HSK 1 Reading Practice with Pinyin

Read real Chinese short stories at HSK 1 level. Every story includes pinyin, highlighted vocabulary, comprehension questions, and study tips — so you actually learn while you read.

How It Works

1

Read the story

Each story shows Chinese text with pinyin underneath, so you can follow along without guessing pronunciation.

2

Review vocabulary

Target words are highlighted as chips. Hover or tap to see pinyin and English meaning.

3

Answer questions

Three comprehension questions per story help you check understanding and reinforce learning.

01

我的家

My Family

Family
Target Vocabulary (8 words)
Chinese Text

Pinyin

Wǒ de jiā yǒu sān gè rén. Bàba, māma hé wǒ. Bàba shì lǎoshī, māma shì lǎoshī. Tāmen hěn ài wǒ hé xiǎo gǒu. Wǒ yǒu yī gè piàoliang de xiǎo gǒu. Xiǎo gǒu hěn xǐhuan wǒ. Wǒmen shàngwǔ chī fàn, xiàwǔ kàn diànshì. Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā.

English Summary

This family has three people: father, mother, and me. Father is a teacher. Mother is a teacher too. They love me and the small dog very much. I have a pretty small dog. The dog likes me very much. We eat at noon and watch TV in the afternoon. I love my family.

Comprehension Questions

Q:家有几个人?/ How many people are in the family?

A:三个人。/ Three people.

Q:爸爸和妈妈是什么工作?/ What do the father and mother do?

A:他们是老师。/ They are teachers.

Q:小狗怎么样?/ How is the small dog?

A:很漂亮。/ Very pretty.

Study Tip

Notice how 很 (hěn) is used before adjectives like 漂亮. In HSK 1, 很 often functions as a softener rather than meaning "very" in a strong sense. Also, 爱 is a verb meaning "to love," while 漂亮 is an adjective meaning "beautiful."

02

我的老师

My Teacher

School
Target Vocabulary (8 words)
Chinese Text

Pinyin

Wǒ shì xuésheng, wǒ de lǎoshī hěn hǎo. Lǎoshī jiào wǒmen xuéxí Hànyǔ. Wǒmen jīntiān dú shū, xuéxí Hànzì. Wǒ de tóngxué dōu xǐhuan xuéxí. Xiàwǔ sān diǎn, wǒmen huí jiā. Míngtiān jiàn, lǎoshī!

English Summary

I am a student. My teacher is very nice. The teacher asks us to study Chinese. Today we read books and learn Chinese characters. My classmates all like studying. At 3 PM, we go home. See you tomorrow, teacher!

Comprehension Questions

Q:我是学生还是老师?/ Am I a student or a teacher?

A:学生。/ A student.

Q:我们今天学习什么?/ What do we study today?

A:汉语和汉字。/ Chinese language and Chinese characters.

Q:我的同学喜欢学习吗?/ Do my classmates like studying?

A:喜欢。/ Yes, they do.

Study Tip

Pay attention to the measure word 本 (běn) for books. "五本书" means "five books." Measure words are essential in Chinese counting. Also notice 汉字 (Hànzì) means "Chinese characters" — a key word for all HSK learners.

03

在饭店

At the Restaurant

Restaurant
Target Vocabulary (8 words)
Chinese Text

Pinyin

Jīntiān zhōngwǔ, wǒ hé péngyou qù fàndiàn chī fàn. Fàndiàn bù dà, cài hěn hǎo. Wǒmen chī le mǐfàn, hē le chá. Wǒmen kànjiàn sì gè bēizi. Yī bēi shì shuǐ, sān bēi shì chá. Péngyou shuō: Zhège cài hěn hǎo! Wǒ hěn gāoxìng.

English Summary

At noon today, my friend and I go to a restaurant to eat. The restaurant is not big, but the dishes are good. We eat rice and drink tea. We see four cups. One cup is water, three cups are tea. My friend says: "This dish is good!" I am happy.

Comprehension Questions

Q:我们什么时候去饭店?/ When do we go to the restaurant?

A:今天中午。/ Today at noon.

Q:我们吃了什么?/ What did we eat?

A:米饭。/ Rice.

Q:有几个杯子?/ How many cups are there?

A:四个。/ Four.

Study Tip

The word 了 (le) appears after verbs to show completed action: "吃了米饭" = "ate rice." This is one of the most common grammar points in HSK 1. Also notice 杯 (bēi) is the measure word for cups: "一杯水" = "one cup of water."

04

去北京

A Trip to Beijing

Travel
Target Vocabulary (8 words)
Chinese Text

西西

Pinyin

Míngtiān wǒ qù Běijīng. Wǒ zuò fēijī qù. Qù le Běijīng, wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù fàndiàn. Běijīng de tiānqì hěn lěng, wǒ hěn gāoxìng. Wǒ kànjiàn le hěn duō piàoliang de dōngxi. Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yīxiē dōngxi. Běijīng hěn dà, wǒ hěn xǐhuan!

English Summary

Tomorrow I go to Beijing. I go by plane. After arriving in Beijing, I take a taxi to a hotel. The weather in Beijing is cold, but I am happy. I see many beautiful things. I want to buy some things. Beijing is big. I like it very much!

Comprehension Questions

Q:我怎么去北京?/ How do I go to Beijing?

A:坐飞机。/ By plane.

Q:北京的天气怎么样?/ How is the weather in Beijing?

A:很冷。/ Very cold.

Q:我想做什么?/ What do I want to do?

A:买东西。/ Buy things.

Study Tip

Pay attention to the word order: "北京的天气" = "Beijing's weather." In Chinese, the possessive 的 (de) connects the place and the noun. This pattern is very common in HSK 1.

05

我的朋友

My Friend

Friendship
Target Vocabulary (8 words)
Chinese Text

Pinyin

Wǒ yǒu yī gè hǎo péngyou, tā shì wǒ de tóngxué. Tā xǐhuan māo, xǐhuan gǒu. Tā jiā yǒu xiǎo māo, xiǎo māo hěn piàoliang. Tā xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng, jīntiān kàn le diànyǐng. Tā xǐhuan hē chá. Xiàwǔ, tā hé wǒ kàn diànshì. Tā de diànnǎo hěn piàoliang. Tā hěn gāoxìng, wǒ hěn gāoxìng.

English Summary

I have a good friend. She is my classmate. She likes cats and dogs. Her family has a small cat. The small cat is pretty. She likes watching movies. She watched a movie today. She likes drinking tea. In the afternoon, she and I watch TV. Her computer is pretty. She is happy. I am happy too.

Comprehension Questions

Q:我的朋友是谁?/ Who is my friend?

A:我的同学。/ My classmate.

Q:她喜欢什么动物?/ What animals does she like?

A:猫和狗。/ Cats and dogs.

Q:下午我们做什么?/ What do we do in the afternoon?

A:看电视。/ Watch TV.

Study Tip

Notice how 了 (le) shows completed action: "今天看了电影" = "watched a movie today." The word 电影 (diànyǐng) is repeated after 看了 so learners can clearly see the object. This is a helpful pattern for HSK 1 beginners.

Why Read with Pinyin?

Builds confidence

Pinyin removes the guesswork from pronunciation. You can focus on meaning instead of struggling with tones.

Reinforces vocabulary

Seeing words in real context helps them stick better than isolated flashcard review alone.

Prepares for HSK 1

HSK 1 reading comprehension tests short passages. These stories match that format and difficulty level.

Ready to test your HSK 1 level?

Take the free HSK Level Test and find out which level matches your current skills.

Take the Free HSK Level Test

Common Questions

Is HSK 1 reading practice free?

Yes. All 5 reading stories are free to use. No account or payment is required.

Do the stories use only HSK 1 vocabulary?

The stories are written with HSK 1 vocabulary only. Every character in the Chinese text appears in the official HSK 1 word list. Pinyin and English support are provided for all highlighted words.

Can I read without pinyin?

Pinyin is displayed by default to support beginners. In future updates, we may add a toggle to hide pinyin for extra challenge.

How many stories are available?

P0 Full launches with 5 original stories. More stories will be added in future updates.

Can I use these stories in my classroom?

Yes, teachers are welcome to use these stories for classroom instruction. A Teacher Pack with printable versions and additional materials will be available in a future release.

HSKKit is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the official HSK test organizers.