83-910: The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi ( HSK ; Chinese : 汉语水平考试 ; pinyin : Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì ), translated as the Chinese Proficiency Test , is the People's Republic of China 's standardized test of proficiency in the Standard Chinese language for non-native speakers. The test is administered by the National Chinese Proficiency Test Committee, an agency of the Ministry of Education of China . The test cannot be taken in Taiwan , where only Taiwan's TOCFL exam can be taken. In turn,
166-511: A job description might ask for foreign applicants with "HSK5 or better." The HSK is administered solely in Mandarin and in simplified Chinese characters ; however, if the exam is paper-based, the test-taker can choose to write the writing assignments in simplified or in traditional characters, at their discretion. The test can be either paper-based or Internet-based, depending on what the specific test center offers. With an Internet-based test,
249-504: A pro-drop language : its syntax often allows either subjects or objects to be dropped when their reference is understood. Additionally, words are generally not restricted to use as certain parts of speech : many characters may function as either a noun, verb, or adjective. There is no general copula in Classical Chinese akin to how 是 ( shì ) is used in modern Standard Chinese. Characters that can sometimes function as
332-418: A system of honorifics . Many final and interrogative particles are found in Classical Chinese. Beyond differences in grammar and vocabulary, Classical Chinese can be distinguished by its literary qualities: an effort to maintain parallelism and rhythm is typical, even in prose works. Works also make extensive use of literary techniques such as allusion, which contributes to the language's brevity. Prior to
415-645: A clear manner and intended for educated mother tongue speakers: materials concerning everyday topics, simple articles, simple commentaries and critiques found in newspapers and magazines. The advanced levels should test the ability to understand longer, more complicated and abstract materials: extracts from authentic sources such as textbooks for Chinese university students, Chinese magazine and essays, extracts from modern Chinese literature, interviews and extracts from Chinese media. Moreover, Classical Chinese expressions and grammatical structures used in modern formal Chinese should be included too. HSK 3.0 now also includes
498-443: A component—either a character or a sub-component called a radical —usually involves either a reduction in its total number of strokes , or an apparent streamlining of which strokes are chosen in what places—for example, the ⼓ ' WRAP ' radical used in the traditional character 沒 is simplified to ⼏ ' TABLE ' to form the simplified character 没 . By systematically simplifying radicals, large swaths of
581-564: A conservative impulse: many later changes in the varieties of Chinese are not reflected in the literary form. Due to millennia of this evolution, Literary Chinese is only partially intelligible when read or spoken aloud for someone only familiar with modern vernacular forms. Literary Chinese has largely been replaced by written vernacular Chinese among Chinese speakers; speakers of non-Chinese languages have similarly abandoned Literary Chinese in favour of their own local vernaculars. Although varieties of Chinese have diverged in various directions from
664-434: A conversion table. While exercising such derivation, the following rules should be observed: Sample Derivations : The Series One List of Variant Characters reduces the number of total standard characters. First, amongst each set of variant characters sharing identical pronunciation and meaning, one character (usually the simplest in form) is elevated to the standard character set, and the rest are made obsolete. Then amongst
747-429: A copula in specific circumstances include 為 ( wéi ; 'make', 'do') when indicating temporary circumstances, and 曰 ( yuē ; 'say') when used in the sense of 'to be called'. Classical Chinese has more pronouns compared to the modern vernacular. In particular, whereas modern Standard Chinese has one character generally used as a first-person pronoun, Classical Chinese has several—many of which are used as part of
830-595: A decision made in February 2013, there has been no official passing score for either HSK 5 or 6. Hanban provides examples of the exam for the different levels together with a list of words that need to be known for each level. These examples are also available (together with the audio for the Listening Test) on the websites of the Confucius Institute at QUT and HSK Academy. The written version
913-407: A few revised forms, and was implemented for official use by China's State Council on 5 June 2013. In Chinese, simplified characters are referred to by their official name 简化字 ; jiǎnhuàzì , or colloquially as 简体字 ; jiǎntǐzì . The latter term refers broadly to all character variants featuring simplifications of character form or structure, a practice which has always been present as
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#1732765751864996-503: A focus on handwritten Chinese characters and translation, which was not included in HSK 2.0. Also there is a redistribution of words in each level. For instance, some words were previously grouped under Level 3, but is now under Level 1 in HSK 3.0. The previous format was introduced in 2010, with a philosophy of testing "comprehensive language and communication ability". Most notable are the inclusion of written segments at all levels (not just in
1079-514: A form now called Literary Chinese , which was used for almost all formal writing in China until the early 20th century. Each written character corresponds to a single spoken syllable, and almost always to a single independent word. As a result, the characteristic style of the language is comparatively terse. Starting in the 2nd century CE, use of Literary Chinese spread to the countries surrounding China, including Vietnam , Korea , Japan , and
1162-430: A maximum score of 100. HSK 1 and 2 therefore have a maximum score of 200 with 120 points required to pass. HSK 3 and 4 have a maximum of 300 points with 180 points required to pass. There is no minimum number of points required for each of the sections as long as the sum is over 120 or 180 points respectively. HSK 5 and 6 also have a maximum of 300 points and originally required a score of 180 points to pass. However, since
1245-404: A month, depending on the test center. Test registration is usually open until 30 days prior to the actual test date for the paper-based test or around 10 days prior the actual test date for the computer-based test. Results are generally available around 30 days after completion (but no definite date is given for results). The test cannot be taken in Taiwan (The Republic of China). In Taiwan, only
1328-610: A newly coined phono-semantic compound : Removing radicals Only retaining single radicals Replacing with ancient forms or variants : Adopting ancient vulgar variants : Readopting abandoned phonetic-loan characters : Copying and modifying another traditional character : Based on 132 characters and 14 components listed in Chart 2 of the Complete List , the 1,753 derived characters found in Chart 3 can be created by systematically simplifying components using Chart 2 as
1411-573: A part of the Chinese writing system. The official name tends to refer to the specific, systematic set published by the Chinese government, which includes not only simplifications of individual characters, but also a substantial reduction in the total number of characters through the merger of formerly distinct forms. According to Chinese palaeographer Qiu Xigui , the broadest trend in the evolution of Chinese characters over their history has been simplification, both in graphical shape ( 字形 ; zìxíng ),
1494-453: A single preparation book for the basic levels has been published, additionally the HSK 2.0 test format is still in use. An update on the official HSK website suggests, that the April 2021 date only signified the start date for the conception of the new HSK 3.0. New practice materials for the intermediate and advanced levels are expected to be released in the third or fourth quarter of 2022. One of
1577-440: Is actually more complex than eliminated ones. An example is the character 搾 which is eliminated in favor of the variant form 榨 . The 扌 'HAND' with three strokes on the left of the eliminated 搾 is now seen as more complex, appearing as the ⽊ 'TREE' radical 木 , with four strokes, in the chosen variant 榨 . Not all characters standardised in the simplified set consist of fewer strokes. For instance,
1660-454: Is derived. Merging homophonous characters: Adapting cursive shapes ( 草書楷化 ): Replacing a component with a simple arbitrary symbol (such as 又 and 乂 ): Omitting entire components : Omitting components, then applying further alterations : Structural changes that preserve the basic shape Replacing the phonetic component of phono-semantic compounds : Replacing an uncommon phonetic component : Replacing entirely with
1743-783: Is far more common in Chinese languages than in English: for example, each of the following words had a distinct Old Chinese pronunciation, but are now perfectly homophones with a pronunciation of yì [î] in Standard Chinese: The poem Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den was composed during the 1930s by the linguist Yuen Ren Chao to demonstrate this: it contains only words pronounced shi [ʂɻ̩] with various tones in modern Standard Chinese. The poem underlines how language had become impractical for modern speakers: when spoken aloud, Literary Chinese
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#17327657518641826-568: Is largely incomprehensible. However, the poem is perfectly comprehensible when read, and also uses homophones that were present even in Old Chinese. Romanizations have been devised to provide distinct spellings for Literary Chinese words, together with pronunciation rules for various modern varieties. The earliest was the Romanisation Interdialectique by French missionaries Henri Lamasse [ fr ] of
1909-597: Is not read with a reconstructed Old Chinese pronunciation; instead, it is read with the pronunciations as categorized and listed in a rime dictionary originally based upon the Middle Chinese pronunciation in Luoyang between the 2nd and 4th centuries. Over time, each dynasty updated and modified the official rime dictionary: by the time of the Yuan and Ming dynasties , its phonology reflected that of early Mandarin. As
1992-520: Is now available in two forms, a computer and a paper based test. Both tests are still held at test centers, the differences between the two are as follows: The HSKK test is a separate test. However, the three HSKK levels correspond with the six HSK levels of the written test. In 2010, Hanban asserted that the HSK's six levels corresponded to the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). However,
2075-813: Is now discouraged. A State Language Commission official cited "oversimplification" as the reason for restoring some characters. The language authority declared an open comment period until 31 August 2009, for feedback from the public. In 2013, the List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters was published as a revision of the 1988 lists; it included a total of 8105 characters. It included 45 newly recognized standard characters that were previously considered variant forms, as well as official approval of 226 characters that had been simplified by analogy and had seen wide use but were not explicitly given in previous lists or documents. Singapore underwent three successive rounds of character simplification , eventually arriving at
2158-623: Is referred to as the " big seal script ". The traditional narrative, as also attested in the Shuowen Jiezi dictionary ( c. 100 AD ), is that the Qin small seal script that would later be imposed across China was originally derived from the Zhou big seal script with few modifications. However, the body of epigraphic evidence comparing the character forms used by scribes gives no indication of any real consolidation in character forms prior to
2241-547: Is used instead of 叠 in regions using traditional characters. The Chinese government stated that it wished to keep Chinese orthography stable. The Chart of Generally Utilized Characters of Modern Chinese was published in 1988 and included 7000 simplified and unsimplified characters. Of these, half were also included in the revised List of Commonly Used Characters in Modern Chinese , which specified 2500 common characters and 1000 less common characters. In 2009,
2324-532: The Book of Han (111 CE) is the oldest extant bibliography of Classical Chinese, compiled c. 90 CE ; only 6% of its 653 listed works are known to exist in a complete form, with another 6% existing only in fragments. Compared to written vernacular Chinese, Classical Chinese is terse and compact in its style, and uses some different vocabulary. Classical Chinese rarely uses words two or more characters in length. Classical Chinese can be described as
2407-618: The Chinese language , with the other being traditional characters . Their mass standardization during the 20th century was part of an initiative by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to promote literacy, and their use in ordinary circumstances on the mainland has been encouraged by the Chinese government since the 1950s. They are the official forms used in mainland China and Singapore , while traditional characters are officially used in Hong Kong , Macau , and Taiwan . Simplification of
2490-577: The Old Chinese words in the Classical lexicon, many cognates can still be found. There is no universal agreement on the definition of "Classical Chinese". At its core, the term refers to the language used by the classics of Chinese literature roughly from the 5th century BCE to the end of the Han dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). The form of Chinese used in works written before
2573-586: The Ryukyu Islands , where it represented the only known form of writing. Literary Chinese was adopted as the language of civil administration in these countries, creating what is known as the Sinosphere . Each additionally developed systems of readings and annotations that enabled non-Chinese speakers to interpret Literary Chinese texts in terms of the local vernacular. While not static throughout its history, its evolution has traditionally been guided by
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2656-3163: The TOCFL exam can be taken. Conversely, the TOCFL can not be taken in Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong. Level 1 : 爱八爸杯子北京本不客气菜茶吃出租车打电话大的点脑视影东西都读对起多少儿二饭店飞机分钟高兴个工作狗汉语好号喝和很后面回会几家叫今天九开看见块来老师了冷里六妈吗买猫没关系有米名字明哪那呢能你年女朋友漂亮苹果七前钱请去热人认识三商上午谁什么十时候是书水睡觉说四岁他她太听同学喂我们五喜欢下雨先生现在想小姐些写谢星期习校一衣服医院椅月再怎样这中国住桌昨坐做 Level 2 : 吧白百帮助报纸比别宾馆长唱歌穿次从错篮球到得等弟第懂房间非常务员告诉哥给公共汽司贵过还孩黑红火站场鸡蛋件教室介绍进近就咖啡始考试可以课快乐累离两零路旅游卖慢忙每妹门条男您牛奶旁边跑步便宜票妻床千铅笔晴让日班身体病事情手表送虽然但它踢足题跳舞外完玩晚往为问瓜希望洗笑新姓休息雪颜色眼睛羊肉药要也已经意思因所阴泳右鱼远运动早丈夫找着真正只知道准备走最左 Level 3 : 阿姨啊矮安静把搬办法半包饱方被鼻较赛记必须变化冰箱而且单参加草层差尝超市衬衫成绩城迟除船春词典聪扫算带担心糕当地灯铁图梯邮冬物短段锻炼饿耳朵发烧放附复干净感冒趣刚才根据跟更斤园故刮风于害怕板护照花画坏迎环境换黄河答议或者乎极季节检查简健康讲角脚接街目结婚束解决借理久旧句定渴刻空调口哭裤筷蓝礼历史脸练辆聊邻居留楼绿马满帽拿南难级轻鸟努力爬山盘胖皮鞋啤酒瓶其实奇怪骑清楚假秋裙容易如伞网声音世界瘦叔舒树数刷牙双平阳特疼提育甜头突腿碗万忘位文惯澡夏相信香蕉向像闻鲜用卡行李熊需选择求爷般直银饮料应该响戏又遇元愿越张急顾片终种重周末主注自己总嘴业 Level 4 : 排全按之棒保证抱歉倍笨毕遍标格示演扬饼并博士管仅部擦猜材观餐厅厕江功诚乘惊抽烟厨传窗户粗存误案扮扰印招呼折针概使约戴刀导处底倒登牌低址掉丢堵肚童展律翻译烦恼反弃暑松份丰富否则符合父亲付款负责杂改赶敢速胳膊各资购够估计鼓励挂键众光广播逛规籍际汁程海洋羞寒汗航码适盒悔厚互联怀疑忆活泼获积基础激及即划技术既继续寄油具价坚持减肥建将奖金降落交流通郊区骄傲饺授受释尽紧禁止剧济验精彩景警察竞争竟镜究举拒绝距聚虑烤鸭科棵咳嗽怜惜肯恐苦矿泉困垃圾桶拉辣懒浪费漫虎拜貌厉例俩连凉另利乱麻毛巾美丽梦迷密免秒民族母耐内龄弄暖偶尔队列判断陪批评肤脾篇骗乒乓破葡萄普签敲桥巧克戚况穷取缺却确闹任何扔仍入散森林沙伤量稍微勺社申深甚至命省剩失败傅纪收拾首售货输熟悉帅顺序硕死度塑袋酸随孙台抬态谈弹钢琴汤糖躺趟讨论厌供醒填停挺推脱袜危险卫味温章污染无柿吸引咸羡慕详细橡消伙效辛封奋幸福性修许压呀膏亚洲严研盐养邀钥匙叶页切艺此象赢聘永勇优秀幽默尤由局谊愉与羽言预原谅阅云允志咱暂脏增占线整式支值职植指质围祝贺著专转赚仔尊座 Level 5 : 哎唉慰装岸暗熬夜握摆傍裹含括薄宝贝怨背悲领彼避编辑鞭炮辩达凌毒玻璃脖补充布骤财产采访虹踩惭愧操册测曾叉插拆品途抄朝潮湿吵架炒库厢彻沉趁称赞立恳承亏池塘尺翅膀冲器宠屉丑臭版席初夕统帘闯创造吹汇辞刺匆糙促醋催措施喷嚏厦型呆代替贷待纯独耽胆鬼淡挡致岛屿霉德滴敌毯震递钓顶冻洞豆腐逗堆兑吨蹲顿余躲藏恶劣愁抖挥罚繁荣映范妨碍仿佛皂废配析纷斗俗疯狂讽扶幅辅妇制革善盖念脆燥档搞隔壁厂寓恭贡献沟构姑娘古股骨掌固乖拐弯闭官冠军滑临泛归纳矩模柜滚锅庆王敏哈喊豪华核恨猴忽胡壶蝴蝶糊涂裔孕缓幻慌灰尘恢率姻跃柴伴肌烈诊集录寂寞夹庭乡嘉甲设驾驶嫁强肩艰巨兼捡剪筑酱浇胶狡猾训阶触账戒届属谨慎营神救舅桔俱捐均匀幕砍靠颗闲控夸宽昆虫扩椒拦烂朗劳婆鼠姥雷类厘梨润益恋良粮食灵铃域浏览泪龙漏陆轮逻骂麦馒矛盾贸眉媒煤炭魅秘蜜蜂苗描胜迹显令摸摩托陌某木嫩源嗯宁农村浓欧拍派盼培赔偿佩盆碰披疲匹飘拼频衡凭迫企启氛谦虚浅欠枪墙抢悄瞧妙勤青绪趋势娶圈权劝乏群燃绕币忍软弱洒嗓杀漠滩傻晒删闪扇蛇舍射击摄伸升绳略眠诗狮石髦尚践劲兵似卷套寿梳蔬摔甩税丝绸毫私撕搜索宿碎损缩锁拳坦烫逃桃淘殊征倡纲贴挑战痛偷投透土吐兔团荐退歪络返威胁违唯维伟尾巴委屈未置胃柔吻稳卧屋奈谓武勿雾瞎载吓艳县限肠享项链棋销孝歇斜血欣赏形状兄胸叙述宣寻询迅押齿延肃宴痒腰摇咬辈旦依移遗憾乙亿义素英俊雄硬拥挤惠悠犹豫炸幼娱玉订防圆晕灾糟摘窄粘涨召哲珍阵振睁齐政府治挣执疗秩智慧旬猪竹逐渐煮抓饰撞追咨姿紫综裁阻组织醉敬遵守 Level 6 : 挨癌症暧昧昂凹凸奥扒疤拔罢霸掰颁斑侣绑榜磅庇袱沧桑姆障仇酬暴露曝爆卑鄙哀惨壳叛诵奔波驰拙崩溃甭迸蹦逼涕喻塞弊端臂疆缘策贬扁迁辨辫彰憋墅扭濒雹丙拨涛剥削伯搏捕捉哺乳堪屑伐署缝谋残疾酷灿仓苍舱纵嘈侧岔刹诧异搀馋缠阐颤昌盛敞畅钞巢穴嘲撤淀闷陈呈挚诺堡惩澄橙秤钝赤沛叠崇稠筹储蓄犯川舶喘串捧炊垂锤粹洁慈祥磁雌伺丛凑鲁窜摧搓磋挫搭猎仗臣肆歹徒怠逮怯诞辰党捣盗窃稻谷罪笼蹬瞪堤坝抵抗颠簸缀垫惦奠叼雕吊跌丁叮嘱盯董荡脉栋兜陡峭督赌杜伍哆嗦堕额遏恩氧碳誓炎番凡殖驳馈滥畴贩御纺禽兽翔沃诽谤肺寝墟沸腾寸裂泌歧吩咐坟墓粉愤怒锋逢奉敷衍俘虏辐抚俯蚀朽副赋予裕腹泻覆钙旱涉尴尬慨岗港湾杠杆峰稿诫疙瘩鸽搁割颂阂抒蒂踪耕攻宫殿巩鸣勾钩孤辜雇佣杖辖贯灌溉罐辉芒阔轨跪棍渡滤瘾嗨滨暄罕捍迈耗呵蔼睦谐嘿痕狠横哼轰烘宏洪哄喉咙吼忧唤啸吁湖泊瓣蕾侨妆添筒患荒谬唐皇帝昏恍悟晃霍煌毁灭晤贿赂荤浑混淆浊箭焰讥饥械吉躁嫉妒忌讳佳肴晓尖锐韧监狱煎拣陋谍剑舰艇踏溅鉴僵桨娇焦侥搅拌缴皆揭奏杰晶截竭剖融津锦晋浸泡茎纬讶兢井颈椎惕纠拘鞠躬咀嚼沮丧瞩倔君辟拓刊勘探侃慷扛拢磕啃坑孔怖惧隙腔扣枯萎泣甘涩挎跨筐旷框捆喇叭蜡烛啦栏惰狼狈吞咽捞牢骚唠叨愣黎碑睬壮粒盟廉晾辽淋吝啬伶俐魂晨袖溜氓聋哑隆垄罩搂炉灶屡履掠夺廓胎坛啰唆绎痹蚂蚁嘛埋伏葬蔓碌盲茫茂枚萌芽猛眯弥惑谜棉疫勉绘瞄渺藐亡蔑捷誉膜磨魔抹莫墨睹沐浴辕辙涵拟逆捏凝拧纽奴隶虐挪哦殴呕趴斥徘徊遣攀旋畔庞抛沫烹饪劈惫倦屁譬偏僻浮撇贫庸屏坡颇魄扑铺朴瀑凄欺协旗袍帜乞丐岂蒙迄掐洽恰徙牵扯逊潜谴劫梁窍翘锲钦侵俭倾澈晰柬帖丘陵曲驱渠缔赴犬陷瘸嚷饶恕惹祸盈眶仁溶揉儒若撒谎嫂啥筛烁擅筋捎梢哨奢侈舌氏呻吟绅圣仙审渗疏肖锈牲畜尸野逝缚竖耍衰涮胞爽泥瞬斯肢寺庙饲惮耸艘苏讼隧塌塔泰贪婪摊瘫痪叹倘掏滔陶瓷汰伦堂田径舔剔剂衅亭滞膨胀缉讯铜掷秃壤拖妥椭唾挖掘哇娃瓦丸顽挽惋妄伪畏蔚雅窝乌诬耻衷赖侠侮辱蹈昔牺溪熄膝袭媳悦菌峡狭隘霞纤掀贤弦衔嫌宪阱馅镇镶嵌巷潇翼携泄郎颖薪仰旺腥刑勃凶汹涌膛绣嗅牧酗喧哗悬崖炫耀霜熏觅巡循抑榨鸦雀淹峻岩沿掩谣遥蛮液帆苟裳仪亦毅擎隐蔽瞒婴恒踊郁腻漆紊稚诱渔愚蠢舆宇宙绒兆欲愈冤枉宵谱岳酝酿蕴熨砸咋栽宰攒遭殃蹋噪贼赠扎渣眨诈债券沾瞻斩钉崭役帐篷蓬沼泽遮侦稀珠斟酌枕撼蒸宗郑撑援柱枝脂肪侄央忠肿瘤舟州粥昼皱纹株诸拄宅驻铸拽砖庄稼卸幢悼坠卓琢滋旨棕廊揍赁挠祖钻唇铭 Simplified Chinese characters Simplified Chinese characters are one of two standardized character sets widely used to write
2739-545: The imperial examination system required the candidate to compose poetry in the shi genre, pronunciation in non-Mandarin speaking parts of China such as Zhejiang , Guangdong and Fujian is either based on everyday speech, such as in Standard Cantonese , or is based on a special set of pronunciations borrowed from Classical Chinese, such as in Southern Min . In practice, all varieties of Chinese combine
2822-412: The "Dot" stroke : The traditional components ⺥ and 爫 become ⺈ : The traditional component 奐 becomes 奂 : Classical Chinese Classical Chinese is the language in which the classics of Chinese literature were written, from c. the 5th century BCE . For millennia thereafter, the written Chinese used in these works was imitated and iterated upon by scholars in
2905-459: The "external appearances of individual graphs", and in graphical form ( 字体 ; 字體 ; zìtǐ ), "overall changes in the distinguishing features of graphic[al] shape and calligraphic style, [...] in most cases refer[ring] to rather obvious and rather substantial changes". The initiatives following the founding of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) to universalize the use of their small seal script across
2988-482: The 1986 General List of Simplified Chinese Characters , hereafter the General List . All characters simplified this way are enumerated in Chart 1 and Chart 2 in the 1986 Complete List . Characters in both charts are structurally simplified based on similar set of principles. They are separated into two charts to clearly mark those in Chart 2 as 'usable as simplified character components', based on which Chart 3
3071-520: The 1986 mainland China revisions. Unlike in mainland China, Singapore parents have the option of registering their children's names in traditional characters. Malaysia also promulgated a set of simplified characters in 1981, though completely identical to the mainland Chinese set. They are used in Chinese-language schools. All characters simplified this way are enumerated in Charts 1 and 2 of
3154-591: The 4th century BCE, like the Five Classics , is distinct from that found in later works. The term "pre-Classical Chinese" is used to distinguish this earlier form from Classical Chinese proper, as it did not inspire later imitation to a comparable degree despite the works' equal importance in the canon. After the Han dynasty, the divergence of spoken language from the literary form became increasingly apparent. The term "Literary Chinese" has been coined to refer to
3237-638: The Advanced levels as in the pre-2010 test), a reform of the ranking system, and the use of new question structures. Complete vocabulary lists, previous tests, and simulated tests are available as preparation materials. A minor update of the vocabulary lists was made in 2012. The HSK consists of a written test and an oral test, which are taken separately. This oral test is also known as the HSKK or Chinese : 汉语水平口语考试 ; pinyin : Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǒuyǔ Kǎoshì . The Listening, Reading and Writing tests each have
3320-606: The Chinese Proficiency Standards would undergo a change: a hybrid paradigm of "Three Stages and Nine Levels" characterized by all-in-one integration. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China announced further details regarding HSK 3.0 on April 1, 2021. Among the information shared was a wordlist for each individual stage, and a date for the introduction of the new test—July 1, 2021. As of April 2022 no HSK 3.0 tests have been rolled out and only
3403-470: The Chinese government published a major revision to the list which included a total of 8300 characters. No new simplifications were introduced. In addition, slight modifications to the orthography of 44 characters to fit traditional calligraphic rules were initially proposed, but were not implemented due to negative public response. Also, the practice of unrestricted simplification of rare and archaic characters by analogy using simplified radicals or components
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3486-459: The German and French associations of Chinese language teachers reject this equivalency, arguing that HSK Level 6 is only equivalent to CEFR Level B2 or C1. Advanced Elementary/ Intermediate Basic Formerly, there were 11 possible ranks (1-11) and 3 test formats (Basic, Elementary/Intermediate, and Advanced). A rank of between 3 and 8 was needed to enroll in a Chinese university , depending on
3569-510: The Japanese readings of Literary Chinese, is part of the high school curriculum in Japan. Japan is the only country that maintains the tradition of creating Literary Chinese poetry based on Tang-era tone patterns . Chinese characters are not phonetic and rarely reflect later sound changes in words. Efforts to reconstruct Old Chinese pronunciation began relatively recently. Literary Chinese
3652-431: The TOCFL exam is not available in Mainland China. Development of the HSK test began in 1984 at Beijing Language and Culture University , and was officially made a national standardized test in 1992. By 2005, over 120 countries had participated as regular host sites and the tests had been taken around 100 million times ( domestic ethnic minority candidates included). In 2011, Beijing International Chinese College became
3735-428: The character set are altered. Some simplifications were based on popular cursive forms that embody graphic or phonetic simplifications of the traditional forms. In addition, variant characters with identical pronunciation and meaning were reduced to a single standardized character, usually the simplest among all variants in form. Finally, many characters were left untouched by simplification and are thus identical between
3818-407: The chosen variants, those that appear in the "Complete List of Simplified Characters" are also simplified in character structure accordingly. Some examples follow: Sample reduction of equivalent variants : Ancient variants with simple structure are preferred : Simpler vulgar forms are also chosen : The chosen variant was already simplified in Chart 1 : In some instances, the chosen variant
3901-473: The country's writing system as a serious impediment to its modernization. In 1916, a multi-part English-language article entitled "The Problem of the Chinese Language" co-authored by the Chinese linguist Yuen Ren Chao (1892–1982) and poet Hu Shih (1891–1962) has been identified as a turning point in the history of the Chinese script—as it was one of the first clear calls for China to move away from
3984-476: The early 20th century. In 1909, the educator and linguist Lufei Kui formally proposed the use of simplified characters in education for the first time. Over the following years—marked by the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that toppled the Qing dynasty , followed by growing social and political discontent that further erupted into the 1919 May Fourth Movement —many anti-imperialist intellectuals throughout China began to see
4067-772: The extremely laconic style. Presently, pure Literary Chinese is occasionally used in formal or ceremonial contexts. For example, the National Anthem of the Republic of China is in Literary Chinese. Buddhist texts in Literary Chinese are still preserved from the time they were composed or translated from Sanskrit. In practice there is a socially accepted continuum between vernacular and Literary Chinese. For example, most official notices and formal letters use stock literary expressions within vernacular prose. Personal use of Classical phrases depends on factors such as
4150-523: The first HSK testing center to conduct the HSK test online . The HSK test is analogous to the English TOEFL , and an HSK certificate is valid without any limitation in China . The test aims to be a certificate of language proficiency for higher educational and professional purposes. It is not uncommon to refer to a standard or level of proficiency by the HSK level number, or score. For example,
4233-634: The first official list of simplified forms was published, consisting of 324 characters collated by Peking University professor Qian Xuantong . However, fierce opposition within the KMT resulted in the list being rescinded in 1936. Work throughout the 1950s resulted in the 1956 promulgation of the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme , a draft of 515 simplified characters and 54 simplified components, whose simplifications would be present in most compound characters. Over
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#17327657518644316-463: The first round—but was massively unpopular and never saw consistent use. The second round of simplifications was ultimately retracted officially in 1986, well after they had largely ceased to be used due to their unpopularity and the confusion they caused. In August 2009, China began collecting public comments for a revised list of simplified characters; the resulting List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters lists 8,105 characters, including
4399-475: The following decade, the Script Reform Committee deliberated on characters in the 1956 scheme, collecting public input regarding the recognizability of variants, and often approving forms in small batches. Parallel to simplification, there were also initiatives aimed at eliminating the use of characters entirely and replacing them with pinyin as an official Chinese alphabet, but this possibility
4482-406: The founding of the Qin. The Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) that inherited the Qin administration coincided with the perfection of clerical script through the process of libian . Eastward spread of Western learning Though most closely associated with the People's Republic, the idea of a mass simplification of character forms first gained traction in China during
4565-632: The historical literary use of Latin in Europe, that of Arabic in Persia , or that of Sanskrit in South and Southeast Asia. However, unlike these examples, written Chinese uses a logography of Chinese characters that are not directly tied to their pronunciation. This lack of a fixed correspondence between writing and reading created a situation where later readings of Classical Chinese texts were able to diverge much further from their originals than occurred in
4648-541: The historical records of all non- Qin states to be burned, along with any literature associated with the Hundred Schools of Thought . The imperial library was destroyed upon the dynasty's collapse in 206 BCE, resulting in a potentially greater loss. Even works from the Classical period that have survived are not known to exist in their original forms, and are attested only in manuscripts copied centuries after their original composition. The " Yiwenzhi " section of
4731-466: The increased usage of 朙 was followed by proliferation of a third variant: 眀 , with 目 'eye' on the left—likely derived as a contraction of 朙 . Ultimately, 明 became the character's standard form. The Book of Han (111 AD) describes an earlier attempt made by King Xuan of Zhou ( d. 782 BC ) to unify character forms across the states of ancient China , with his chief chronicler having "[written] fifteen chapters describing" what
4814-468: The intermediate levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR B1/B2) from 3245 to 5456 words, the advanced levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR C1/C2) from about 6000 to 11000 words. Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education has provided a breakdown of the skills required for each level. The intermediate levels should test the ability to understand slightly modified authentic materials or authentic materials written/spoken in
4897-476: The kanji represents a native word such as the reading of 行 in 行く ( iku ) or the reading of both characters in " Osaka " ( 大阪 ), as well as a system that aids Japanese speakers with a Classical word order. As pronunciation in modern varieties is different from Old Chinese as well as other historical forms such as Middle Chinese , characters that once rhymed may not any longer, or vice versa. Poetry and other rhyme-based writing thus becomes less coherent than
4980-412: The later forms of written Chinese in conscious imitation of the classics, with sinologists generally emphasizing distinctions such as the gradual addition of new vocabulary and the erosion of certain points of Classical grammar as their functions were forgotten. Literary Chinese was used in almost all formal and personal writing in China from the end of the Han dynasty until the early 20th century, when it
5063-565: The laws of Taiwan are still written in a subset of Literary Chinese. As a result, it is necessary for modern Taiwanese lawyers to learn at least a subset of the literary language. Many works of literature in Classical and Literary Chinese have been highly influential in Chinese culture, such as the canon of Tang poetry . However, even with knowledge of its grammar and vocabulary, works in Literary Chinese can be difficult for native vernacular speakers to understand, due to its frequent allusions and references to other historical literature, as well as
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#17327657518645146-465: The left, with the 月 'Moon' component on the right. Li Si ( d. 208 BC ), the Chancellor of Qin, attempted to universalize the Qin small seal script across China following the wars that had politically unified the country for the first time. Li prescribed the 朙 form of the word for 'bright', but some scribes ignored this and continued to write the character as 明 . However,
5229-520: The literary revolution in China that began with the 1919 May Fourth Movement , prominent examples of vernacular Chinese literature include the 18th-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber . Most government documents in the Republic of China were written in Literary Chinese until reforms spearheaded by President Yen Chia-kan in the 1970s to shift to written vernacular Chinese. However, most of
5312-538: The main problems with the current HSK test is that it does not follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). For example, HSK 6 was nowhere close to Near Native C2 in English, and so on. The new test is meant to follow the latest research in the field of language studies and testing. The basic levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR A1/A2) should test from 500 to 2245 words,
5395-402: The most prominent Chinese authors of the 20th century, stated that "if Chinese characters are not destroyed, then China will die" ( 漢字不滅，中國必亡 ). During the 1930s and 1940s, discussions regarding simplification took place within the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party. Many members of the Chinese intelligentsia maintained that simplification would increase literacy rates throughout the country. In 1935,
5478-546: The original reading must have been. However, some modern Chinese varieties have certain phonological characteristics that are closer to the older pronunciations than others, as shown by the preservation of certain rhyme structures. Another particular characteristic of Literary Chinese is its present homophony . Reading Classical texts with character pronunciations from modern languages results in many homophonous characters that originally had distinct Old Chinese pronunciations, but have since merged to varying degrees. This phenomenon
5561-533: The other literary traditions, adding a unique dimension to the study of Literary Chinese. Literary Chinese was adopted in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The Oxford Handbook of Classical Chinese Literature states that this adoption came mainly from diplomatic and cultural ties with China, while conquest, colonization, and migration played smaller roles. Unlike Latin and Sanskrit, historical Chinese language theory consisted almost exclusively of lexicography , as opposed to
5644-430: The public and quickly fell out of official use. It was ultimately formally rescinded in 1986. The second-round simplifications were unpopular in large part because most of the forms were completely new, in contrast to the familiar variants comprising the majority of the first round. With the rescission of the second round, work toward further character simplification largely came to an end. In 1986, authorities retracted
5727-465: The recently conquered parts of the empire is generally seen as being the first real attempt at script reform in Chinese history. Before the 20th century, variation in character shape on the part of scribes, which would continue with the later invention of woodblock printing , was ubiquitous. For example, prior to the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) the character meaning 'bright' was written as either 明 or 朙 —with either 日 'Sun' or 囧 'window' on
5810-426: The same set of simplified characters as mainland China. The first round was promulgated by the Ministry of Education in 1969, consisting of 498 simplified characters derived from 502 traditional characters. A second round of 2287 simplified characters was promulgated in 1974. The second set contained 49 differences from the mainland China system; these were removed in the final round in 1976. In 1993, Singapore adopted
5893-412: The school curriculum is taught primarily by presenting a literary work and including a vernacular gloss that explains the meaning of phrases. The examinations usually require the student to read a paragraph in Literary Chinese and then explain its meaning in the vernacular. Contemporary use of Literary Chinese in Japan is mainly in the field of education and the study of literature. Learning kanbun ,
5976-467: The second round completely, though they had been largely fallen out of use within a year of their initial introduction. That year, the authorities also promulgated a final version of the General List of Simplified Chinese Characters . It was identical to the 1964 list save for 6 changes—including the restoration of 3 characters that had been simplified in the first round: 叠 , 覆 , 像 ; the form 疊
6059-515: The study of grammar and syntax. Such approaches largely arrived with Europeans beginning in the 17th century. Christian missionaries later coined the term 文理 ( wénlǐ ; 'principles of literature', 'bookish language') to describe Classical Chinese; this term never became widely used among domestic speakers. According to the traditional " burning of books and burying of scholars " account, in 213 BCE Qin Shi Huang ordered
6142-757: The subject being studied. A score of 9 or higher was a common business standard. A student taking the Basic test ( 基础 HSK) could attain a rank of 1 through 3 (1 级 -3 级 ), or fail to meet requirements and thus not receive a rank. The Elementary/Intermediate test ( 初中等 HSK) covered ranks 3-8 (3 级 -8 级 ), with ranks below 3 not considered. Likewise, the Advanced test ( 高等 HSK) covered ranks 9-11 (9 级 -11 级 ), with scores below 9 not considered. The previous format for both Basic and Elementary/Intermediate HSK included four sections: listening comprehension, grammar structures, reading comprehension, and written expressions. Aside from
6225-445: The subject matter and the level of education of the writer. Excepting professional scholars and enthusiasts, most modern writers cannot easily write in Literary Chinese. Even so, most Chinese people with at least a middle school education are able to read basic Literary Chinese, because this ability is part of the Chinese middle school and high school curricula, and is a component of the college entrance examination. Literary Chinese in
6308-497: The traditional and simplified Chinese orthographies. The Chinese government has never officially announced the completion of the simplification process after the bulk of characters were introduced by the 1960s. In the wake of the Cultural Revolution , a second round of simplified characters was promulgated in 1977—largely composed of entirely new variants intended to artificially lower the stroke count, in contrast to
6391-833: The traditional character 強 , with 11 strokes is standardised as 强 , with 12 strokes, which is a variant character. Such characters do not constitute simplified characters. The new standardized character forms shown in the Characters for Publishing and revised through the Common Modern Characters list tend to adopt vulgar variant character forms. Since the new forms take vulgar variants, many characters now appear slightly simpler compared to old forms, and as such are often mistaken as structurally simplified characters. Some examples follow: The traditional component 釆 becomes 米 : The traditional component 囚 becomes 日 : The traditional "Break" stroke becomes
6474-676: The two extremes of pronunciation: that according to a prescribed system, versus that based on everyday speech. Mandarin and Cantonese, for example, also have words that are pronounced one way in colloquial usage and another way when used in Literary Chinese or in specialized terms coming from Literary Chinese, though the system is not as extensive as that of Min or Wu . Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese readers of Literary Chinese each use distinct systems of pronunciation specific to their own languages. Japanese speakers have readings of Chinese origin called on'yomi for many words, such as for "ginko" ( 銀行 ) or "Tokyo" ( 東京 ), but use kun'yomi when
6557-522: The use of characters entirely. Instead, Chao proposed that the language be written with an alphabet, which he saw as more logical and efficient. The alphabetization and simplification campaigns would exist alongside one another among the Republican intelligentsia for the next several decades. Recent commentators have echoed some contemporary claims that Chinese characters were blamed for the economic problems in China during that time. Lu Xun , one of
6640-436: The writing part with characters (from HSK 3 on) is subjectively and slightly easier, as one types the pinyin and selects the right character from the list, while with a paper-based test, one must remember the characters, their strokes and their order, and write them out. Test takers with outstanding results can win a scholarship for short-term language study in China. In 2020, an internal Chinese academic paper discussed that
6723-449: The written expressions portion (which requires writing of Chinese characters ), these two tests were completely multiple-choice. The Advanced HSK however, added an additional two portions: spoken and written. The HSK is held at designated test centers in China and abroad. A list of test centers can be found at the HSK website. Test dates are published annually and written tests are more frequently held than spoken ones, generally around once
6806-464: Was abandoned, confirmed by a speech given by Zhou Enlai in 1958. In 1965, the PRC published the List of Commonly Used Characters for Printing [ zh ] (hereafter Characters for Printing ), which included standard printed forms for 6196 characters, including all of the forms from the 1956 scheme. A second round of simplified characters was promulgated in 1977, but was poorly received by
6889-558: Was largely replaced by written vernacular Chinese . A distinct, narrower definition of the Classical period begins with the life of Confucius (551–479 BCE) and ends with the founding of the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE. The adoption of Chinese literary culture in the Sinosphere amid the existence of various regional vernaculars is an example of diglossia . The coexistence of Literary Chinese and native languages throughout China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam can be compared to
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