HSK 1 Workbook: Exercises for All 12 Lessons, with Answers

By the end you can

• Hear and mark the four tones. Add tone marks to syllables like ni and shi, and tell similar syllables apart, such as sì and shì, before Lesson 1.
  你好！ · Nǐ hǎo! · Hello!
• Greet people and ask simple questions with 吗 and 呢. Use A 是 B and 不是, turn a statement into a question with 吗, and send a question back with 你呢.
  她是学生吗？对，她是学生。你呢？ · Tā shì xuéshēng ma? Duì, tā shì xuéshēng. Nǐ ne? · Is she a student? Yes, she is. And you?
• Give your age and swap phone numbers. Say ages with 岁, ask for numbers with 多少, and read a phone number digit by digit, with yāo for 1.
  认识你很高兴！我二十六岁。你手机号是多少？ · Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng! Wǒ èrshíliù suì. Nǐ shǒujī hào shì duōshao? · Nice to meet you! I'm 26. What's your phone number?
• Talk about family, pets and whose things are whose. Count people and animals with measure words, say what you have with 有 and 没有, and show who owns something with 的.
  我家有四口人：爸爸、妈妈、弟弟和我。 · Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén: bàba, māma, dìdi hé wǒ. · There are four people in my family: Dad, Mum, my younger brother and me.
• Say where you work or study and what you can do. Put 在 + place, 会, 也 and 都 before the verb, and ask someone what work they do.
  我在大学学习，我会说一点儿中文。 · Wǒ zài dàxué xuéxí, wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén. · I study at university, and I can speak a little Chinese.
• Order food and make plans for a time. Say what you like with 喜欢吃, order with 想 and 要, suggest with 吧, and put the time before the verb and the length of time after it.
  我们星期六去喝茶吧！上午十点，好吗？ · Wǒmen xīngqīliù qù hē chá ba! Shàngwǔ shí diǎn, hǎo ma? · Let's go for tea on Saturday! Ten in the morning, OK?
• Ask prices and say where things are. Ask how much with 多少钱, point with 这, 那 and 哪, and place things on, under, in or outside something with 在.
  我的手机在桌子上，杯子在椅子上。 · Wǒ de shǒujī zài zhuōzi shang, bēizi zài yǐzi shang. · My phone is on the table, and the cup is on the chair.
• Say how you travel and what you did today. Say how and why you go somewhere, what you're doing right now with 正在, and what you've done with 了.
  你怎么去？我坐火车去北京看朋友。 · Nǐ zěnme qù? Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù Běijīng kàn péngyou. · How are you going? I'm taking the train to Beijing to see friends.
• Give opinions, talk about the weather and feeling unwell. Give an opinion with 觉得, describe the weather, ask permission with 可以, and tell people what to do or not to do.
  老师，我可以喝水吗？我可以早一点儿回家吗？ · Lǎoshī, wǒ kěyǐ hē shuǐ ma? Wǒ kěyǐ zǎo yìdiǎnr huí jiā ma? · Teacher, may I drink some water? May I go home a bit early?

What’s inside

• Sounds: Tones and Pinyin
• Lesson 1: Words: Hello! What's Your Name? · Grammar: A 是 B, 吗 and 呢 · Read: At the Classroom Door · Write: Write: Names and Greetings
• Lesson 2: Words: Nice to Meet You · Grammar: Numbers, Age and 多少 · Read: Swapping Numbers After Class · Write: Write: Ages and Phone Numbers
• Lesson 3: Words: Who Is This? · Grammar: 有, 没有, 的 and 喜欢 · Read: Lin Hao's Dog · Write: Write: Family and Pets
• Lesson 4: Words: What Work Do You Do? · Grammar: 在 + Place, 会, 也 and 都 · Read: Xiaoyu at University · Write: Write: Work and Study
• Review A: Test Yourself: All About Me
• Lesson 5: Words: What Would You Like to Eat? · Grammar: 喜欢吃, 想 and 要 · Read: Dinner at Lin Hao's · Write: Write: Food and Drink
• Lesson 6: Words: Are You Free Tomorrow? · Grammar: Time Words, 几点 and 小时 · Read: Tea Tomorrow at Three · Write: Write: Days and Times
• Lesson 7: Words: Words for Shopping and Money · Grammar: Prices, and This One or That One · Read: Xiaoyu Buys a New Phone · Write: Write About Shopping
• Lesson 8: Words: Words for Places and Rooms · Grammar: On the Table, and Where You Live · Read: Where Is Lin Hao's Phone? · Write: Write About Where Things Are
• Review B: Test Yourself: Test Yourself on Lessons 5–8
• Lesson 9: Words: Words for Getting Around · Grammar: How You Go and Why You Go · Read: Xiaoyu Calls Lin Hao · Write: Write About Getting There
• Lesson 10: Words: Words for My Day and School · Grammar: Right Now, and Done with 了 · Read: Lin Hao's Busy Day · Write: Write About Your Day
• Lesson 11: Words: Films, Songs and Weather Words · Grammar: Opinions and the Weather · Read: Songs on a Snowy Night · Write: Write About Films and Weather
• Lesson 12: Words: Words for Feeling Unwell · Grammar: May I? Please Do, Please Don't · Read: Xiaoyu Calls Her Teacher · Write: Write About Being Sick
• Review C: Test Yourself: Test Yourself on Lessons 9–12

How to use this book

Each lesson has four pages, Words, Grammar, Read and Write, and takes about 30 minutes. Do each one after the same lesson of the HSK 1 Course Book, or use the workbook on its own.

1. Before Lesson 1: Warm up your tones. Page 3 drills tone marks and similar syllables, then has you say mā, má, mǎ, mà aloud.
2. Each lesson, part 1: Words and Grammar. Match, choose and fill in the new words, then drill the lesson's pattern and fix the mistakes.
3. Each lesson, part 2: Read and Write. Read the short text about Lin Hao and Xiaoyu, answer the questions, build sentences and copy characters.
4. Every page: Say it out loud. Each practice page ends with a speaking task. Say it aloud, then once more from memory.
5. After Lessons 4, 8 and 12: Test yourself. Take the review on page 20, 37 or 54, then check every answer in the key, which starts on page 55.
6. After Lesson 12: Try a full paper. Take one of SayMei's HSK 1 mock tests, practice tests in the new HSK format.

Who it’s for

Beginners working through the free HSK 1 Course Book who want written practice for each lesson, self-learners preparing for HSK 1 on the new HSK 3.0 exam, and teachers who need homework with an answer key.

Before you start: Nothing beyond the lesson you're on. Exercises print pinyin and English with the characters, and every instruction shows a worked example first.

Frequently asked questions

What's in each lesson?

Four pages, Words, Grammar, Read and Write: match and fill in the new words, drill the lesson's pattern and fix the mistakes, read a short text about Lin Hao and Xiaoyu, then build sentences and copy characters. Each practice page ends with a speaking task, and a tone warm-up on page 3 comes before Lesson 1.

Do I need the HSK 1 Course Book?

It helps, since the workbook follows its 12 lessons in order with the same people, Lin Hao and Xiaoyu. You can also use it on its own: every exercise names its words or pattern and starts with a worked example.

How long does each lesson take?

About 30 minutes for the four pages of one lesson. A one-page review test follows Lessons 4, 8 and 12.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The answer key at the back, from page 55, covers every exercise on every page, including the three review tests.

What comes after Lesson 12?

Take one of SayMei's HSK 1 mock tests, practice tests in the new HSK format. For the next level, the HSK 2 Course Book and the HSK 2 Workbook work the same way.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

HSK 1 Course Book: 12 Lessons for the New HSK 1 · HSK 1 Reading Practice: Signs, Messages & Micro-Stories · HSK 1 Vocabulary Recall & Speaking Workbook · HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences · Browse all 294 workbooks