The HSK skill graph
The HSK skill graph is every topic in the GraphChinese course, 829 of them from the first tone to HSK 6, with the 1,523 links that say which topic has to come before which. Each topic carries a description, what a learner can do once they have it, and a check you can run. The data is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
What this is
A curriculum written as a graph instead of a list. A list says what comes next; a graph says why, because each topic names the topics it rests on. That is how the course decides what to teach you: a topic unlocks only when everything under it is solid, the way the method describes. Height in the graph is the HSK level, colour is the topic type, and tapping a dot lights up every topic it needs.
Every field is read from the live course. Nothing was written for the export, and a field the course does not have is left out rather than filled in. The links carry no strength or reason, because the course graph does not record one.
How it is organized
829 topics in 4 types and 7 levels, joined by 1,523 prerequisite links. 4 topics need nothing before them. 823 topics have a description, 829 have evidence lines, 496 have a check, 461 list their words and 92 list the characters they introduce.
| Type | Pre | HSK 1 | HSK 2 | HSK 3 | HSK 4 | HSK 5 | HSK 6 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 15 | 25 | 26 | 41 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 119 |
| Skill | 4 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 54 |
| Grammar | 0 | 22 | 39 | 30 | 55 | 27 | 22 | 195 |
| Vocabulary | 0 | 17 | 16 | 25 | 55 | 162 | 186 | 461 |
| All | 19 | 77 | 88 | 104 | 128 | 197 | 216 | 829 |
- Foundation: Tones, pinyin, character sets, core sentence patterns, first conversations, and the review topics between levels.
- Skill: Reading and exam strategies, and the question frames you use in conversation.
- Grammar: One grammar point each.
- Vocabulary: A themed set of words.
One topic, as it appears in the file
Number-Measure Phrases 数量短语
Type: Grammar. Level: HSK 1. Id: h1_gr_num_measure
In Chinese, you cannot put a number directly before a noun. You need a measure word (量词) between them.
Evidence (what a learner who has it can do):
- Picks a reply that fits in 2 conversation situations
- Chooses the correct option in 8 multiple-choice items
- Puts the words of 2 sentences in the right order
Check it: Which is correct Chinese for 'two books'? (a number can't touch a noun directly) (两书 / 两本书)
Requires: Numbers Zero to Ten; Measure Words, Money and Age. 8 later topics list it as a prerequisite.
Files
topics.json(1,109 KB): every topic with its fields.dependencies.json(125 KB): one row per link,topicIddepends onprerequisiteId.manifest.json(2 KB): counts, field coverage, where each field comes from, license, and a SHA-256 for each file.skill-graph.js: the graph renderer on this page, no dependencies.
A topic has id, type, name, nameZh and level, plus description, evidence, assessmentPrompt, words, characters and conversationSkills where the course has them. A check gives the prompt and the choices only, never the answer, and the choices are sorted so their order gives nothing away. 17 question-frame topics link to the conversation skill graph, which maps the speaking skills in more detail.
License
The data is Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Use it in a course, an app, a study or a lesson plan, change it, and sell what you build, as long as you credit GraphChinese with a link. The renderer code is MIT.
How to cite
GraphChinese. HSK Topic Graph, v1 (2026). https://graphchinese.com/hsk-skill-graph. CC BY 4.0.
Frequently asked questions
What does the HSK skill graph contain?
829 topics from pre-HSK foundations to HSK 6, each with a name in English and Chinese, a type, a level and, for most, a description, evidence lines and a check. 1,523 links say which topic has to be learned before which.
Is this the official HSK syllabus?
No. It is the GraphChinese course, built to cover the HSK word lists and grammar. The levels match the HSK levels; the order inside a level and the prerequisite links are ours.
Can I use it in my own app or course?
Yes. The data is CC BY 4.0: copy it, change it and build on it, commercially too, as long as you credit GraphChinese with a link to graphchinese.com. The graph renderer is MIT.
Why do some topics have no check?
A check is only included where the course already has a question that can be shown without giving away the answer. 496 of the 829 topics have one, and the manifest file counts every field the same way.
Learn it in this order. GraphChinese teaches each of these 829 topics once the ones under it are solid, from the first tone to HSK 6. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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