# HSK 3 Covers 59.7% of the Chinese Bible

> A reader at HSK 3 already knows 59.7% of the word tokens in the Chinese Union Version (和合本, simplified); HSK 6 reaches 71.4% and the whole of HSK 1-9 reaches 77.5%, because 22.5% of the text's words are not on any HSK list.

Question: what HSK level to read the Bible
Answer: HSK 3 = 59.7%
Page: https://chinese-bible.com/en/reference/hsk-level-needed-to-read-the-bible

The honest answer to "what HSK level do I need" is that no HSK level finishes the job, and a low one gets you further than you would think. HSK 1 alone covers 44.2% of word tokens, because the commonest words carry most of the text.

The ceiling is real: 22.5% of word tokens are outside HSK 1-9 entirely. Those are names (662 words in this text look like proper names), plus the vocabulary of sacrifice, covenant and kingship that a modern proficiency syllabus has no reason to include. They are learned from the text, not from a course.

Coverage is a share of tokens, not of sentences. At 63.2% — HSK 4 — most verses still contain one unknown word, which is why the reader here shows meaning on tap instead of asking you to look words up elsewhere.

## Cumulative coverage of the Chinese Bible by HSK level

| Level | Word tokens known | Still unknown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HSK 1 | 44.2% | 55.8% |
| HSK 2 | 53% | 47% |
| HSK 3 | 59.7% | 40.3% |
| HSK 4 | 63.2% | 36.8% |
| HSK 5 | 67.5% | 32.5% |
| HSK 6 | 71.4% | 28.6% |
| HSK 7-9 | 77.5% | 22.5% |

HSK 3.0 word lists; band 7-9 is treated as one level, as the lists themselves do.

## Questions

**Which book should I read at HSK 3?**

John (72.3% HSK 1-3), Matthew (68.1% HSK 1-3), 2 John (67.9% HSK 1-3) — the three with the highest share of elementary vocabulary.

**Is there a deck for the words that are not in HSK?**

Yes: the book decks and the topical decks are built from the Bible's own frequency list, so they cover exactly the vocabulary HSK leaves out.

**Where do the HSK levels come from?**

HSK 3.0 levels from the complete-hsk-vocabulary list; band 7 covers HSK 7-9.

## Method

- Text: 和合本 (Chinese Union Version), simplified script — public domain
- Words: forward maximum matching against CC-CEDICT (this site's own segmentation)
- HSK levels: HSK 3.0 levels from the complete-hsk-vocabulary list; band 7 covers HSK 7-9
- Reading times: 260 characters a minute (an assumption)
- Computed: 2026-09-22

These are reproducible counts over a public-domain text, not a peer-reviewed study. Difficulty ranks are one stated formula, not a validated readability score.


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- Definitions: CC-CEDICT, licensed CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
- If you share this file onward, keep this notice and share alike.
- Character data: Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License / LGPL).
- Bible text: public domain — 和合本 · World English Bible · Louis Segond 1910.
- Built with https://chinese-bible.com