The most useful Chinese vocabulary list isn't always the one in a textbook. It's the collection of words you keep encountering in conversations, reading, and everyday life — including the ones you almost remember, but not quite.
My Vocabulary on HanziPress gives you one place to collect those words, organize them, and turn them into practice materials. Start with a star, build your own vocabulary list, and use it to practice whenever you're ready.
Collect words as you learn
Found a useful word while browsing a character page, an HSK list, or a search result? Star it to add it to your vocabulary. There's no need to copy it into another document or switch to a separate app.
You can collect individual characters such as 好, as well as words built around them, such as 你好, 好吃, and 好看. They all come together in the My Vocabulary tab of the character library.
You can start without an account, with your list saved in your browser. A free account lets you sync your vocabulary across devices and store a larger collection. If you've already collected words anonymously, you can merge your existing list into your account when you sign in.
Organize your vocabulary your way
A growing vocabulary list becomes much more useful when you can find exactly what you need.
- Search and filter: Find words quickly, or narrow your list to a particular group or learning status.
- Track mastery: Mark words as new, learning, familiar, or mastered. You decide when a word has become familiar — your progress isn't changed automatically.
- Create groups: Organize words by textbook chapter, topic, or study goal. A word can belong to multiple groups, so you don't have to choose just one category.
- Manage words in bulk: Select multiple entries to update their mastery status or organize them together.
- Export your vocabulary: Save your word list as text so you can keep a backup, reuse it elsewhere, or continue studying outside HanziPress.
For example, you could create a Travel group for useful expressions, a Food group for restaurant vocabulary, and a separate group for words you want to review more often. Groups can be renamed, reordered, and deleted without deleting the vocabulary itself.
Import vocabulary or start with a Chinese text
Your vocabulary doesn't have to start from scratch. If you already have a word list from a textbook, class handout, or another learning app, you can copy and paste it directly into My Vocabulary.
You can also paste an entire Chinese article instead of preparing a word list yourself. HanziPress automatically segments the text into words, helping you turn reading material into vocabulary you can collect and study.
Once imported, your vocabulary can be organized into groups and marked by mastery level. You can bring together words from different sources without maintaining separate lists in different documents or apps.
When you need your vocabulary elsewhere, export it as text and reuse it in another tool or keep a copy of your personal study list. Your vocabulary can grow with your learning, rather than staying tied to a single textbook or course.
Turn your vocabulary into practice
A personal word list is most valuable when you use it. My Vocabulary connects your collected words to several HanziPress learning tools.
| Tool | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Practice | Write characters online, follow stroke order, and get feedback as you practice. |
| Review | Revisit vocabulary with spaced repetition and save your review progress to your account. |
| Flashcards | Create a printable flashcard PDF with pinyin and meanings. |
| Recall worksheets | Test your memory with pinyin and English prompts, blank writing grids, and an answer key. |
| Writing worksheets | Generate printable Chinese handwriting worksheets with Tianzige or Mige grids. |
You don't have to use your entire vocabulary every time. Work with a particular group, filter for words you're still learning, or select just a few entries. Practice materials use the words you've chosen, helping you focus on the vocabulary that matters most to you.
Explore the online writing practice tool, flashcard tools, and Chinese worksheet generator to see how your personal word list can become something you actively use.
Review the words you want to remember
Collecting vocabulary is only the beginning. To remember it over time, you need to revisit it.
The Review action turns your vocabulary, or an individual group, into a deck for online spaced repetition. The scheduler helps you prioritize words that are due for review, while different practice modes let you recognize characters, recall them from pinyin and meaning, or write them by hand.
Your review progress is saved to your account, so you can return to a session without starting over. Reviewing a specific group and reviewing your entire vocabulary can also maintain separate progress histories.
New to spaced repetition? Read our guide to spaced repetition for Chinese to learn why revisiting words at the right time can help you remember them for longer.
Start with three words
You don't need to build a complete vocabulary database before getting started.
The next time you encounter a Chinese word you want to remember, star it. Add another when you find one in a textbook, a conversation, or a piece of reading. You can even paste an entire Chinese text to start building a vocabulary list from what you're already studying.
As your collection grows, organize it into groups, export it when needed, and turn it into flashcards, worksheets, or online practice.
My Vocabulary is free to use, and a free account lets you sync your list across devices. Start collecting words in the HanziPress character library and build a vocabulary list around the Chinese you actually learn.