HSK 3 Listening Part 1: Match Recordings to Pictures
This part tests whether you understand short conversations well enough to picture them. 10 questions — answer format: choose a picture (A–F) for each recording.
One set of pictures, labelled A to F, serves a group of five short conversations. For each conversation you choose the picture that goes with it. There are more pictures than conversations, so you cannot finish by elimination alone.
The conversations are two lines — a question and a reply, or a remark and a response. The picture usually shows the situation (someone on the phone, a shop, a doctor) rather than a single word, so listen for where the speakers are and what they are doing.
The instruction on the paper
听录音，为每段对话选择相应的图片。
Listen and match each conversation with a picture.
HSK 3 Listening Part 1 sample questions with answers
5 questions from our practice bank, in the format of the real paper. Try each one before opening the answer.
Sample 15 questions
ABCDEF
Transcript
女：你的电脑又关了？昨天不是刚修好吗？
男：修是修了，可是用一会儿就发热，看来还得再送去。
nǚ ： nǐ de diàn nǎo yòu guān le ？ zuó tiān bú shì gāng xiū hǎo ma ？
nán ： xiū shì xiū le ， kě shì yòng yī huì er jiù fā rè ， kàn lái hái dé zài sòng qù 。
W: Your computer shut down again? M: It was fixed, but it overheats, it has to go back.
M: You look unwell. W: My head has ached since morning, I will take leave and see a doctor.
Show the answer
Picture D
Transcript
女：东西都放进去了吗？别忘了带上那件厚衣服。
男：都装好了，就是有点儿重，明天早上六点就得出发。
nǚ ： dōng xī dōu fàng jìn qù le ma ？ bié wàng le dài shàng nà jiàn hòu yī fú 。
nán ： dōu zhuāng hǎo le ， jiù shì yǒu diǎn ér zhòng ， míng tiān zǎo shàng liù diǎn jiù dé chū fā 。
W: Is everything packed? M: All done, a bit heavy, we leave at six tomorrow.
Show the answer
Picture A
Transcript
男：外面下得越来越大了，你带伞了没有？
女：没带，早上出门的时候天还很好，我们再等一会儿吧。
nán ： wài miàn xià dé yuè lái yuè dà le ， nǐ dài sǎn le méi yǒu ？
nǚ ： méi dài ， zǎo shàng chū mén de shí hòu tiān hái hěn hǎo ， wǒ men zài děng yī huì er ba 。
M: It is raining harder, did you bring an umbrella? W: No, it was clear this morning.
Show the answer
Picture E
Transcript
女：这家店的鱼做得真不错，就是等的时间长了点儿。
男：是啊，下次我们早点儿来，再叫上几个同事。
nǚ ： zhè jiā diàn de yú zuò dé zhēn bù cuò ， jiù shì děng de shí jiān zhǎng le diǎn ér 。
nán ： shì a ， xià cì wǒ men zǎo diǎn ér lái ， zài jiào shàng jǐ gè tóng shì 。
W: The fish here is great, though the wait was long. M: Next time we come earlier.
Show the answer
Picture B
How to approach it
Study all the pictures first and give each a Chinese label: 打电话, 看医生, 下雨.
During each conversation, listen for the situation, not just a single noun.
Cross pictures off as you use them, but keep an eye on the spare — it is designed to look plausible.
If unsure, pencil in a guess and confirm it on the second listen.
Common mistakes
Assuming every picture is used — one is left over.
Matching on a single word that fits two pictures’ scenes.
Losing track of which conversation number you are on.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in HSK 3 Listening Part 1?
10. It is part 1 of 4 in the HSK 3 Listening section, which has 40 questions and lasts about 35 minutes, for 100 points.
How is HSK 3 Listening Part 1 marked?
Automatically. Every question has one correct answer and all carry the same weight. A wrong answer costs nothing more than a blank one, so never leave a question empty.
How many times is each recording played at HSK 3?
Once. At HSK 3 each recording is played a single time, so read the options before it starts.
Is pinyin printed at HSK 3?
No. At HSK 3 the paper is printed in characters only, so you need to recognise the characters themselves.
Can one picture answer two conversations?
No. Each picture is used at most once, and at least one is left over.
Why is this harder than the single-picture questions?
You hold six options in your head instead of three, and the speech is a dialogue rather than one sentence. Previewing the pictures is what makes it manageable.
Can I practise HSK 3 Listening Part 1 online?
Yes. HSK Test has practice sets for this part, built like the real paper. Create a free account to start; your answers and scores are saved, so you can see how you are improving.
