The characters of the Dao De Jing, by HSK level

By HSK level

HSK 3.0, the 2021 standard for learners of Chinese, puts 3,000 characters in nine levels: 300 at each of levels 1 to 6 and 1,200 in levels 7 to 9. Counted against it, every character of the book:

What makes the text hard is less its rare characters than its common ones used in their classical sense. 之 is “it” or “of” here, far more often than anything a textbook teaches; 其, 者, 以 and 而 carry the grammar. The grammar words take them one at a time, with every example from the book.

The 100 most frequent characters

These 100 characters make up 67% of the text. Each tile shows the meaning the character has most often in the book, how many times it occurs and its HSK level.

1. 1之zhīit, them (object)253× · HSK 4
2. 2不bùnot244× · HSK 1
3. 3以yǐby means of, with162× · HSK 2
4. 4其qíits, his, their142× · HSK 2
5. 5而érand yet, but120× · HSK 2
6. 6为wéito be, to count as115× · HSK 2
7. 7无wúnot have, without, no102× · HSK 4
8. 8天tiānheaven92× · HSK 1
9. 9者zhěone who, that which92× · HSK 2
10. 10人rénpeople, others85× · HSK 1
11. 11有yǒuto have, to possess82× · HSK 1
12. 12下xiàlow, below82× · HSK 1
13. 13道dàothe Way75× · HSK 1
14. 14是shìthis72× · HSK 1
15. 15故gùtherefore64× · HSK 2
16. 16大dàgreat, big58× · HSK 1
17. 17知zhīto know57× · HSK 1
18. 18善shànto be good at52× · HSK 3
19. 19于yúto, at47× · HSK 2
20. 20若ruòlike, as if45× · HSK 6
21. 21德dévirtue44× · HSK 5
22. 22生shēngto live38× · HSK 1
23. 23物wùthing, beings37× · HSK 2
24. 24可kěcan be34× · HSK 2
25. 25民mínthe people33× · HSK 3
26. 26得déto get, to obtain33× · HSK 1
27. 27能néngcan, to be able33× · HSK 1
28. 28自zìoneself, by oneself33× · HSK 2
29. 29谓wèito call, to be called32× · HSK 4
30. 30圣shèngthe divine, holiness32× · HSK 6
31. 31则zéthen32× · HSK 4
32. 32常chángalways, ever30× · HSK 1
33. 33夫fúnow, indeed (opening particle)30× · HSK 3
34. 34国guóthe state28× · HSK 1
35. 35兮xīah (particle)27× · Beyond HSK
36. 36欲yùdesire, to desire26× · HSK 6
37. 37所suǒthat which, what26× · HSK 2
38. 38名míngto name24× · HSK 1
39. 39身shēnoneself, the person23× · HSK 1
40. 40将jiāngabout to; to intend23× · HSK 3
41. 41贵guìto value, to prize22× · HSK 1
42. 42吾wúI22× · Beyond HSK
43. 43曰yuēis called, to say22× · HSK 7-9
44. 44万wànten thousand21× · HSK 2
45. 45事shìaffairs, work21× · HSK 1
46. 46言yánwords, to speak21× · HSK 2
47. 47强qiángstrong21× · HSK 3
48. 48用yòngto use21× · HSK 1
49. 49行xíngto walk, to move20× · HSK 1
50. 50莫mòno one, nothing20× · HSK 7-9
51. 51足zúenough, sufficient20× · HSK 3
52. 52上shànghighest, supreme19× · HSK 1
53. 53我wǒI, me19× · HSK 1
54. 54地dìearth, ground18× · HSK 1
55. 55或huòsome ... others18× · HSK 2
56. 56死sǐto die18× · HSK 3
57. 57成chéngto complete, accomplish17× · HSK 2
58. 58唯wéionly, just17× · HSK 5
59. 59失shīto lose; loss17× · HSK 3
60. 60此cǐthis, these16× · HSK 3
61. 61长chánglong, long-lasting16× · HSK 2
62. 62胜shèngto overcome; victory16× · HSK 3
63. 63处chǔto dwell in, abide by15× · HSK 2
64. 64与yǔwith, and15× · HSK 4
65. 65信xìntrust, good faith15× · HSK 2
66. 66一yīthe One15× · HSK 1
67. 67复fùto return, to bring back15× · HSK 2
68. 68相xiāngeach other14× · HSK 2
69. 69见jiànto see14× · HSK 1
70. 70多duōmuch, many14× · HSK 1
71. 71何héwhat, how14× · HSK 3
72. 72必bìsurely, inevitably14× · HSK 2
73. 73难nándifficult13× · HSK 1
74. 74治zhìto govern; in order13× · HSK 4
75. 75也yěfinal particle (assertion)13× · HSK 1
76. 76王wángking, kingly13× · HSK 2
77. 77亦yìalso13× · HSK 7-9
78. 78兵bīngarms, troops13× · HSK 4
79. 79玄xuánmystery, mysterious12× · HSK 7-9
80. 80谷gǔvalley12× · HSK 6
81. 81明míngclarity, insight; clear12× · HSK 1
82. 82器qìvessel, tool, instrument12× · HSK 3
83. 83取qǔto take, to seize12× · HSK 2
84. 84乃nǎithen, in turn12× · HSK 7-9
85. 85然ránso, thus12× · HSK 2
86. 86同tóngto merge with11× · HSK 1
87. 87易yìeasy11× · HSK 3
88. 88后hòuback, after11× · HSK 1
89. 89居jūto dwell (in), claim11× · HSK 4
90. 90使shǐto make, to cause11× · HSK 2
91. 91守shǒuto keep, to guard11× · HSK 4
92. 92久jiǔlasting, long11× · HSK 2
93. 93柔róusoft, supple11× · HSK 7-9
94. 94三sānthree11× · HSK 1
95. 95归guīto return, to go back11× · HSK 4
96. 96非fēiis not10× · HSK 1
97. 97去qùto discard10× · HSK 1
98. 98争zhēngto contend10× · HSK 3
99. 99心xīnheart, mind10× · HSK 2
100. 100弱ruòweak, weakness10× · HSK 4

Beyond HSK

The characters beyond HSK 9 are mostly classical words that modern Chinese no longer uses: 兮, a sung exclamation; 吾, “I”; 孰, “who”; 焉 and 哉, closing particles. The rest are names of old things, such as 刍狗, the straw dogs of chapter 5. The number after each character is how often it occurs.

• 兮27
• 吾22
• 孰10
• 焉9
• 哉7
• 恃5
• 牝5
• 殆5
• 侯5
• 惚4
• 惟3
• 矜3
• 歙3
• 弗2
• 刍2
• 咎2
• 雌2
• 牖2
• 骋2
• 芸2
• 儽2
• 沌2
• 昭2
• 甫2
• 琭2
• 珞2
• 兕2
• 淳2
• 啬2
• 斫2
• 徼1
• 湛1
• 橐1
• 籥1
• 疵1
• 阖1
• 毂1
• 埏1
• 埴1
• 畋1
• 诘1
• 皦1
• 俨1
• 涣1
• 笃1
• 澹1
• 飂1
• 窈1
• 冥1
• 洼1
• 敝1
• 赘1
• 辎1
• 瑕1
• 谪1
• 楗1
• 忒1
• 歔1
• 羸1
• 隳1
• 恬1
• 蹶1
• 颣1
• 隅1
• 讷1
• 戎1
• 刃1
• 芜1
• 辍1
• 虿1
• 虺1
• 螫1
• 攫1
• 朘1
• 嗄1
• 伎1
• 刿1
• 燿1
• 柢1
• 莅1
• 璧1
• 驷1
• 泮1
• 褐1
• 狎1
• 繟1
• 槁1
• 垢1
• 稷1
• 徙1

How this is counted

Han characters only, punctuation left out, in the Wang Bi text this site uses, as recited. HSK levels are those of the official 2021 lists (GF 0025-2021). The site computes these tables from the text itself, so they follow every correction to it. To read the chapters in an order made for learners, see the study path.