.
⚠️ When You SHOULD Use 我 (wǒ)
You shouldn't drop the pronoun if you need to emphasize yourself specifically or if there are multiple people involved.
Contrast: If a teacher asks "Who is the student?" in a room full of people, you would say: “我是学生！” (Wǒ shì xuésheng!) — "I am the student!"
New Topic: If you were talking about your 老师 (lǎoshī) and then suddenly switch to talking about yourself, you need to use 我 (wǒ) to show the subject has changed.
🎥 YouTube Short: 我 (wǒ) Explained:
2️⃣ 你 (nǐ) — You (Singular)
Once I learned 你 (nǐ), I could finally talk to someone.
Comprehensive Meaning: The second-person singular pronoun.
Structure
Etymology: This is a phono-semantic compound. The left side gives the meaning, and the right side originally suggested the sound.
Components:
亻(rén): Person radical (standing man).
尔 (ěr): You; that (phonetic component).
The 亻 radical appears in many people-related words like 他 (tā).
How to Use It
Singular “you”
For plural: 你们 (nǐmen) “you all”
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Using 你 (nǐ) for groups.
If you’re talking to multiple people, use 你们 (nǐmen).
❌ Overusing 你好 (nǐ hǎo) with close friends.
It’s polite and safe, but among very close peers, other greetings may be more common.
Example Sentences
你是学生吗 (nǐ shì xuésheng ma)？Are you a student?
我认识你 (wǒ rènshi nǐ). I know you.
你的老师是谁 (nǐ de lǎoshī shì shéi)？Who is your teacher?
你好 (nǐ hǎo). Hello.
你不是老师吗 (nǐ bú shì lǎoshī ma)？Aren’t you a teacher?
🎥 YouTube Short: 你 (nǐ) Explained:
3️⃣ 他 (tā) / 她 (tā) / 它 (tā) — He / She / It
All pronounced tā in speech. So when meeting people, you never need to ask them their genders.
The distinction is visible only in writing:
他 (tā) = he
她 (tā) = she
它 (tā) = it
The written gender distinction developed in the early 20th century; historically, 他 (tā) was used more broadly.
Comprehensive Meaning: The third-person singular pronouns. In spoken Chinese, they all sound identical, but the written radical tells you who you're talking about.
Components:
他: 亻(rén) Person + 也 (yě) Also. (Used for males or mixed groups).
她: 女 (nǚ) Woman + 也 (yě) Also. (Used for females).
它: 宀 (mián) Roof/Cover + 匕 (bǐ) Spoon/Ladle. (Used for inanimate objects).
Structure
他 (tā) → 亻 + 也 (yě)
她 (tā) → 女 (nǚ) + 也 (yě)
它 (tā) → 宀 (mián) + 匕 (bǐ)
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Stressing the difference in pronunciation.
They are pronounced the same in standard Mandarin.
❌ Mixing up written forms.
Remember:
亻 → person → 他 (tā) → he/him
女 → woman → 她 (tā) → she/her
Example Sentences
他是学生 (tā shì xuésheng). He is a student.
她是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī). She is a teacher.
它是书 (tā shì shū). It is a book.
他不是老师 (tā bú shì lǎoshī). He is not a teacher.
她是学生吗 (tā shì xuésheng ma)？Is she a student?
🎥 YouTube Short: 他 / 她 / 它 (tā) Explained:
At this point in my learning, something clicked and I realized I needed more practice listening in on real Mandarin conversations. The problem was, I was a bit shy and people seemed to be speaking to me a mile a minute.
I wasn’t memorizing isolated words anymore. I was trying to build systems to actually be able to communicate in a real situation.
Luckily I found the best learning course, the MandarinHQ Vault — it’s my ultimate favorite complete Chinese learning course for learning how people actually talk in China, not just in textbooks. It’s the only course I’m recommending. The way it structures high-frequency patterns feels exactly like what unlocked things for me at this stage. It was invaluable to me and prepared me well to speak with actual native Chinese speakers, so I highly encourage you to use it. From all the courses, teachers, textbooks, and apps I’ve tried, it was the best investment in my Chinese learning journey. Get lifetime access here, no recurring subscriptions needed.
Okay. Back to the words!
4️⃣ 是 (shì) — To Be (Linking Verb)
This is the backbone of beginner Chinese.
Comprehensive Meaning: Used to equate two nouns (e.g., "I am a teacher"). It is not used for adjectives (you wouldn't use it to say "I am happy" with 是 (shì)).
Etymology: Originally meant "straight" or "correct."
Components:
日 (rì): Sun.
正 (zhèng): Correct/Upright (stylized at the bottom).
Think of it as "the sun is always in the correct place."
Sentence structure:
A + 是 (shì) + B
Used to connect noun phrases.
✔ 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuésheng). I am a student.
✔ 他是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī). He is a teacher.
When NOT to Use It
❌ 他是忙 (tā shì máng). He is busy.
For adjectives, typically do not use 是 (shì) directly.
Correct: 他很忙 (tā hěn máng). He is busy.
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Using 是 (shì) before adjectives.
❌ Not realizing that 是 (shì) in many cases can mean “yes”.
For example:
Speaker A: 他是老师吗? (tā shì lǎoshī ma) Is he a teacher?
Speaker B: 是的。(shìde) Yes.
🎥 YouTube Short: 是 (shì) Explained:
5️⃣ 的 (de) — Possessive Particle
If I had to choose the smallest but most mighty word in Chinese, I’d pick 的 (de).
Basic function for beginners: creates possession.
Comprehensive Meaning: This is the most common character in Chinese overall. It functions like ['s] in English (e.g., 我的 = mine) or connects descriptions to nouns.
Character Structure
Components:
白 (bái): White.
勺 (sháo): Ladle/Spoon.
Sentence structure:
Noun + 的 (de) + Noun
How to Use It
✔ 我的老师 (wǒ de lǎoshī) My teacher.
✔ 他的学生 (tā de xuésheng) His student.
🎥 YouTube Short: 的 (de) Explained:
6️⃣ 你好 (nǐ hǎo) — Hello
The word that gave me my first real conversation.
Comprehensive Meaning: Hello. Literally "you + good."
Structure
你 (nǐ) → 亻person + 尔 (ěr)
好 (hǎo) → 女 (nǚ) + 子 (zǐ)
Etymology of 好 (hǎo): This character shows a woman with a child—traditionally considered the definition of "good" or "harmony."
When to Use It
✔ First meetings
✔ Neutral greetings
✔ Polite contexts
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Thinking it means “How are you?”
It literally means “hello.”
❌ Using it with people you know well
It’s a greeting — but it’s a bit formal. It’s great for the first time meeting someone, but becomes a bit formal after that. Between close friends, people often say "早!" (Zǎo - Morning!) or "吃饭了吗?" (Chīfàn le ma? - Have you eaten?).
❌ Saying it when answering a phone call
When answering a phone, you use a different word for hello in Chinese: 喂 (wéi). It’s easier to hear on the phone and establishes that the other person can hear you.
Example Sentences
你好 (nǐ hǎo)！Hello!
老师 (lǎoshī)，你好 (nǐ hǎo). Hello, teacher.
你好 (nǐ hǎo)，你是学生吗 (nǐ shì xuésheng ma)？Hello, are you a student?
你好 (nǐ hǎo)，我是学生 (wǒ shì xuésheng). Hello, I’m a student.
大家好 (dàjiā hǎo). Hello everyone.
🎥 YouTube Short: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) Explained:
7️⃣ 学生 (xuésheng) — Student
学生 (xuésheng) = person who studies.
学 (xué) → study
生 (shēng) → person / life
Comprehensive Meaning: Someone who is "studying life" or "learning."
Components:
学 (xué): To study. Contains 子 (child) under a roof.
生 (shēng): Birth/Life. Depicts a plant (屮) growing out of the ground (土).
生 (shēng) also appears in words such as:
医生 (yīshēng) doctor
生日 (shēngrì) birthday
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Using 学 (xué) alone to mean student.
学 (xué) is the verb “to study.” 学生 (xuésheng) means student.
❌ Pronouncing the second syllable "shēng" with a full first tone.
Tip: In the word 学生 (xuésheng), the 生 (shēng) is usually said with a "neutral tone" (short and soft). It sounds more like xué-sheng than xué-shēng.
Example Sentences
我是学生 (wǒ shì xuésheng). I am a student.
他是学生 (tā shì xuésheng). He is a student.
你是学生吗 (nǐ shì xuésheng ma)？Are you a student?
学生很多 (xuésheng hěn duō). There are many students.
她不是学生 (tā bú shì xuésheng). She’s not a student.
🎥 YouTube Short: 学生 (xuésheng) Explained:
8️⃣ 老师 (lǎoshī) — Teacher
老 (lǎo) → respectful “old”, experienced
师 (shī) → teacher / master
Comprehensive Meaning: Literally "Old Master." In Chinese culture, "old" implies wisdom and respect.
Character Components
老 (lǎo)
Breaking down 老 (lǎo) is like looking at a tiny, ancient illustration. This character is a classic example of a pictophonetic or ideographic compound—where the visual components tell a story about the word's meaning.
The character 老 (lǎo) is actually its own radical (Radical #125), but it can be further deconstructed into three distinct parts that show its evolution.
1. 耂 (The "Old" Radical variant)
At the top, you see a modified version of the character itself. This radical component is often seen in characters related to authority or seniority, such as in 教 (jiāo) meaning “to teach”.
2. 匕 (bǐ) — Spoon / Ladle (or a Cane)
At the bottom right, we have the "spoon" radical.
Original Meaning: In this specific character, it represents a walking stick or cane.
The Story: In the ancient seal script, this stroke was more curved, showing a person leaning forward.
Why these components? (The Etymology)
If you put them all together, the character 老 (lǎo) is a literal "snapshot" of aging from a few thousand years ago:
A person with seniority 耂, leaning on a cane (匕)
师 (shī)
In its simplified form (师), the character is composed of two main parts. To understand it fully, we have to look at how it evolved from the traditional version (師).
1. 刂 (Variant of 𠂇 / 𠂤) — The Left Side
Evolution: In the original script, the left side was 𠂤 (duī), which represented a hill or a mound.
Meaning in Context: A "hill" or "mound" was used to symbolize a large gathering of people or a place where troops were stationed.
The Story: It implies a multitude or a large group. This is why 师 (shī) still means "division" or "regiment" in military terms today.
2. 巾 (jīn) — Turban / Cloth / Banner
Meaning: This is the "Cloth" radical. It originally depicted a piece of fabric hanging down.
The Story: In ancient times, a 巾 (jīn) represented a banner or a flag.
Connection: A commander would use a banner to lead his troops. Therefore, the person standing by the banner (the leader of the multitude) became the "Master."
Why these components? (The Etymology)
When you combine the multitude/hill (𠂤) and the banner (巾), you get the image of a commander leading a large group of people.
A leader (banner) standing before a vast group (the hill of people).
How did it become "Teacher"?
Over time, the meaning expanded from a military leader to anyone who has mastery over a subject and leads others.
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Putting 老师 (lǎoshī) BEFORE the teacher’s name and not after.
In English we can say, Teacher Laura, but in Chinese we would say Laura Teacher.
❌ Confusing 老 (lǎo) with “just old.”
In compounds, it often conveys respect or familiarity.
❌Using 老师 (lǎoshī) only for school teachers.
In fact 老师 (lǎoshī) can be used for anyone who possesses a skill that you admire.
Example Sentences
他是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī). He is a teacher.
她是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī). She is a teacher.
老师好 (lǎoshī hǎo). Hello, teacher!
你是老师吗 (nǐ shì lǎoshī ma)？Are you a teacher?
我不是老师 (wǒ bú shì lǎoshī). I’m not a teacher.
🎥 YouTube Short: 老师 (lǎoshī) Explained:
9️⃣ 吗 (ma) — Yes/No Question Particle
Add 吗 (ma) to the end of a statement → yes/no question.
Comprehensive Meaning: Placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a "yes/no" question.
Components:
口 (kǒu): Mouth (indicates this is a grammatical/spoken sound).
马 (mǎ): Horse (used here strictly for its sound: "ma").
This character is composed of two very simple, high-frequency components that you will see everywhere in your Chinese journey.
1. 口 (kǒu) — Mouth
Meaning: This is the radical for "mouth." It often indicates parts of speech or things with entrances.
Role in "吗": In Chinese, many grammatical particles (words that don't have a concrete meaning but change the "mood" or "grammar" of a sentence) use the 口 (kǒu) radical.
The Story: It signals that this character is used in speech or to represent a sound. Since 吗 (ma) is a question marker you "say" at the end of a sentence, it gets the mouth radical.
2. 马 (mǎ) — Horse
Meaning: This is the character for "horse."
Role in "吗": This part has nothing to do with horses! It is used strictly for its sound.
The Story: The word for horse is 马 (mǎ). When you add the mouth radical, the pronunciation shifts slightly to a neutral tone: ma.
Why these components? (The Etymology)
Before the modern character 吗 (ma) was standardized, Chinese speakers used other characters to mark questions. However, as the language evolved to be more conversational, a dedicated "sound-only" character was needed.
吗 (ma) = A spoken (口) sound that mimics the syllable (马) to turn a statement into a question.
The "Ma" Family
Because 马 (mǎ) is such a clear phonetic marker, you will see it in many different characters that all sound like "ma":
妈 (mā): 女 (woman) + 马 (sound) = Mother.
骂 (mà): 口口 (two mouths) + 马 (sound) = To scold/curse.
码 (mǎ): 石 (stone) + 马 (sound) = Code/Number.
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Using 吗 (ma) in a sentence that already has a another question word (like "who," "what," or "where").
Incorrect: 你是谁吗? (Nǐ shì shéi ma?) — "Who are you [question]?"
Correct: 你是谁? (Nǐ shì shéi?) — "Who are you?"
❌ Skipping using 吗 (ma) and instead using your voice inflections to create a question.
In English we can use our voice in a rising tone to create a question. For example: This is my book. vs. This is my book? But in Chinese you must add 吗 (ma) to the end of the statement to create the question. For example: 这是我的书。（Zhè shì wǒ de shū）vs. 这是我的书吗？（Zhè shì wǒ de shū ma?）
Example Sentences
你是学生吗 (nǐ shì xuésheng ma)？Are you a student?
他是老师吗 (tā shì lǎoshī ma)？Are you a teacher?
她是学生吗 (tā shì xuésheng ma)？Is she a student?
这是书吗 (zhè shì shū ma)？Is this a book?
你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma)？How are you?
🎥 YouTube Short: 吗 (ma) Explained
🔟 不 (bù) — Not
Without 不 (bù), I couldn’t disagree with anything. And while being agreeable can be pleasant, sometimes you have to just say 'no’.
Comprehensive Meaning: not / negation
Tone Rule
Normally fourth tone: bù, but before another fourth tone syllable, commonly pronounced in the second tone: bú.
Example: 不是 (bú shì)
Beginner Mistakes
❌ Using 不 (bù) to negate the verb "to have" (有 - yǒu).
Incorrect: 我不有 (Wǒ bù yǒu). I don’t have
Correct: 我没有 (Wǒ méi yǒu) — "I don't have." 不 (bù) can be used for almost everything else, but for verbs like 有 always take 没.
❌ Using 不 (bù) for past negation (advanced note).
At the beginner level, use 不 (bù) for general negation but just note that it is generally only used in present/future tense and not in past tense.
❌ Forgetting the tone change before other fourth tone words.
Example: 不是 (bú shì) NOT 不是 (bù shì)
Example Sentences
我不是学生 (wǒ bú shì xuésheng). I’m not a student.
他不是老师 (tā bú shì lǎoshī). I’m not a teacher.
她不认识我 (tā bù rènshi wǒ). She doesn’t know me.
你不是老师吗 (nǐ bú shì lǎoshī ma)？You aren’t a teacher?
这不是书 (zhè bú shì shū). This isn’t a book.
🎥 YouTube Short: 不 (bù) Explained
A Final Word
And here’s the truth:
Once I could combine these 10 words, I could have real mini-conversations.
I wasn’t fluent just yet.
But I was communicating.
And honestly? That’s when learning became addictive.
If you want structured guidance beyond these foundations, the MandarinHQ Vault is still my ultimate favorite complete Chinese learning course for learning how people actually talk in China — not just scripted textbook dialogue. It builds from exactly this kind of high-frequency core.
Start with these 10.
Master them.
Make mistakes.
Fix them.
And suddenly… Chinese doesn’t feel impossible anymore. 🚀
