The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is a standardized test for Chinese proficiency with levels 1 through 6. Its curriculum is one of the most widely used roadmaps for learning Mandarin, whether or not you plan to take the exam. The vocabulary lists are practical, the chapter structure is logical, and the progression from beginner to advanced is well tested.
If you are learning Chinese, you have probably seen Chinese Zero to Hero. It is a video course built around the HSK curriculum with thousands of lessons covering every level from Pre-HSK 1 through HSK 6.
Watching a video is only half the work. To remember the vocabulary, you need to practice. Zero to Hero provides Anki and Quizlet decks for that. You now have a third option: practice the same vocabulary in Hidden Dragon with pronunciation training, graded sample sentences, AI-generated stories, conversation scenarios, and games, all built around the chapter you just watched.
What is Hidden Dragon?
Hidden Dragon is an SRS language learning platform built for Chinese. It gives you:
- Spaced repetition that schedules vocabulary reviews at the right intervals
- Pronunciation trainer that scores how accurately you speak each word
- Writing practice with stroke-by-stroke feedback
- AI story generator that creates stories from your own vocabulary list
- DragonLesson, a lesson mode that walks through a chapter with pronunciation, writing, stories, and games in one flow
It works in your browser. No download, no install.
What is Chinese Zero to Hero?
Zero to Hero is a video course platform built around the HSK curriculum. Every HSK level is broken into chapters, and each chapter has a teacher-led video explaining the vocabulary and grammar. They also offer intro courses like the Pre-HSK 1 drama-based series Go Ahead.
We are their affiliate partner. We think their videos are excellent.
Why not just use Zero to Hero directly?
You should use Zero to Hero for video lessons. The question is what happens after the video. They recommend Anki or Quizlet for spaced repetition. Those are fine tools, but the vocabulary decks are separate from the course and there is no pronunciation feedback, writing practice, or AI-generated stories tied to what you just watched.
Hidden Dragon fills that gap. We built our books to mirror the same HSK chapter structure as Zero to Hero. When you finish a video, you come back to Hidden Dragon and the vocabulary from that chapter is waiting for you, ready to practice with SRS, pronunciation scoring, writing, and stories.
Watch the video in Zero to Hero. Practice the vocabulary in Hidden Dragon.
How it works
- Open Hidden Dragon and pick a book, any HSK Standard Course from Pre-HSK 1 through HSK 6.
- You will see a banner that says "This book includes optional videos."
- Tap "Start Lesson" to enter DragonLesson.
- On the Overview screen, click the video card for your chapter. The Zero to Hero lesson opens in a new tab.
- Watch the video at your own pace.
- Come back to Hidden Dragon and practice the vocabulary with SRS, pronunciation trainer, writing, stories, and games.
When you practice, Hidden Dragon scores your pronunciation by drawing your spoken tone curve against the correct one.
| Book | Chapters | Cards | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Chinese (Pre-HSK 1) | 12 | 99 | 12 |
| HSK 1 Standard Course | 15 | 170 | 15 |
| HSK 2 Standard Course | 15 | 172 | 15 |
| HSK 3 Standard Course | 20 | 317 | 20 |
| HSK 4 Standard Course | 20 | 623 | 20 |
| HSK 5 Standard Course | 36 | 1395 | 36 |
| HSK 6 Standard Course | 40 | 1965 | 40 |
That is 158 video lessons across 4,741 vocabulary cards.
What about the grammar-level links?
Last week we mapped 338 grammar patterns to individual Zero to Hero videos. Those still work. Tap any word with a detected grammar pattern, press V, and watch the relevant clip. The new chapter-level links are one video per lesson covering the warm-up and vocabulary for that chapter.
Tap any word to open a popup dictionary with definitions, stroke order, and example sentences.
Start with HSK 1 Standard Course.
Try it
Open Hidden Dragon, grab any HSK Standard Course book, and you will see the video links. New users get the Pre-HSK 1 course auto-loaded after selecting Chinese.
No account required to browse. Start here.
Hidden Dragon is an affiliate of Chinese Zero to Hero. Signing up through our links supports the project. The video lessons require a free Chinese Zero to Hero account to watch.