What is the HSK?

HSK stands for standard Chinese Proficiency Test for non-native speakers. It is
divided into 6 levels starting from Elementary to Advanced. Each level contains a
number of vocabulary and grammar that you need to learn.
This is based on the old HSK as most resources and APPS are built on it, and don’t
worry about the NHSK as the language remains the same, and the new tests
haven’t been initiated yet.
For this level, one goal: discover the language system and prepare the basic
learning tools.
- Pinyin and Hanzi are two important components of the Mandarin language
system.
- Hanzi are the Chinese characters used in written Mandarin. They are
pictographic and ideographic symbols that represent words or concepts.
They are essential for reading and writing in Mandarin. We use simplified
Hanzi in mainland China, and traditional Hanzi in Hong Kong, Taiwan, or
other Chinese-speaking regions.
- Pinyin is a system for representing Mandarin pronunciation using the Latin
alphabet. It uses letters and diacritical marks to indicate the four tones, as
well as the specific sounds of Mandarin phonemes. Pinyin is often used as a
teaching tool for non-native speakers, as it provides a more accessible way
to learn pronunciation and tone before tackling the complex characters of
Hanzi.
- The most important thing when you study Chinese is setting the foundations
for pronunciation and tones right. You want to build up the language with
healthy habits and a strong foundation.
 The first week of the plan: you will focus on tones and pinyin.
It only takes about one week to get familiar with the sounds of the language.
There are now plenty of resources to practice tones and pronunciation.
Try listening to these videos during the week and pause and actively practice along
with it. Repeat each sound out loud until you feel comfortable with the
pronunciation. Also, some apps offer Pinyin and Tones training

Or you can start with the basics using a well-structured app such as SuperChinese,
where you can also train your pronunciation with the help of AI.
- I don’t recommend studying for too long in the beginning. Just 15 minutes to
discover the language with the app and build the learning habit. During this
period PLEASE FOCUS ON PINYIN. If you have a Chinese friend or
tandem partner, you can ask them to help you correct your pronunciation.
  Now we will get into week 2:
*** Common thinking ***
People often say “Oh, writing in Chinese is so difficult and complicated. Maybe I
should just learn Pinyin.”
>< But guys, to be honest, Hanzi is the heart of the Chinese language. Nowadays
people can indeed type them in Pinyin, which is more foreigner-friendly but
remember, writing is still the best way to understand and memorize Hanzi.
 So it should not be ignored from scratch in the learning journey.
*** Common mítake***
One common mistake that people often make when learning Hanzi is jumping
immediately into the HSK vocabulary list, but starting to learn Hanzi without
understanding the radicals will only make everything harder in the future.
???WHAT ARE RADICALS
In the Chinese writing system, a radical is a graphical component of a character
that gives its meaning and helps in the classification and indexing of the character.
Radicals are also known as “keys” or “clues” and often indicate the semantic
category of the character. There are a total of 214 radicals in the Chinese writing
system which are used to classify and organize the characters in dictionaries and
other reference materials.
Radicals sets of Hanzi related words
I SUGGEST STUDYING ONLY THE MOST COMMON RADICALS WHICH
NUMBER AROUND 55 MORE OR LESS. At this level, focus on understanding
what each radical represents. This part will take around 2 weeks to complete, and
you will be studying a couple of radicals through writing. Try to find a
corresponding Hanzi with each radical, but you don’t need to memorize them yet.
Just focus on the function of the radical. It’s essential to train how you picture a
character from the beginning.
To practice writing, whether it’s Hanzi or radicals, you can use Tofulearning,
which offers many writing practice sets for each level and also for the radicals. It’s
available on both mobile app and desktop versions. Otherwise, you can buy
notebooks designed for Chinese children to learn Hanzi. These are very helpful for
practicing stroke order and writing. You can even consider buying a Chinese
radical poster.
TIP: Always add the Pinyin when you write down a radical or a word. It’s a good
habit to get used to reading Pinyin while writing any characters. The Pleco
dictionary can help you break down every character into the basic components, it’s
gonna be a great tool during your Mandarin learning journey.

HSK 1: Now we have the basic concept of the language and we have prepared the
basic tools. In HSK1 level you can expect to understand and use simple words and
phrases.
- It is a beginner level, it only has 150 words.
I estimated 15 days to complete this level, every day you will be requested to
study 10 characters only. If you prefer to study with a structured book, the HSK
books will be the best option.

You can check out these 2 HSK1 courses on YouTube! They cover all the lessons
from the standard HSK book