HSK 3 Flashcards with Memory Pictures and Audio

Why picture flashcards work

• Picture first: a strange image gives your brain a hook that a translation does not.
• Hear it: every card has Mandarin audio (computer-generated) for the word and an example sentence.
• Review at the right time: cards you miss come back sooner; cards you know wait longer.

HSK 3 flashcards: sample deck

熊猫xióngmāo · panda
熊 bear + 猫 cat → the “bear-cat”

香蕉xiāngjiāo · banana
香 fragrant + 蕉 (a plant) → the sweet-smelling fruit

蛋糕dàngāo · cake
蛋 egg + 糕 cake → a cake made with eggs

面包miànbāo · bread
面 flour + 包 wrap → flour wrapped into a loaf

葡萄pútao · grape
Both characters have 艹 grass on top → a climbing plant fruit

果汁guǒzhī · juice
果 fruit + 汁 juice (氵 water) → fruit water

筷子kuàizi · chopsticks
竹 bamboo on top + 快 quick → quick bamboo sticks

碗wǎn · bowl
石 stone + 宛 → a stone bowl

伞sǎn · umbrella
The character looks like an open umbrella with a handle

帽子màozi · hat
巾 cloth + 冒 → cloth over the head

鞋xié · shoe
革 leather + 圭 → leather footwear

裙子qúnzi · skirt; dress
衤 clothing + 君 → a graceful garment

The full deck has all 293 HSK 3 words, plus HSK 1 (150) and HSK 2 (151).

HSK 2 flashcards: sample deck

咖啡kāfēi · coffee
The sound of “coffee” itself — 咖 and 啡 are sound-only characters, both with 口 mouth

牛奶niúnǎi · milk
牛 cow + 奶 milk → cow's milk

鸡蛋jīdàn · egg
鸡 chicken + 蛋 egg → a chicken's egg

西瓜xīguā · watermelon
西 west + 瓜 melon → the “western melon”

鱼yú · fish
Picture a fish: head on top, body in the middle, tail (the four dots) at the bottom

手机shǒujī · mobile phone
手 hand + 机 machine → a hand machine

手表shǒubiǎo · wristwatch
手 hand + 表 dial → a hand dial

门mén · door; gate
Looks like two swinging door leaves

A 30-day HSK 3 plan

10 new cards a day plus reviews covers all 293 words in about 30 days. Add one HSK 3 reading text and one grammar lesson a week. See the full HSK 3 word list.

Practice these words with pictures and audio

TianTian is a free-to-start web app for HSK 1, 2 and 3: a memory picture and Mandarin audio (computer-generated) for every word, reading texts, grammar lessons, sentence drills and a daily goal. Nothing to install.