Chinese graded readers by HSK level
Once the analyzer tells you your level, the next question is what to read. This is a neutral map of common graded-reader series to the approximate HSK level each one suits, so you can find reading that lands near comfortable coverage.
| Series | Format | Stated starting point | Roughly comfortable around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Companion | Print / e-book novellas | Breakthrough ~150 unique characters; Level 1 ~300; Level 2 ~450 | HSK 2.0 Level 1 to 3 (HSK 3.0 Level 1 to 3) |
| Chinese Breeze | Print + audio novellas | Level 1 ~300 words; Level 2 ~500; Level 3 ~750; Level 4 ~1100 | HSK 2.0 Level 2 to 4 (HSK 3.0 Level 2 to 4) |
| Sinolingua Rainbow Bridge | Print, HSK-tagged | Banded by HSK level and word count, from a few hundred words up | HSK 2.0 Level 1 to 6 across the range |
| HSK Standard Course readers | Print, tied to the HSK syllabus | Explicitly leveled to HSK 1 to 6 vocabulary | Matches its labeled HSK level by design |
| DuChinese | App, graded lessons + audio | Newbie and Elementary bands up to Master | HSK 3.0 Level 1 at Newbie, climbing through the bands |
| Heavenly Path reading list | Free community-curated list of native + graded titles | Ordered from easiest native-adjacent texts upward | Best from roughly HSK 2.0 Level 4 and up, into native reading |
Levels are approximate and come from each series' own stated bands lined up against the same word-coverage math the analyzer uses. Character and word counts are the publishers' figures. Ranges are given, not false-precision single numbers, because a reader's comfort depends on their own vocabulary, not the label on the cover. The honest next step is to grab a sample chapter, paste it into the analyzer, and read your own coverage before you buy.
How the mapping is made
Each series states its own difficulty bands. We line those up against the same word-coverage math the analyzer uses, so the level labels are comparable across series rather than each publisher's private scale. Where a series does not publish a word list, we say so and give a range, not a false-precision single number.
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