HSK Exam Guide HSK grammar by level: what the syllabus grammar tables cover
The HSK syllabus sets out grammar in chapters, one for each level, with levels 7 to 9 in one joint chapter. The level 1 grammar table is printed on pages 383 to 385. This article uses that table as the worked example.
Where the grammar chapters start
The table of contents gives these start pages for the grammar part of the syllabus. The grammar part itself starts on page 382.
| Level | Chapter start page |
|---|---|
| Level 1 (一级) | 383 |
| Level 2 (二级) | 386 |
| Level 3 (三级) | 389 |
| Level 4 (四级) | 392 |
| Level 5 (五级) | 395 |
| Level 6 (六级) | 398 |
| Levels 7 to 9 (七—九级) | 400 |
This article gives only these start pages for levels 2 to 9. It does not describe what those chapters contain.
The level 1 table: columns and category names
The level 1 table has four columns. The Chinese column names are 类别, 类别名称, 细目 and 语法内容. In English, these are roughly category, category name, item group and grammar content. These English names are our own translation and are not official.
The table uses these category names. The English translations are ours and are not official.
- 语素 (morphemes)
- 词类 (word classes)
- 短语 (phrases)
- 句子成分 (sentence elements)
- 句子的类型 (sentence types)
- 动作的态 (aspect of actions)
- 特殊表达法 (special expressions)
- 数的表达法 (number expressions)
This article does not match items to sub-categories. The names above are listed only as they appear in the table.
Items from the level 1 table
The table lists these items. Each is shown in Chinese as it appears in the official text, with our unofficial English gloss.
- Under 能愿动词 (modal verbs): 会、能、想、要、可以
- Under 方位名词 (location nouns): 上、下、里、外、前、后
- Under 前缀 (prefixes): 小—、第—
- Under 疑问代词 (question pronouns): 多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么、怎么样
- Under 离合词 (separable verbs): 看病、睡觉、说话、上课、下课、上班、下班、生病
The table lists 能愿动词 with 会、能、想、要 and 可以. This article does not say how those words are used.
Sources
- HSK 考试大纲 / Syllabus for the Chinese Proficiency Test, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (中外语言交流合作中心). The cover gives November 2025 as the issue date and July 2026 as the date it takes effect.
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by Chinese Testing International, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation or the Ministry of Education, and the official page prevails if they differ.