Follow three HSK 3 conversations where friends give opinions and reasons, check every line in pinyin, then explain your own view out loud.
This page is for learners at the start of intermediate Chinese who understand most words in a sentence but drift when a conversation keeps going. In these HSK 3 conversations, people react, disagree and explain why, so you have to keep track of who thinks what.
Below are three conversations between friends: a record cold snap in the news, a three-hour musical film, and a holiday football game on a Wednesday. Each line has audio, pinyin and English. After them is a routine that ends with you giving your own opinion out loud.
What you'll understand and be able to say back
- 新闻说什么？哪里最冷？: What does the news say? Where's the coldest?
- 有多冷？你看天气了吗？: How cold is it? Did you check the weather?
- 零下四十五度？天哪！: Forty-five below? Wow.
- 怎么样？好看吗？: How was it? Was it good?
- 我知道她。她很有名。: I know her. She is very famous.
- 三个小时。我看完了很累。: Three hours. I was exhausted by the end.
- 星期三怎么了？: What's wrong with Wednesday?
- 因为钱。大家都在家看电视。: Because of money. Everyone's home watching TV.
Three HSK 3 dialogues to listen to
A 15-minute HSK 3 listening routine
- Listen without reading
- Check what you missed
- Shadow two lines
- Give your opinion
Now tell Mei Lin what you think
At this stage the hard part is answering with a reason, and that needs someone who asks a follow-up. Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor, does that in a live spoken lesson at your level, on your phone or in your browser. She responds to the answer you actually give. When a sentence goes wrong, she says it back correctly and names the one thing she changed. Start a lesson with Mei Lin.
More practice
Frequently asked questions
Why is HSK 3 listening harder than HSK 2?
Conversations get longer and people explain themselves. In the dialogues above you'll hear 因为, 可是 and 以前 linking ideas across several lines, and speakers react to each other instead of trading short facts. Many learners know the words but lose track of the argument, so practice following who said what across a whole exchange.
How do I practice Chinese listening at an intermediate level?
Listen to the same dialogue several times with a different goal each time: first the gist, then the details, then shadowing a few lines. Keep the pinyin hidden on the first listen so you rely on your ear. Keep sessions short and regular: one dialogue, ten to fifteen minutes, most days.
Should I still use pinyin at HSK 3?
Use it to check, not to follow. Listen first with the pinyin and English hidden, then show them for the lines you missed. Reading along on every listen trains your eyes more than your ears. If a line still won't come through, replay it on its own a few times before looking.
How do I turn listening into speaking?
Answer out loud as you go. Pause after a question and give your own answer, then shadow the lines you want to keep. To practice with someone who answers back, try a lesson with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor. She asks follow-up questions at your level and corrects your sentences as you speak.
What does it cost to use these dialogues?
Listening costs nothing. Any dialogue in the SayMei library plays without an account, and there are more than 3,500 from HSK 1 to 6, with new ones daily. Speaking a role needs a free account, which includes one session a day. Premium makes it unlimited.