难度 Difficulty

Reading level here is the share of a chapter’s Han word tokens that sit at HSK 4 or below, counted at build time over the built corpus. Works are ordered most readable first, each with its three most readable chapters — so you can find both which book to start with and which chapter inside it.

Starting out? 入门 Beginner picks the most approachable first chapters, and 练习 Practice reads them with pinyin.

  1. hé — 1. river (classifier: 條 (tiáo), 道 (dào)) 2. (bound form) the Yellow River 3. (bound form) the Milky Way 4. (bound form) (on restaurant menus) rice noodles 河粉 (hé fěn) (HSK 2)chuán — 1. to pass on 2. to spread 3. to transmit 4. to infect 5. to transfer 6. to circulate 7. to conduct (electricity) (HSK 3) · 呼兰河传Tales of Hulan River73% of words ≤ HSK 48/8 chapters fully glossed
  2. 小說小說xiǎo shuō — 1. novel 2. fiction 3. classifier: 本 (běn), 部 (bù) (HSK 2)xuǎn — 1. to choose 2. to pick 3. to select 4. to elect (HSK 2) · 郁达夫小说选Yu Dafu: Selected Stories71% of words ≤ HSK 49/9 chapters fully glossed
  3. páng — used in 彷徨 (páng huáng) and 彷徉 (páng yáng) (HSK 7-9)Wandering69% of words ≤ HSK 411/11 chapters fully glossed
  4. 生死生死shēng sǐ — life or death (HSK 7-9)chǎng — 1. large place used for a specific purpose 2. stage 3. scene (of a play) 4. classifier for sporting or recreational activities 5. classifier for number of exams (HSK 2) · 生死场The Field of Life and Death69% of words ≤ HSK 418/18 chapters fully glossed
  5. kōng — 1. empty 2. air 3. sky 4. in vain (HSK 3)shān — 1. mountain; hill (classifier: 座 (zuò)) 2. (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on (HSK 1)líng — 1. quick 2. alert 3. efficacious 4. effective 5. to come true 6. spirit 7. departed soul 8. coffin (HSK 7-9)yǔ — 1. rain 2. classifier: 陣 (zhèn), 場 (cháng) (HSK 1) · 空山灵雨Empty Mountain, Spiritual Rain69% of words ≤ HSK 445/45 chapters fully glossed
  6. cháo — 1. imperial or royal court 2. government 3. dynasty 4. reign of a sovereign or emperor 5. court or assembly held by a sovereign or emperor 6. to make a pilgrimage to 7. facing 8. towards (HSK 3)huā — 1. flower 2. blossom 3. classifier: 朵 (duǒ), 支 (zhī), 束 (shù), 把 (bǎ), 盆 (pén), 簇 (cù) 4. fancy pattern 5. florid 6. to spend (money, time) 7. (coll.) lecherous 8. lustful (HSK 1)shí — 1. to pick up 2. to collate or arrange 3. ten (banker's anti-fraud numeral) (HSK 5)Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk67% of words ≤ HSK 412/12 chapters fully glossed
  7. 故事故事gù shi — narrative; story; tale (HSK 2)xīn — 1. new 2. newly 3. meso- (chemistry) (HSK 1)biān — 1. to weave 2. to plait 3. to organize 4. to group 5. to arrange 6. to edit 7. to compile 8. to write 9. to compose 10. to fabricate 11. to make up (HSK 4) · 故事新编Old Tales Retold66% of words ≤ HSK 49/9 chapters fully glossed
  8. 吶喊吶喊nà hǎn — 1. shout 2. rallying cry 3. cheering 4. to shout (HSK 7-9) · 呐喊Call to Arms65% of words ≤ HSK 414/15 chapters fully glossed
  9. yě — 1. field 2. plain 3. open space 4. limit 5. boundary 6. rude 7. feral (HSK 6)cǎo — 1. grass 2. straw 3. manuscript 4. draft (of a document) 5. careless 6. rough 7. classifier: 棵 (kē), 撮 (zuǒ), 株 (zhū), 根 (gēn) (HSK 2)Wild Grass62% of words ≤ HSK 422/22 chapters fully glossed
  10. hóng — 1. red 2. popular 3. revolutionary 4. bonus (HSK 2)lóu — 1. house with more than 1 story 2. storied building 3. floor 4. classifier: 層 (céng), 座 (zuò), 棟 (dòng) (HSK 1)mèng — 1. dream (classifier: 場 (cháng)) 2. (bound form) to dream (HSK 4) · 红楼梦Dream of the Red Chamber61% of words ≤ HSK 4120/120 chapters fully glossed
  11. 西西xī — west (HSK 1)jì — 1. to record 2. to note 3. to memorize 4. to remember 5. mark 6. sign 7. classifier for blows, kicks, shots (HSK 1) · 西游记Journey to the West54% of words ≤ HSK 4100/100 chapters fully glossed