The HSK 3 test requires candidates to master approximately 600 vocabulary words. These words are fundamental for basic communication in daily life, study, and work scenarios.

The vocabulary list for HSK 3 includes common nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and other parts of speech. These words cover a wide range of topics, such as family, food, transportation, shopping, health, work, and leisure activities.

For example, some common vocabulary words in HSK 3 include:
- Family and relationships: 爸爸 (bàba, father), 妈妈 (māma, mother), 儿子 (érzi, son), 女儿 (nǚ’ér, daughter)
- Food and drinks: 菜 (cài, dish), 饭 (fàn, rice), 茶 (chá, tea), 水 (shuǐ, water)
- Transportation: 出租车 (chūzūchē, taxi), 飞机 (fēijī, airplane), 火车 (huǒchē, train)
- Shopping: 超市 (chāoshì, supermarket), 商店 (shāngdiàn, store), 钱 (qián, money)
- Health and body: 医院 (yīyuàn, hospital), 医生 (yīshēng, doctor), 病 (bìng, illness)
- Work and study: 工作 (gōngzuò, work), 学习 (xuéxí, study), 学校 (xuéxiào, school)
- Leisure activities: 电影 (diànyǐng, movie), 音乐 (yīnyuè, music), 运动 (yùndòng, sports)
