HSK 4 vocabulary list
In the current six-level HSK (HSK 2.0), HSK 4 adds 598 new words, bringing the cumulative total to about 1,200. That is the level where you can handle a wide range of topics with native speakers, short articles. Every word below links to its full dictionary entry — meaning, the characters it is built from, and example sentences.
This is the old six-level list. The new HSK 3.0, first sat officially on 13 December 2026, has a different list at this level: the new HSK 4 vocabulary list.
Know these already? Take the free HSK 4 test: 20 questions, scored on the page, no signup.
A word list is not a syllabus. These 598 words are not independent: most HSK 4 words are built from words and characters you meet below this level, which is why drilling a list from the top stalls so often. The levels build on each other rather than sitting in six equal buckets — and the whole climb takes longer than most guides admit.
Where HSK 4 actually starts
Chinese words hold each other up. 白 (bái, white) is HSK 2, and 明白 (míng bai, to understand) is HSK 3 — most of the way free once 白 is solid. 但是 (dàn shì, but) is HSK 2, and 不但 (bù dàn, not only) sits two levels above it and stays guesswork until 但是 is automatic. Meet them in the wrong order and you are memorising. Meet them in the right one and you are mostly recognising.
So we mapped which words hold up which — that map is the graph in GraphChinese — and it decides what you are handed next. Sorted by pinyin, HSK 4 opens with 爱情. Sorted by what you are ready for, it opens like this:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
That order is the product. The rest of HSK 4 continues the same way, and a free placement test finds the point you are already at so you never re-grind what you know. No account needed to try it.
Try it free How the levels fit togetherAll 598 HSK 4 words
Sorted by pinyin, the way the official list is published — so you can check yourself against it. Tap any word for its full entry.
| Word | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 爱情 | ài qíng | romance; love (romantic) |
| 暗 | àn | variant of 暗; dark; to turn dark |
| 安排 | ān pái | to arrange; to plan; to set up |
| 安全 | ān quán | safe; secure; safety; security |
| 按时 | àn shí | on time; before deadline; on schedule |
| 按照 | àn zhào | according to; in accordance with; in the light of |
| 抱 | bào | to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug |
| 报道 | bào dào | to report (news); report |
| 保护 | bǎo hù | to protect; to defend; to safeguard |
| 包括 | bāo kuò | to comprise; to include; to involve |
| 报名 | bào míng | to sign up; to enter one's name; to apply |
| 抱歉 | bào qiàn | to be sorry; to feel apologetic; sorry! |
| 保证 | bǎo zhèng | guarantee; to guarantee; to ensure |
| 倍 | bèi | (two, three etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double |
| 笨 | bèn | stupid; foolish; silly |
| 本来 | běn lái | original; originally; at first |
| 遍 | biàn | variant of 遍; everywhere; all over |
| 表达 | biǎo dá | to express; to convey |
| 表格 | biǎo gé | form; table |
| 表扬 | biǎo yáng | to praise; to commend |
| 标准 | biāo zhǔn | standard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard; good; correct; conforming to a standard |
| 笔记本 | bǐ jì běn | notebook (stationery); notebook (computing) |
| 饼干 | bǐng gān | biscuit; cracker; cookie |
| 并且 | bìng qiě | and; besides; moreover |
| 毕业 | bì yè | graduation; to graduate; to finish school |
| 博士 | bó shì | doctor; court academician (in feudal China); Ph.D. |
| 不但 | bù dàn | not only (... but also ...) |
| 不得不 | bù dé bù | have no choice or option but to; cannot but; have to |
| 部分 | bù fen | part; share; section |
| 不管 | bù guǎn | not to be concerned; regardless of; no matter |
| 不过 | bù guò | only; merely; no more than |
| 不仅 | bù jǐn | not just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...) |
| 擦 | cā | to rub; to scratch; to towel; to wipe with a towel; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc) |
| 猜 | cāi | to guess |
| 材料 | cái liào | (raw) material; data; (fig.) person who has the potential to do the job |
| 参观 | cān guān | to look around; to tour; to visit |
| 差不多 | chà bu duō | almost; nearly; more or less |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste; to try (food); to experience; (literary) ever; once |
| 场 | chǎng | classifier for events and happenings: spell, episode, bout; large place used for a specific purpose; stage |
| 长城 | Cháng chéng | the Great Wall |
| 长江 | Cháng Jiāng | Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang |
| 吵 | chǎo | to quarrel; to make a noise; noisy |
| 超过 | chāo guò | to surpass; to exceed; to outstrip |
| 成功 | Chéng gōng | Chenggong or Chengkung town in Taitung County 台东县, southeast Taiwan; success; to succeed |
| 诚实 | chéng shí | honest |
| 成熟 | chéng shú | mature; ripe; to mature; to ripen; Taiwan pr. [chéng shóu] |
| 成为 | chéng wéi | to become; to turn into |
| 乘坐 | chéng zuò | to ride (in a vehicle) |
| 吃惊 | chī jīng | to be startled; to be shocked; to be amazed |
| 重点 | chóng diǎn | to recount (e.g. results of election); to re-evaluate; important point; main point; focus |
| 重新 | chóng xīn | again; once more; re- |
| 抽烟 | chōu yān | to smoke (a cigarette, tobacco) |
| 窗户 | chuāng hu | window |
| 传真 | chuán zhēn | fax; facsimile |
| 出差 | chū chāi | to go on an official or business trip |
| 出发 | chū fā | to set off; to start (on a journey) |
| 出生 | chū shēng | to be born |
| 词典 | cí diǎn | dictionary; also written 辞典 |
| 从来 | cóng lái | always; at all times; never (if used in negative sentence) |
| 粗心 | cū xīn | careless; thoughtless |
| 答案 | dá àn | answer; solution |
| 打扮 | dǎ ban | to decorate; to dress; to make up |
| 大夫 | dà fū | senior official (in imperial China); doctor; physician |
| 大概 | dà gài | roughly; probably; rough |
| 戴 | dài | surname Dai; to put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves etc); to respect |
| 代表 | dài biǎo | representative; delegate; to represent |
| 代替 | dài tì | to replace; to take the place of |
| 弹 | dàn | crossball; bullet; shot |
| 当 | dāng | (onom.) dong; ding dong (bell); to be |
| 当地 | dāng dì | local |
| 当时 | dāng shí | then; at that time; while |
| 刀 | dāo | surname Dao; knife; blade |
| 到处 | dào chù | everywhere |
| 到底 | dào dǐ | finally; in the end; when all is said and done |
| 道歉 | dào qiàn | to apologize |
| 导游 | dǎo yóu | tour guide; guidebook; to conduct a tour |
| 打扰 | dǎ rǎo | to disturb; to bother; to trouble |
| 大使馆 | dà shǐ guǎn | embassy |
| 打印 | dǎ yìn | to affix a seal; to stamp; to print out (with a printer) |
| 大约 | dà yuē | approximately; probably |
| 打折 | dǎ zhé | to give a discount |
| 打针 | dǎ zhēn | to give or have an injection |
| 等 | děng | class; rank; grade |
| 得意 | dé yì | proud of oneself; pleased with oneself; complacent |
| 底 | dǐ | bottom; base; end (of the month, year etc); background |
| 掉 | diào | to fall; to drop; to lag behind |
| 调查 | diào chá | investigation; inquiry; to investigate |
| 地球 | dì qiú | the earth |
| 丢 | diū | to lose; to put aside; to throw |
| 地址 | dì zhǐ | address |
| 动作 | dòng zuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 断 | duàn | to break; to snap; to cut off |
| 堵车 | dǔ chē | traffic jam; (of traffic) to get congested |
| 对 | duì | right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding |
| 对话 | duì huà | to talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation |
| 对面 | duì miàn | (sitting) opposite; across (the street); directly in front |
| 顿 | dùn | to stop; to pause; to arrange |
| 朵 | duǒ | flower; earlobe; fig. item on both sides |
| 肚子 | dù zi | belly; abdomen; stomach |
| 而 | ér | and; as well as; and so |
| 儿童 | ér tóng | child |
| 发 | fā | to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue |
| 法律 | fǎ lǜ | law |
| 反对 | fǎn duì | to oppose; to be against; to object to |
| 方法 | fāng fǎ | method; way; means |
| 方面 | fāng miàn | respect; aspect; field |
| 放弃 | fàng qì | to renounce; to abandon; to give up |
| 放暑假 | fàng shǔ jià | to be on summer vacation |
| 访问 | fǎng wèn | to visit; to call on; to interview |
| 方向 | fāng xiàng | direction; orientation |
| 烦恼 | fán nǎo | to be worried; to be distressed; worries |
| 范围 | fàn wéi | range; scope; limit |
| 翻译 | fān yì | to translate; to interpret; translator |
| 反映 | fǎn yìng | to mirror; to reflect; mirror image |
| 发生 | fā shēng | to happen; to occur; to take place; to break out |
| 发展 | fā zhǎn | development; growth; to develop |
| 份 | fèn | classifier for gifts, newspaper, magazine, papers, reports, contracts etc; variant of 分 |
| 丰富 | fēng fù | to enrich; rich; plentiful |
| 风景 | fēng jǐng | scenery; landscape |
| 分之 | fēn zhī | (indicating a fraction) |
| 否则 | fǒu zé | otherwise; if not; or (else) |
| 富 | fù | surname Fu; rich; abundant |
| 符合 | fú hé | in keeping with; in accordance with; tallying with |
| 父亲 | fù qīn | father; also pr. [fù qin] |
| 复印 | fù yìn | to photocopy; to duplicate a document |
| 复杂 | fù zá | complicated; complex |
| 负责 | fù zé | to be in charge of; to take responsibility for; to be to blame |
| 改变 | gǎi biàn | to change; to alter; to transform |
| 干 | gān | old variant of 干; surname Gan; dry |
| 干杯 | gān bēi | to drink a toast; Cheers! (proposing a toast); Here's to you! |
| 感动 | gǎn dòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally); moving |
| 刚刚 | gāng gang | just recently; just a moment ago |
| 感觉 | gǎn jué | feeling; impression; sensation; to feel; to perceive |
| 感情 | gǎn qíng | emotion; sentiment; affection |
| 感谢 | gǎn xiè | (express) thanks; gratitude; grateful |
| 干燥 | gān zào | to dry (of weather, paint, cement etc); desiccation; dull |
| 高级 | gāo jí | high level; high grade; advanced |
| 各 | gè | each; every |
| 个子 | gè zi | height; stature; build |
| 工具 | gōng jù | tool; instrument; utensil |
| 公里 | gōng lǐ | kilometer |
| 共同 | gòng tóng | common; joint; jointly |
| 工资 | gōng zī | wages; pay |
| 够 | gòu | enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really |
| 购物 | gòu wù | shopping |
| 挂 | guà | to hang or suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead |
| 光 | guāng | light; ray; bright; shiny; only; merely |
| 逛 | guàng | to stroll; to visit |
| 广播 | guǎng bō | broadcast; broadcasting; to broadcast |
| 广告 | guǎng gào | to advertise; a commercial; advertisement |
| 关键 | guān jiàn | crucial point; crux; key |
| 管理 | guǎn lǐ | to supervise; to manage; to administer |
| 观众 | guān zhòng | spectators; audience; visitors (to an exhibition etc) |
| 孤单 | gū dān | lone; lonely; loneliness |
| 规定 | guī dìng | to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; rules; provisions; stipulations |
| 估计 | gū jì | to estimate; to reckon; (coll.) to suppose |
| 顾客 | gù kè | customer; client |
| 鼓励 | gǔ lì | to encourage |
| 过 | guò | surname Guo; to cross; to go over |
| 过程 | guò chéng | course of events; process |
| 国际 | guó jì | international |
| 果然 | guǒ rán | really; sure enough; as expected |
| 故意 | gù yì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 鼓掌 | gǔ zhǎng | to applaud; to clap |
| 害羞 | hài xiū | shy; embarrassed; bashful |
| 海洋 | hǎi yáng | ocean |
| 汗 | hàn | perspiration; sweat; to be speechless (Internet slang used as an interjection); (hán) used in 可汗, 汗国 (Khan; khanate) |
| 航班 | háng bān | (scheduled) flight; (scheduled) sailing |
| 寒假 | hán jià | winter vacation |
| 好处 | hǎo chǔ | easy to get along with; benefit; advantage; merit; gain; profit |
| 号码 | hào mǎ | number |
| 好像 | hǎo xiàng | as if; to seem like |
| 合格 | hé gé | to meet the standard required; qualified; eligible (voter etc) |
| 合适 | hé shì | suitable; fitting; appropriate |
| 盒子 | hé zi | box; case |
| 厚 | hòu | thick; deep or profound; kind |
| 后悔 | hòu huǐ | to regret; to feel remorse |
| 后来 | hòu lái | afterwards; later; newly arrived |
| 猴子 | hóu zi | monkey |
| 怀疑 | huái yí | to doubt (sth); to be skeptical of; to have one's doubts |
| 回忆 | huí yì | to recall; memories |
| 火 | huǒ | surname Huo; fire; urgent |
| 获得 | huò dé | to obtain; to receive; to get |
| 活动 | huó dòng | to exercise; to move about; to operate |
| 活泼 | huó po | lively; vivacious; brisk |
| 忽然 | hū rán | suddenly; all of a sudden |
| 护士 | hù shi | nurse |
| 互相 | hù xiāng | each other; mutually; mutual |
| 寄 | jì | to send; to mail; to entrust |
| 假 | jiǎ | fake; false; artificial; to borrow; if; suppose |
| 加班 | jiā bān | to work overtime |
| 价格 | jià gé | price |
| 家具 | jiā jù | furniture |
| 坚持 | jiān chí | to persevere with; to persist in; to insist on |
| 减肥 | jiǎn féi | to lose weight |
| 降低 | jiàng dī | to reduce; to lower; to bring down |
| 奖金 | jiǎng jīn | premium; award money; bonus |
| 将来 | jiāng lái | in the future; future; the future |
| 减少 | jiǎn shǎo | to lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower |
| 交 | jiāo | to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money) |
| 骄傲 | jiāo ào | pride; arrogance; conceited |
| 交流 | jiāo liú | to exchange; exchange; communication |
| 教授 | jiào shòu | professor; to instruct; to lecture on |
| 交通 | jiāo tōng | to be connected; traffic; transportation |
| 教育 | jiào yù | to educate; to teach; education |
| 饺子 | jiǎo zi | dumpling; pot-sticker |
| 加油站 | jiā yóu zhàn | gas station |
| 基础 | jī chǔ | base; foundation; basis; basic; fundamental |
| 激动 | jī dòng | to move emotionally; to stir up (emotions); to excite |
| 结果 | jiē guǒ | to bear fruit; outcome; result |
| 解释 | jiě shì | explanation; to explain; to interpret |
| 接受 | jiē shòu | to accept; to receive |
| 节约 | jié yuē | to economize; to conserve (resources); economy |
| 集合 | jí hé | to gather; to assemble; (math.) set |
| 计划 | jì huà | plan; project; program |
| 积极 | jī jí | active; energetic; vigorous |
| 积累 | jī lěi | to accumulate; accumulation; cumulative |
| 精彩 | jīng cǎi | wonderful; marvelous; brilliant |
| 警察 | jǐng chá | police; police officer |
| 经济 | jīng jì | economy; economic |
| 京剧 | Jīng jù | Beijing opera |
| 经历 | jīng lì | experience; to experience; to go through |
| 竟然 | jìng rán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise; in spite of everything |
| 精神 | jīng shén | spirit; mind; consciousness |
| 尽管 | jǐn guǎn | despite; although; even though |
| 经验 | jīng yàn | experience; to experience |
| 竞争 | jìng zhēng | to compete; competition |
| 镜子 | jìng zi | mirror |
| 进行 | jìn xíng | to advance; to conduct; underway |
| 紧张 | jǐn zhāng | nervous; keyed up; intense |
| 禁止 | jìn zhǐ | to prohibit; to forbid; to ban |
| 极其 | jí qí | extremely |
| 既然 | jì rán | since; as; this being the case |
| 及时 | jí shí | timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay |
| 即使 | jí shǐ | even if; even though |
| 技术 | jì shù | technology; technique; skill |
| 究竟 | jiū jìng | to go to the bottom of a matter; after all; when all is said and done |
| 继续 | jì xù | to continue; to proceed with; to go on with |
| 记者 | jì zhě | reporter; journalist |
| 举办 | jǔ bàn | to conduct; to hold |
| 拒绝 | jù jué | to refuse; to decline; to reject |
| 距离 | jù lí | distance; to be apart from |
| 开玩笑 | kāi wán xiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke |
| 看法 | kàn fǎ | way of looking at a thing; view; opinion |
| 考虑 | kǎo lǜ | to think over; to consider; consideration |
| 棵 | kē | classifier for trees, cabbages, plants etc |
| 可怜 | kě lián | pitiful; pathetic; to have pity on |
| 肯定 | kěn dìng | to be certain; to be positive; assuredly |
| 可是 | kě shì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 咳嗽 | ké sou | to cough |
| 可惜 | kě xī | it is a pity; what a pity; unfortunately |
| 科学 | kē xué | science; scientific knowledge; scientific |
| 恐怕 | kǒng pà | fear; to dread; I'm afraid that... |
| 空气 | kōng qì | air; atmosphere |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter; hardship; pain |
| 宽 | kuān | surname Kuan; wide; broad |
| 困 | kùn | to trap; to surround; hard-pressed |
| 困难 | kùn nan | difficult; challenging; straitened circumstances |
| 扩大 | kuò dà | to expand; to enlarge; to broaden one's scope |
| 拉 | lā | to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag |
| 辣 | là | old variant of 辣; hot (spicy); pungent |
| 来不及 | lái bu jí | there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late (to do sth) |
| 来得及 | lái de jí | to have enough time; can do it in time; can still make it |
| 垃圾桶 | lā jī tǒng | rubbish bin; trash can; garbage can |
| 懒 | lǎn | variant of 懒; lazy |
| 浪费 | làng fèi | to waste; to squander |
| 浪漫 | làng màn | romantic |
| 老虎 | lǎo hǔ | tiger |
| 冷静 | lěng jìng | calm; cool-headed; dispassionate; (of a place) deserted; quiet |
| 俩 | liǎ | two (colloquial equivalent of 两个); both; some |
| 连 | lián | surname Lian; to link; to join |
| 亮 | liàng | bright; clear; resonant |
| 凉快 | liáng kuai | nice and cold; pleasantly cool |
| 联系 | lián xì | variant of 联系; connection; contact |
| 聊天 | liáo tiān | to chat; to gossip |
| 理发 | lǐ fà | to get a haircut; to have one's hair done; to cut (sb's) hair; to give (sb) a haircut |
| 厉害 | lì hai | (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; se |
| 理解 | lǐ jiě | to comprehend; to understand |
| 礼貌 | lǐ mào | courtesy; politeness; manners; courteous; polite |
| 另外 | lìng wài | additional; in addition; besides |
| 力气 | lì qi | strength |
| 例如 | lì rú | for example; for instance; such as |
| 留 | liú | old variant of 留; to leave (a message etc); to retain |
| 流泪 | liú lèi | to shed tears |
| 流利 | liú lì | fluent |
| 流行 | liú xíng | (of a contagious disease etc) to spread; to propagate; (of a style of clothing, song etc) popular |
| 留学 | liú xué | to study abroad |
| 理想 | lǐ xiǎng | an ideal; a dream; ideal |
| 乱 | luàn | in confusion or disorder; in a confused state of mind; disorder |
| 律师 | lǜ shī | lawyer |
| 麻烦 | má fan | trouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome; annoying; to bother sb; to put sb to trouble |
| 马虎 | mǎ hu | careless; sloppy; negligent |
| 满 | mǎn | Manchu ethnic group; to fill; full |
| 毛巾 | máo jīn | towel |
| 美丽 | měi lì | beautiful |
| 梦 | mèng | dream; (bound form) to dream |
| 免费 | miǎn fèi | free (of charge) |
| 密码 | mì mǎ | cipher; secret code; password; PIN |
| 民族 | mín zú | nationality; ethnic group |
| 目的 | mù dì | purpose; aim; goal; target; objective |
| 母亲 | mǔ qīn | mother; also pr. [mǔ qin] |
| 耐心 | nài xīn | to be patient; patience |
| 难道 | nán dào | don't tell me ...; could it be that...? |
| 难受 | nán shòu | to feel unwell; to suffer pain; to be difficult to bear |
| 内 | nèi | inside; inner; internal |
| 内容 | nèi róng | content; substance; details |
| 能力 | néng lì | capability; ability |
| 年龄 | nián líng | (a person's) age |
| 弄 | nòng | to do; to manage; to handle; to play with; to fool with; (lòng) lane; alley (esp. in Shanghai place names) |
| 农村 | nóng cūn | rural area; village |
| 暖和 | nuǎn huo | warm; nice and warm |
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally; once in a while; sometimes |
| 排列 | pái liè | to arrange in order; (math.) permutation |
| 判断 | pàn duàn | to judge; to determine; judgment |
| 陪 | péi | to accompany; to keep sb company; to assist |
| 篇 | piān | sheet; piece of writing; bound set of bamboo slips used for record keeping (old) |
| 骗 | piàn | to cheat; to swindle; to deceive |
| 皮肤 | pí fū | skin |
| 乒乓球 | pīng pāng qiú | table tennis; ping-pong; table tennis ball |
| 平时 | píng shí | ordinarily; in normal times; in peacetime |
| 瓶子 | píng zi | bottle |
| 批评 | pī píng | to criticize; criticism |
| 脾气 | pí qi | character; temperament; disposition |
| 破 | pò | broken; damaged; worn out |
| 普遍 | pǔ biàn | universal; general; widespread |
| 墙 | qiáng | variant of 墙, wall; wall |
| 千万 | qiān wàn | ten million; countless; many |
| 签证 | qiān zhèng | visa; to issue a visa |
| 敲 | qiāo | to hit; to strike; to tap |
| 桥 | qiáo | bridge |
| 巧克力 | qiǎo kè lì | chocolate (loanword) |
| 其次 | qí cì | next; secondly |
| 起飞 | qǐ fēi | (of an aircraft) to take off |
| 气候 | qì hòu | (meteorology) climate; (fig.) climate; prevailing conditions (in human affairs) |
| 起来 | qǐ lai | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qǐ lái] |
| 轻 | qīng | light; easy; gentle |
| 请假 | qǐng jià | to request leave of absence |
| 请客 | qǐng kè | to give a dinner party; to entertain guests; to invite to dinner |
| 情况 | qíng kuàng | circumstances; state of affairs; situation |
| 轻松 | qīng sōng | light; gentle; relaxed |
| 亲戚 | qīn qi | a relative (i.e. family relation) |
| 穷 | qióng | poor; destitute; to use up |
| 其中 | qí zhōng | among; in; included among these |
| 取 | qǔ | to take; to get; to choose |
| 全部 | quán bù | whole; all |
| 区别 | qū bié | difference; to distinguish; to discriminate |
| 却 | què | old variant of 却; but; yet |
| 缺点 | quē diǎn | weak point; fault; shortcoming |
| 缺少 | quē shǎo | lack; shortage of; shortfall |
| 确实 | què shí | indeed; really; reliable |
| 群 | qún | variant of 群; group; crowd |
| 然而 | rán ér | however; yet; but |
| 热闹 | rè nao | bustling with noise and excitement; lively |
| 扔 | rēng | to throw; to throw away |
| 仍然 | réng rán | still; as before; yet |
| 任何 | rèn hé | any; whatever; whichever |
| 人民币 | rén mín bì | Renminbi (RMB); Chinese Yuan (CNY) |
| 任务 | rèn wu | mission; assignment; task; duty; role |
| 日记 | rì jì | diary |
| 软 | ruǎn | soft; flexible; variant of 软 |
| 入口 | rù kǒu | entrance; to import |
| 散步 | sàn bù | to take a walk; to go for a walk |
| 森林 | sēn lín | forest |
| 沙发 | shā fā | sofa (loanword); (Internet slang) the first reply or replier to a forum post |
| 商量 | shāng liang | to consult; to talk over; to discuss |
| 伤心 | shāng xīn | to grieve; to be broken-hearted; to feel deeply hurt |
| 稍微 | shāo wēi | a little bit |
| 社会 | shè huì | society |
| 深 | shēn | old variant of 深; deep (lit. and fig.) |
| 省 | shěng | to save; to economize; to be frugal; to omit; to delete; to leave out; province |
| 剩 | shèng | to remain; to be left; to have as remainder |
| 生活 | shēng huó | to live; life; livelihood |
| 生命 | shēng mìng | life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature |
| 申请 | shēn qǐng | to apply for sth; application form |
| 甚至 | shèn zhì | even; so much so that |
| 试 | shì | to test; to try; experiment |
| 失败 | shī bài | to be defeated; to lose; to fail (e.g. experiments) |
| 市场 | shì chǎng | marketplace; market (also in abstract) |
| 十分 | shí fēn | very; completely; utterly |
| 师傅 | shī fu | master; qualified worker; respectful form of address for older men |
| 适合 | shì hé | to fit; to suit |
| 实际 | shí jì | reality; practice; practical |
| 世纪 | shì jì | century |
| 食品 | shí pǐn | foodstuff; food; provisions |
| 湿润 | shī rùn | moist |
| 失望 | shī wàng | disappointed; to lose hope; to despair |
| 适应 | shì yìng | to adapt; to fit; to suit |
| 使用 | shǐ yòng | to use; to employ; to apply |
| 实在 | shí zài | really; actually; indeed |
| 狮子 | Shī zǐ | Leo (star sign); Shihtzu township in Pingtung County 屏东县, Taiwan; lion |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to accept; to collect |
| 受不了 | shòu bù liǎo | unbearable; unable to endure; can't stand |
| 受到 | shòu dào | to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punished etc) |
| 首都 | shǒu dū | capital (city) |
| 售货员 | shòu huò yuán | salesperson |
| 收入 | shōu rù | to take in; income; revenue |
| 收拾 | shōu shi | to put in order; to tidy up; to pack |
| 首先 | shǒu xiān | first (of all); in the first place |
| 输 | shū | to lose; to be beaten; (bound form) to transport; (literary) to donate; to contribute |
| 帅 | shuài | surname Shuai; (bound form) commander-in-chief; (bound form) to lead; to command |
| 数量 | shù liàng | amount; quantity; quantitative |
| 顺便 | shùn biàn | conveniently; in passing; without much extra effort |
| 顺利 | shùn lì | smoothly; without a hitch |
| 顺序 | shùn xù | sequence; order |
| 说明 | shuō míng | to explain; to illustrate; to indicate |
| 硕士 | shuò shì | master's degree; person who has a master's degree; learned person |
| 熟悉 | shú xī | to be familiar with; to know well |
| 数字 | shù zì | numeral; digit; number |
| 死 | sǐ | to die; impassable; uncrossable |
| 酸 | suān | sour; tart; sick at heart |
| 算 | suàn | to regard as; to figure; to calculate |
| 速度 | sù dù | speed; rate; velocity |
| 随便 | suí biàn | as one wishes; as one pleases; at random |
| 随着 | suí zhe | along with; in the wake of; following |
| 塑料袋 | sù liào dài | plastic bag |
| 孙子 | Sūn zǐ | Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Wu 孙武 (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of |
| 所有 | suǒ yǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 台 | tái | Taiwan (abbr.); surname Tai; (classical) you (in letters) |
| 抬 | tái | to lift; to raise; (of two or more persons) to carry |
| 态度 | tài du | manner; bearing; attitude |
| 谈 | tán | surname Tan; to speak; to talk |
| 汤 | tāng | surname Tang; rushing current; soup |
| 躺 | tǎng | to recline; to lie down |
| 趟 | tàng | old variant of 趟; to wade; to trample |
| 讨论 | tǎo lùn | to discuss; to talk over |
| 讨厌 | tǎo yàn | to dislike; to loathe; disagreeable |
| 特点 | tè diǎn | characteristic (feature); trait; feature |
| 填空 | tián kòng | to fill a job vacancy; to fill in a blank (e.g. on questionnaire or exam paper) |
| 条件 | tiáo jiàn | condition; circumstance; term; factor; requirement; prerequisite; qualification; situation; state; condition |
| 提供 | tí gōng | to offer; to supply; to provide |
| 挺 | tǐng | straight; erect; to stick out (a part of the body) |
| 停止 | tíng zhǐ | to stop; to halt; to cease |
| 提前 | tí qián | to shift to an earlier date; to do sth ahead of time; in advance |
| 提醒 | tí xǐng | to remind; to call attention to; to warn of |
| 通过 | tōng guò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation); to pass (a test) |
| 同情 | tóng qíng | to sympathize with; sympathy |
| 通知 | tōng zhī | to notify; to inform; notice |
| 推 | tuī | to push; to cut; to refuse |
| 推迟 | tuī chí | to postpone; to put off; to defer |
| 脱 | tuō | to shed; to take off; to escape |
| 往 | wǎng | to go (in a direction); to; towards |
| 网球 | wǎng qiú | tennis; tennis ball |
| 往往 | wǎng wǎng | usually; in many cases; more often than not |
| 网站 | wǎng zhàn | website; network station; node |
| 完全 | wán quán | complete; whole; totally; entirely |
| 袜子 | wà zi | socks; stockings |
| 味道 | wèi dao | flavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...); hint (of ...); (fig.) interest; delight |
| 危险 | wēi xiǎn | danger; dangerous |
| 温度 | wēn dù | temperature |
| 文章 | wén zhāng | article; essay; literary works |
| 握手 | wò shǒu | to shake hands |
| 无 | wú | not to have; no; none |
| 误会 | wù huì | to misunderstand; to mistake; misunderstanding |
| 无聊 | wú liáo | bored; boring; senseless |
| 无论 | wú lùn | no matter what or how; regardless of whether... |
| 污染 | wū rǎn | to pollute; to contaminate (lit. and fig.) |
| 咸 | xián | surname Xian; all; everyone |
| 现代 | Xiàn dài | Hyundai, South Korean company; modern times; modern age |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic |
| 响 | xiǎng | echo; sound; noise |
| 相反 | xiāng fǎn | opposite; contrary |
| 详细 | xiáng xì | detailed; in detail; minute |
| 羡慕 | xiàn mù | to envy; to admire |
| 限制 | xiàn zhì | to restrict; to limit; to confine |
| 效果 | xiào guǒ | result; effect; efficacy |
| 笑话 | xiào hua | joke; jest; to laugh at; to mock |
| 小说 | xiǎo shuō | novel; fiction |
| 消息 | xiāo xi | news; information |
| 西红柿 | xī hóng shì | tomato |
| 行 | xíng | row; line; commercial firm |
| 醒 | xǐng | to wake up; to be awake; to become aware |
| 性别 | xìng bié | gender; sex |
| 兴奋 | xīng fèn | excited; excitement; (physiology) excitation |
| 幸福 | xìng fú | happiness; happy; blessed |
| 性格 | xìng gé | nature; disposition; temperament |
| 辛苦 | xīn kǔ | exhausting; hard; tough |
| 心情 | xīn qíng | mood; frame of mind |
| 信任 | xìn rèn | to trust; to have confidence in |
| 信心 | xìn xīn | confidence; faith (in sb or sth) |
| 信用卡 | xìn yòng kǎ | credit card |
| 修 | xiū | surname Xiu; to decorate; to embellish |
| 洗衣机 | xǐ yī jī | washing machine; washer |
| 吸引 | xī yǐn | to attract; to appeal to; to fascinate |
| 许多 | xǔ duō | many; a lot of; much |
| 血 | xuè | blood; colloquial pr. [xiě] |
| 呀 | ya | (particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) |
| 牙膏 | yá gāo | toothpaste |
| 压力 | yā lì | pressure |
| 盐 | yán | salt |
| 演出 | yǎn chū | to act (in a play); to perform; to put on (a performance) |
| 养成 | yǎng chéng | to cultivate; to raise; to form (a habit) |
| 严格 | yán gé | strict; stringent; tight |
| 阳光 | yáng guāng | sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic; transparent (open to public scrutiny) |
| 样子 | yàng zi | appearance; manner; pattern |
| 研究生 | yán jiū shēng | graduate student; postgraduate student; research student |
| 演员 | yǎn yuán | actor or actress; performer |
| 严重 | yán zhòng | grave; serious; severe |
| 邀请 | yāo qǐng | to invite; invitation |
| 钥匙 | yào shi | key |
| 亚洲 | Yà zhōu | Asia (abbr. for 亚细亚洲) |
| 页 | yè | page; leaf; (xié) "head" radical in Chinese characters (rare, archaic) |
| 也许 | yě xǔ | perhaps; maybe |
| 叶子 | yè zi | leaf; (slang) marijuana |
| 以 | yǐ | old variant of 以; old variant of 以; abbr. for Israel 列 |
| 亿 | yì | 100 million |
| 意见 | yì jiàn | idea; opinion; suggestion |
| 因此 | yīn cǐ | thus; consequently; as a result |
| 赢 | yíng | to beat; to win; to profit |
| 硬 | yìng | hard; stiff; solid; (fig.) strong; firm; resolutely; uncompromisingly |
| 饮料 | yǐn liào | drink; beverage |
| 引起 | yǐn qǐ | to give rise to; to lead to; to cause; to arouse |
| 印象 | yìn xiàng | impression (sth that stays in one's mind); a memory |
| 一切 | yī qiè | everything; every; all |
| 艺术 | yì shù | art |
| 勇敢 | yǒng gǎn | brave; courageous |
| 永远 | yǒng yuǎn | forever; eternal |
| 由 | yóu | to follow; from; because of; due to |
| 优点 | yōu diǎn | merit; benefit; strong point |
| 友好 | Yǒu hǎo | Youhao district of Yichun city 市, Heilongjiang; friendly; amicable; close friend |
| 幽默 | yōu mò | (loanword) humor; humorous |
| 尤其 | yóu qí | especially; particularly |
| 有趣 | yǒu qù | interesting; fascinating; amusing |
| 优秀 | yōu xiù | outstanding; excellent |
| 友谊 | yǒu yì | companionship; fellowship; friendship |
| 由于 | yóu yú | due to; as a result of; thanks to |
| 与 | yǔ | and; to give; together with |
| 圆 | yuán | circle; round; circular |
| 原来 | yuán lái | original; former; originally |
| 原谅 | yuán liàng | to excuse; to forgive; to pardon |
| 原因 | yuán yīn | cause; origin; root cause |
| 阅读 | yuè dú | to read; reading |
| 约会 | yuē huì | appointment; engagement; date |
| 语法 | yǔ fǎ | grammar |
| 愉快 | yú kuài | cheerful; cheerily; delightful |
| 羽毛球 | yǔ máo qiú | shuttlecock; badminton |
| 允许 | yǔn xǔ | to permit; to allow |
| 于是 | yú shì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence |
| 预习 | yù xí | to prepare a lesson |
| 语言 | yǔ yán | language |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty; filthy; to get (sth) dirty; (zàng) viscera; internal organ (as in 心脏, 肝脏) |
| 咱们 | zán men | we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to); (dialect) I or me; (dialect) (in a coaxing or familia |
| 暂时 | zàn shí | temporary; provisional; for the time being |
| 杂志 | zá zhì | magazine |
| 增加 | zēng jiā | to raise; to increase |
| 增长 | zēng zhǎng | to grow; to increase |
| 责任 | zé rèn | responsibility; blame; duty |
| 窄 | zhǎi | narrow; narrow-minded; badly off |
| 招聘 | zhāo pìn | to invite applications for a job; to recruit |
| 正常 | zhèng cháng | regular; normal; ordinary |
| 正好 | zhèng hǎo | just (in time); just right; just enough |
| 整理 | zhěng lǐ | to arrange; to tidy up; to sort out |
| 证明 | zhèng míng | proof; certificate; identification |
| 整齐 | zhěng qí | orderly; neat; even |
| 正确 | zhèng què | correct; sound; right; proper |
| 正式 | zhèng shì | formal; official |
| 真正 | zhēn zhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed |
| 之 | zhī | (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的); him; her |
| 指 | zhǐ | finger; to point at or to; to indicate or refer to |
| 支持 | zhī chí | to be in favor of; to support; to back |
| 值得 | zhí de | to be worth; to deserve |
| 只好 | zhǐ hǎo | to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to |
| 直接 | zhí jiē | direct (opposite: indirect 间接); immediate; straightforward |
| 质量 | zhì liàng | quality; (physics) mass |
| 至少 | zhì shǎo | at least; (to say the) least |
| 知识 | zhī shi | knowledge; intellectual |
| 植物 | zhí wù | plant; vegetation |
| 只要 | zhǐ yào | if only; so long as |
| 职业 | zhí yè | occupation; profession; vocation; professional |
| 制造 | zhì zào | to manufacture; to make |
| 重视 | zhòng shì | to attach importance to sth; to value |
| 中文 | Zhōng wén | Chinese language |
| 周围 | zhōu wéi | environs; surroundings; periphery |
| 猪 | zhū | hog; pig; swine |
| 赚 | zhuàn | to earn; to make a profit; to cheat |
| 撞 | zhuàng | to knock against; to bump into; to run into |
| 专门 | zhuān mén | specialist; specialized; customized |
| 专业 | zhuān yè | specialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university) |
| 主动 | zhǔ dòng | to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord; spontaneous |
| 祝贺 | zhù hè | to congratulate; congratulations |
| 逐渐 | zhú jiàn | gradually |
| 著名 | zhù míng | famous; noted; well-known |
| 准确 | zhǔn què | accurate; exact; precise |
| 准时 | zhǔn shí | on time; punctual; on schedule |
| 主意 | zhǔ yi | plan; idea; decision |
| 自然 | zì rán | nature; natural; naturally |
| 仔细 | zǐ xì | careful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out |
| 总结 | zǒng jié | to sum up; to conclude; summary |
| 租 | zū | to hire; to rent; to charter |
| 组成 | zǔ chéng | to form; to make up; to constitute |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth; beak; nozzle |
| 最好 | zuì hǎo | best; (you) had better (do what we suggest) |
| 最后 | zuì hòu | final; last; finally |
| 尊重 | zūn zhòng | to esteem; to respect; to honor |
| 座 | zuò | seat; base; stand |
| 做生意 | zuò shēng yì | to do business |
| 座位 | zuò wèi | seat |
| 作者 | zuò zhě | author; writer |
| 组织 | zǔ zhī | to organize; organization; (biology) tissue |
Frequently asked questions
How many words are in HSK 4?
HSK 4 introduces 598 new words. Counting everything below it, you are expected to know roughly 1,200 words by the end of the level.
How long does it take to learn HSK 4 vocabulary?
At fifteen new words a day with spaced review, the 598 new words take about 40 days. The real constraint is rarely how fast you can meet a word — it is whether the material underneath is automatic enough for the new word to attach to anything. That is why learners who skip levels end up re-learning them.
Is this the 2021 nine-band list?
No — this is the six-level HSK 2.0 vocabulary, which is what the exams most learners sit still follow. The HSK levels page explains how the nine-band standard relates to it, and the band 7–9 list is the level above.
Get the free references
The 200-word list, the full curriculum order, and every HSK word list — sent once, plus a rare note when a new free reference ships. No account needed for any of it.
Reading a list is not learning it. GraphChinese maps which words hold up which across the whole of HSK 1–6. You are taught a word once the words underneath it are solid, and it comes back for review the day before you would have forgotten it. Start where you actually are, not at word one.
See how it works Price