You are given a passage in another language and translate it into Chinese in writing.
Markers look for accurate meaning, natural Chinese rather than word-for-word rendering, and correct handling of the passage’s logic — its conditions, contrasts and causes. The result should read as if it had been written in Chinese.
The instruction on the paper
把下面的材料翻译成中文。
Translate the passage below into Chinese.
HSK 7, 8 and 9 are one exam. Everyone sits the same paper and the score decides which of the three levels is awarded, so this part is the same whichever of them you are aiming for.
HSK 7 Translation Part 1 sample questions with answers
3 questions from our practice bank, in the format of the real paper. Try each one before opening the answer.
Sample 1
For most of the twentieth century, cities were planned around the assumption that movement was a cost to be minimised. Streets were widened, functions were separated, and distance was treated as a problem that engineering would eventually solve. What that approach overlooked is that a street is not only a channel; it is also a place where people meet without having arranged to.
zài èr shí shì jì de dà bù fèn shí jiān lǐ ， chéng shì guī huà de qián tí shì ： chū xíng shì yī zhǒng yīng dāng jǐn liàng jiǎn shǎo de chéng běn 。 yú shì dào lù bèi tuò kuān ， gōng néng bèi fēn kāi ， jù lí bèi dàng zuò yí gè zhōng jiāng yóu gōng chéng shǒu duàn jiě jué de wèn tí 。 zhè zhǒng sī lù hū lüè de shì ， jiē dào bù zhǐ shì tōng dào ， tā tóng shí yě shì rén men bìng wèi shì xiān yuē dìng què huì xiāng yù de dì fāng 。
What the marker looks for
保留了原文的逻辑层次
"movement was a cost" 的转译准确
最后一句的转折没有丢失
中文表达自然，不是逐词直译
Sample 2
The most useful thing a reviewer can do is not to say whether they liked the work, but to describe precisely what happened to them while they were reading it. Judgement can be argued with; an accurate account of an experience cannot.
píng lùn zhě néng zuò de zuì yǒu yòng de shì ， bú shì shuō zì jǐ xǐ bù xǐ huān zhè bù zuò pǐn ， ér shì zhǔn què dì miáo shù yuè dú guò chéng zhōng zì jǐ shēn shàng fā shēng le shén me 。 pàn duàn shì kě yǐ zhēng lùn de ， ér duì yī duàn tǐ yàn de rú shí jì shù zé wú fǎ zhēng lùn 。
What the marker looks for
对比结构清楚
"argued with" 译得准确
第二句的对照关系保留
中文流畅
Sample 3
Many people believe that learning a language is mainly about memorising words. In fact, words only become useful when we know how they are used together. A learner who knows three thousand words but cannot put them into natural sentences will still struggle to be understood. That is why reading widely matters as much as studying lists.
Read the whole passage and work out its logical structure.
Translate sentence by sentence, restructuring where Chinese needs it.
Split long sentences: Chinese prefers shorter clauses.
Reread the Chinese on its own for naturalness.
Common mistakes
Following the source word order.
Dropping a condition or a contrast.
Leaving parts untranslated.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in HSK 7 Translation Part 1?
2. It is part 1 of 2 in the HSK 7 Translation section, which has 4 questions and lasts about 41 minutes, for 100 points.
How is HSK 7 Translation Part 1 marked?
By trained examiners, not automatically. Your answer is marked against set criteria: whether the task is done, how accurate and varied the language is, and how well it is organised.
Is pinyin printed at HSK 7?
No. At HSK 7 the paper is printed in characters only, so you need to recognise the characters themselves.
Is a literal translation safer?
No. Literal renderings are marked down for unnatural Chinese. Translate the meaning.
What if I do not know a word?
Paraphrase it. A clear paraphrase keeps the meaning; a gap loses it.
Can I practise HSK 7 Translation 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.