Anki deck · HSK 1-2 · HSK 3.0 syllabus
Stop writing 好 fifty times.
The usual advice is to copy every character line after line until it sticks. HanziVision shows you the picture hidden inside it instead: once, in color, with a story you can't unsee.
371 characters · 280 words · audio and stroke order · Anki on any device
Download 30 free cards · an Anki deck file, no sign-up
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Why lines don't stick
Copying trains your hand. It gives your memory nothing to hold on to.
Fifty rows of 好 teach you six strokes. They never tell you why those strokes mean good, so a week later the shape blurs together with 妈, 奶 and 姐, and you are back at row one.
Memory holds on to pictures and stories, not to strokes. Chinese characters are already pictures: a handful of small parts that repeat across the whole language. Once you see the parts, you stop memorizing shapes and start reading them.
371 characters × 50 lines each. At ten seconds a character that is about 50 hours with a pen, before you have learned a single word.
371 cards, about a minute each the first time, then four short reviews. Anki tells you when, so you never review what you already know.
The method
Every character is a small picture made of parts you've already seen.
Split it into keys
Each character breaks into one to four visual keys with a fixed name. 303 keys cover all of HSK 1-2.
好 = 女 WOMAN + 子 CHILDSee the scene
Every character gets its own illustration, and each key sits exactly where it sits in the character.
tap the picture: the character lifts off itHear the story
One line ties the keys to the meaning, and the meaning is right there in the picture.
A WOMAN holding her CHILD: everything is GOOD.Reuse the keys
Learn a key once and it keeps paying off. The key MOUTH, 口, alone shows up in 29 characters of HSK 1-2.
吃 喝 唱 叫 问 听 …Build words
Every word is shown as the characters inside it, with a literal translation and an image that links the two.
电脑 = electric + brain: a computerReal cards from the deck
Tap a picture to move the character below it.
What's in the deck
Everything for HSK 1 and 2, ready to review in Anki.
- 371characters of HSK 1 and 2 from the HSK 3.0 syllabus, each with its own scene, keys and story
- 280words, each broken into its characters, with a literal translation and an image that connects them
- 1,022Anki cards: recognize and recall for every character, one card for every word
- 651audio clips, one for every character and every word
- 371stroke order animations, drawn in the colors of the keys, so you see which part you are writing
- 303keys in the Key dictionary (PDF): each with its picture and every character it appears in
- 的is your very first card: frequent characters come first, and each word right after the characters it uses
Works in Anki on Windows, Mac and Linux, in AnkiDroid on Android (both free) and in AnkiMobile on iPhone.
Pricing
Start with HSK 1, or take both levels before HSK 3 arrives.
Try it free: 30 characters
HanziVision_Sample.apkg is an Anki deck file (0.9 MB). Inside: the first 30 characters and 7 words, in exactly the same format as the full deck, with scenes, keys, stories, audio and stroke order.
- Install Anki if you don't have it: Anki for computers, AnkiDroid for Android (both free), AnkiMobile for iPhone.
- Open the file: double-click it on a computer, or tap the download on your phone and choose AnkiDroid or AnkiMobile.
- Study a few cards. If you buy the full deck later, import it on top: your progress stays.
HSK 1
- 246 characters with scenes, keys and stories
- 163 words broken into characters
- 655 Anki cards with audio and stroke order
- Key dictionary for HSK 1 (PDF, 230 keys)
Upgrade later: import HSK 1-2 on top and your progress stays.
HSK 1-2
The price rises to when HSK 3 is added. If you buy now, you get HSK 3 for free.
- 371 characters with scenes, keys and stories
- 280 words broken into characters
- 1,022 Anki cards with audio and stroke order
- Key dictionary for HSK 1-2 (PDF, 303 keys)
- HSK 3 added for free when it is ready
You get the download link right after payment.
Questions
Before you buy
What is Anki, and do I need it?
Anki is a free flashcard app that shows each card right before you would forget it. The deck is an Anki file: you import it once and review a few minutes a day. Get it here: Anki for computers, AnkiDroid for Android (both free), AnkiMobile for iPhone (a paid app).
Do I need to know any Chinese?
No. HSK 1 starts from zero. Every card has pinyin, an English meaning and audio, and the keys are introduced as you meet them.
Which HSK version is it?
HSK 3.0, the 2025 syllabus that the new exam is based on. Levels 1 and 2 cover 371 characters.
Simplified or traditional characters?
Simplified, the characters used in mainland China and in the HSK exam.
Does it teach handwriting?
It teaches you to recognize and recall characters. Every character has a recall card (you see the meaning and write it yourself) and a stroke order animation drawn in the colors of its keys. When you know what the parts mean, writing gets much easier.
I already use another deck. Can I use both?
Yes. HanziVision comes in its own deck and does not touch your other cards.
What happens when HSK 3 comes out?
If you bought HSK 1-2, you get HSK 3 for free. Import the new file on top of the old one and your progress stays.
How do I get the deck after paying?
Right after payment you get a download link to a ZIP file with the deck, the Key dictionary and a one-page guide to importing it.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes. Download the free sample: the first 30 characters and 7 words in the same format as the full deck. When you buy, import the full deck on top and your progress stays.