HSK 4 vocabulary list
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.
A word list is not a syllabus. These 598 words are not independent: most HSK 4 words are built from characters and patterns introduced below this level, which is why drilling a list top-to-bottom stalls so often. The levels are a dependency chain, not six equal buckets.
All 598 HSK 4 words
| Word | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 遍 | biàn | variant of 遍; everywhere; all over |
| 标准 | biāo zhǔn | standard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard; good; correct; conforming to a standard |
| 表达 | biǎo dá | to express; to convey |
| 表格 | biǎo gé | form; table |
| 表扬 | biǎo yáng | to praise; to commend |
| 抱 | bào | to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug |
| 报道 | bào dào | to report (news); report |
| 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! |
| 倍 | bèi | (two, three etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double |
| 笨 | bèn | stupid; foolish; silly |
| 毕业 | bì yè | graduation; to graduate; to finish school |
| 并且 | bìng qiě | and; besides; moreover |
| 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 |
| 不过 | bù guò | only; merely; no more than |
| 不管 | bù guǎn | not to be concerned; regardless of; no matter |
| 不仅 | bù jǐn | not just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...) |
| 包括 | bāo kuò | to comprise; to include; to involve |
| 本来 | běn lái | original; originally; at first |
| 保护 | bǎo hù | to protect; to defend; to safeguard |
| 保证 | bǎo zhèng | guarantee; to guarantee; to ensure |
| 笔记本 | bǐ jì běn | notebook (stationery); notebook (computing) |
| 饼干 | bǐng gān | biscuit; cracker; cookie |
| 传真 | chuán zhēn | fax; facsimile |
| 窗户 | chuāng hu | window |
| 差不多 | chà bu duō | almost; nearly; more or less |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste; to try (food); to experience; (literary) ever; once |
| 长城 | Cháng chéng | the Great Wall |
| 长江 | Cháng Jiāng | Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang |
| 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) |
| 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- |
| 超过 | chāo guò | to surpass; to exceed; to outstrip |
| 吃惊 | chī jīng | to be startled; to be shocked; to be amazed |
| 抽烟 | chōu yān | to smoke (a cigarette, tobacco) |
| 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 |
| 场 | chǎng | classifier for events and happenings: spell, episode, bout; large place used for a specific purpose; stage |
| 吵 | chǎo | to quarrel; to make a noise; noisy |
| 材料 | cái liào | (raw) material; data; (fig.) person who has the potential to do the job |
| 词典 | cí diǎn | dictionary; also written 辞典 |
| 从来 | cóng lái | always; at all times; never (if used in negative sentence) |
| 擦 | cā | to rub; to scratch; to towel; to wipe with a towel; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc) |
| 猜 | cāi | to guess |
| 参观 | cān guān | to look around; to tour; to visit |
| 粗心 | cū xīn | careless; thoughtless |
| 掉 | diào | to fall; to drop; to lag behind |
| 调查 | diào chá | investigation; inquiry; to investigate |
| 丢 | diū | to lose; to put aside; to throw |
| 断 | duàn | to break; to snap; to cut off |
| 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 |
| 朵 | duǒ | flower; earlobe; fig. item on both sides |
| 大夫 | dà fū | senior official (in imperial China); doctor; physician |
| 大概 | dà gài | roughly; probably; rough |
| 大使馆 | dà shǐ guǎn | embassy |
| 大约 | dà yuē | approximately; probably |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 答案 | dá àn | answer; solution |
| 得意 | dé yì | proud of oneself; pleased with oneself; complacent |
| 地球 | dì qiú | the earth |
| 地址 | dì zhǐ | address |
| 动作 | dòng zuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 肚子 | dù zi | belly; abdomen; stomach |
| 顿 | dùn | to stop; to pause; to arrange |
| 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 |
| 等 | děng | class; rank; grade |
| 打扮 | dǎ ban | to decorate; to dress; to make up |
| 打扰 | dǎ rǎo | to disturb; to bother; to trouble |
| 打印 | dǎ yìn | to affix a seal; to stamp; to print out (with a printer) |
| 打折 | dǎ zhé | to give a discount |
| 打针 | dǎ zhēn | to give or have an injection |
| 导游 | dǎo yóu | tour guide; guidebook; to conduct a tour |
| 底 | dǐ | bottom; base; end (of the month, year etc); background |
| 堵车 | dǔ chē | traffic jam; (of traffic) to get congested |
| 范围 | fàn wéi | range; scope; limit |
| 放弃 | fàng qì | to renounce; to abandon; to give up |
| 放暑假 | fàng shǔ jià | to be on summer vacation |
| 烦恼 | fán nǎo | to be worried; to be distressed; worries |
| 份 | fèn | classifier for gifts, newspaper, magazine, papers, reports, contracts etc; variant of 分 |
| 富 | Fù | surname Fu; rich; abundant |
| 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 |
| 符合 | fú hé | in keeping with; in accordance with; tallying with |
| 发 | fā | to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue |
| 发生 | fā shēng | to happen; to occur; to take place; to break out |
| 发展 | fā zhǎn | development; growth; to develop |
| 翻译 | fān yì | to translate; to interpret; translator |
| 方法 | fāng fǎ | method; way; means |
| 方面 | fāng miàn | respect; aspect; field |
| 方向 | fāng xiàng | direction; orientation |
| 分之 | fēn zhī | (indicating a fraction) |
| 丰富 | fēng fù | to enrich; rich; plentiful |
| 风景 | fēng jǐng | scenery; landscape |
| 法律 | fǎ lǜ | law |
| 反对 | fǎn duì | to oppose; to be against; to object to |
| 反映 | fǎn yìng | to mirror; to reflect; mirror image |
| 访问 | fǎng wèn | to visit; to call on; to interview |
| 否则 | fǒu zé | otherwise; if not; or (else) |
| 挂 | guà | to hang or suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead |
| 逛 | guàng | to stroll; to visit |
| 过程 | guò chéng | course of events; process |
| 国际 | guó jì | international |
| 关键 | guān jiàn | crucial point; crux; key |
| 观众 | guān zhòng | spectators; audience; visitors (to an exhibition etc) |
| 光 | guāng | light; ray; bright; shiny; only; merely |
| 规定 | guī dìng | to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; rules; provisions; stipulations |
| 过 | Guō | surname Guo; to cross; to go over |
| 管理 | guǎn lǐ | to supervise; to manage; to administer |
| 广播 | guǎng bō | broadcast; broadcasting; to broadcast |
| 广告 | guǎng gào | to advertise; a commercial; advertisement |
| 果然 | guǒ rán | really; sure enough; as expected |
| 各 | gè | each; every |
| 个子 | gè zi | height; stature; build |
| 共同 | gòng tóng | common; joint; jointly |
| 够 | gòu | enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really |
| 购物 | gòu wù | shopping |
| 顾客 | gù kè | customer; client |
| 故意 | gù yì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 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! |
| 干燥 | gān zào | to dry (of weather, paint, cement etc); desiccation; dull |
| 刚刚 | gāng gang | just recently; just a moment ago |
| 高级 | gāo jí | high level; high grade; advanced |
| 工具 | gōng jù | tool; instrument; utensil |
| 公里 | gōng lǐ | kilometer |
| 工资 | gōng zī | wages; pay |
| 孤单 | gū dān | lone; lonely; loneliness |
| 估计 | gū jì | to estimate; to reckon; (coll.) to suppose |
| 改变 | gǎi biàn | to change; to alter; to transform |
| 感动 | gǎn dòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally); moving |
| 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 |
| 鼓励 | gǔ lì | to encourage |
| 鼓掌 | gǔ zhǎng | to applaud; to clap |
| 怀疑 | huái yí | to doubt (sth); to be skeptical of; to have one's doubts |
| 回忆 | huí yì | to recall; memories |
| 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 |
| 火 | Huǒ | surname Huo; fire; urgent |
| 害羞 | hài xiū | shy; embarrassed; bashful |
| 汗 | hàn | perspiration; sweat; to be speechless (Internet slang used as an interjection); (hán) used in 可汗, 汗国 (Khan; khanate) |
| 号码 | hào mǎ | number |
| 寒假 | hán jià | winter vacation |
| 行 | háng | row; line; commercial firm |
| 航班 | háng bān | (scheduled) flight; (scheduled) sailing |
| 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 |
| 护士 | hù shi | nurse |
| 互相 | hù xiāng | each other; mutually; mutual |
| 忽然 | hū rán | suddenly; all of a sudden |
| 海洋 | hǎi yáng | ocean |
| 好处 | hǎo chǔ | easy to get along with; benefit; advantage; merit; gain; profit |
| 好像 | hǎo xiàng | as if; to seem like |
| 价格 | jià gé | price |
| 降低 | jiàng dī | to reduce; to lower; to bring down |
| 教授 | jiào shòu | professor; to instruct; to lecture on |
| 教育 | jiào yù | to educate; to teach; education |
| 节约 | jié yuē | to economize; to conserve (resources); economy |
| 加班 | jiā bān | to work overtime |
| 家具 | jiā jù | furniture |
| 加油站 | jiā yóu zhàn | gas station |
| 坚持 | jiān chí | to persevere with; to persist in; to insist on |
| 将来 | jiāng lái | in the future; future; the future |
| 交 | jiāo | to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money) |
| 交流 | jiāo liú | to exchange; exchange; communication |
| 交通 | jiāo tōng | to be connected; traffic; transportation |
| 骄傲 | jiāo ào | pride; arrogance; conceited |
| 结果 | jiē guǒ | to bear fruit; outcome; result |
| 接受 | jiē shòu | to accept; to receive |
| 解释 | jiě shì | explanation; to explain; to interpret |
| 究竟 | jiū jìng | to go to the bottom of a matter; after all; when all is said and done |
| 假 | jiǎ | fake; false; artificial; to borrow; if; suppose |
| 减肥 | jiǎn féi | to lose weight |
| 减少 | jiǎn shǎo | to lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower |
| 奖金 | jiǎng jīn | premium; award money; bonus |
| 饺子 | jiǎo zi | dumpling; pot-sticker |
| 寄 | jì | to send; to mail; to entrust |
| 计划 | jì huà | plan; project; program |
| 既然 | jì rán | since; as; this being the case |
| 技术 | jì shù | technology; technique; skill |
| 继续 | jì xù | to continue; to proceed with; to go on with |
| 记者 | jì zhě | reporter; journalist |
| 进行 | jìn xíng | to advance; to conduct; underway |
| 禁止 | jìn zhǐ | to prohibit; to forbid; to ban |
| 竟然 | jìng rán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise; in spite of everything |
| 竞争 | jìng zhēng | to compete; competition |
| 镜子 | jìng zi | mirror |
| 集合 | jí hé | to gather; to assemble; (math.) set |
| 极其 | jí qí | extremely |
| 及时 | jí shí | timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay |
| 即使 | jí shǐ | even if; even though |
| 拒绝 | jù jué | to refuse; to decline; to reject |
| 距离 | jù lí | distance; to be apart from |
| 基础 | jī chǔ | base; foundation; basis; basic; fundamental |
| 激动 | jī dòng | to move emotionally; to stir up (emotions); to excite |
| 积极 | jī jí | active; energetic; vigorous |
| 积累 | jī lěi | to accumulate; accumulation; cumulative |
| 精彩 | jīng cǎi | wonderful; marvelous; brilliant |
| 经济 | jīng jì | economy; economic |
| 京剧 | Jīng jù | Beijing opera |
| 经历 | jīng lì | experience; to experience; to go through |
| 精神 | jīng shén | spirit; mind; consciousness |
| 经验 | jīng yàn | experience; to experience |
| 尽管 | jǐn guǎn | despite; although; even though |
| 紧张 | jǐn zhāng | nervous; keyed up; intense |
| 警察 | jǐng chá | police; police officer |
| 举办 | jǔ bàn | to conduct; to hold |
| 扩大 | kuò dà | to expand; to enlarge; to broaden one's scope |
| 宽 | Kuān | surname Kuan; wide; broad |
| 看法 | kàn fǎ | way of looking at a thing; view; opinion |
| 咳嗽 | ké sou | to cough |
| 困 | kùn | to trap; to surround; hard-pressed |
| 困难 | kùn nan | difficult; challenging; straitened circumstances |
| 开玩笑 | kāi wán xiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke |
| 棵 | kē | classifier for trees, cabbages, plants etc |
| 科学 | kē xué | science; scientific knowledge; scientific |
| 可怜 | kě lián | pitiful; pathetic; to have pity on |
| 可是 | kě shì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 可惜 | kě xī | it is a pity; what a pity; unfortunately |
| 肯定 | kěn dìng | to be certain; to be positive; assuredly |
| 空气 | kōng qì | air; atmosphere |
| 考虑 | kǎo lǜ | to think over; to consider; consideration |
| 恐怕 | kǒng pà | fear; to dread; I'm afraid that... |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter; hardship; pain |
| 亮 | liàng | bright; clear; resonant |
| 连 | Lián | surname Lian; to link; to join |
| 联系 | lián xì | variant of 联系; connection; contact |
| 凉快 | liáng kuai | nice and cold; pleasantly cool |
| 聊天 | liáo tiān | to chat; to gossip |
| 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 |
| 留学 | liú xué | to study abroad |
| 流行 | liú xíng | (of a contagious disease etc) to spread; to propagate; (of a style of clothing, song etc) popular |
| 俩 | liǎ | two (colloquial equivalent of 两个); both; some |
| 乱 | luàn | in confusion or disorder; in a confused state of mind; disorder |
| 辣 | là | old variant of 辣; hot (spicy); pungent |
| 浪费 | làng fèi | to waste; to squander |
| 浪漫 | làng màn | romantic |
| 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 |
| 厉害 | lì hai | (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; se |
| 力气 | lì qi | strength |
| 例如 | lì rú | for example; for instance; such as |
| 另外 | lìng wài | additional; in addition; besides |
| 拉 | lā | to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag |
| 垃圾桶 | lā jī tǒng | rubbish bin; trash can; garbage can |
| 冷静 | lěng jìng | calm; cool-headed; dispassionate; (of a place) deserted; quiet |
| 懒 | lǎn | variant of 懒; lazy |
| 老虎 | lǎo hǔ | tiger |
| 理发 | lǐ fà | to get a haircut; to have one's hair done; to cut (sb's) hair; to give (sb) a haircut |
| 理解 | lǐ jiě | to comprehend; to understand |
| 礼貌 | lǐ mào | courtesy; politeness; manners; courteous; polite |
| 理想 | lǐ xiǎng | an ideal; a dream; ideal |
| 律师 | lǜ shī | lawyer |
| 免费 | miǎn fèi | free (of charge) |
| 麻烦 | má fan | trouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome; annoying; to bother sb; to put sb to trouble |
| 毛巾 | máo jīn | towel |
| 梦 | mèng | dream; (bound form) to dream |
| 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 |
| 美丽 | měi lì | beautiful |
| 马虎 | mǎ hu | careless; sloppy; negligent |
| 满 | Mǎn | Manchu ethnic group; to fill; full |
| 母亲 | mǔ qīn | mother; also pr. [mǔ qin] |
| 年龄 | nián líng | (a person's) age |
| 暖和 | nuǎn huo | warm; nice and warm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 骗 | piàn | to cheat; to swindle; to deceive |
| 篇 | piān | sheet; piece of writing; bound set of bamboo slips used for record keeping (old) |
| 判断 | pàn duàn | to judge; to determine; judgment |
| 排列 | pái liè | to arrange in order; (math.) permutation |
| 陪 | péi | to accompany; to keep sb company; to assist |
| 皮肤 | pí fū | skin |
| 脾气 | pí qi | character; temperament; disposition |
| 平时 | píng shí | ordinarily; in normal times; in peacetime |
| 瓶子 | píng zi | bottle |
| 破 | pò | broken; damaged; worn out |
| 批评 | pī píng | to criticize; criticism |
| 乒乓球 | pīng pāng qiú | table tennis; ping-pong; table tennis ball |
| 普遍 | pǔ biàn | universal; general; widespread |
| 墙 | qiáng | variant of 墙, wall; wall |
| 桥 | qiáo | bridge |
| 穷 | qióng | poor; destitute; to use up |
| 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 |
| 巧克力 | qiǎo kè lì | chocolate (loanword) |
| 全部 | quán bù | whole; all |
| 却 | què | old variant of 却; but; yet |
| 确实 | què shí | indeed; really; reliable |
| 缺点 | quē diǎn | weak point; fault; shortcoming |
| 缺少 | quē shǎo | lack; shortage of; shortfall |
| 气候 | qì hòu | (meteorology) climate; (fig.) climate; prevailing conditions (in human affairs) |
| 其次 | qí cì | next; secondly |
| 其中 | qí zhōng | among; in; included among these |
| 情况 | qíng kuàng | circumstances; state of affairs; situation |
| 群 | qún | variant of 群; group; crowd |
| 亲戚 | qīn qi | a relative (i.e. family relation) |
| 轻 | qīng | light; easy; gentle |
| 轻松 | qīng sōng | light; gentle; relaxed |
| 区别 | qū bié | difference; to distinguish; to discriminate |
| 起飞 | qǐ fēi | (of an aircraft) to take off |
| 起来 | qǐ lai | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qǐ lái] |
| 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 |
| 取 | qǔ | to take; to get; to choose |
| 软 | ruǎn | soft; flexible; variant of 软 |
| 然而 | rán ér | however; yet; but |
| 热闹 | rè nao | bustling with noise and excitement; lively |
| 任何 | rèn hé | any; whatever; whichever |
| 任务 | rèn wu | mission; assignment; task; duty; role |
| 人民币 | rén mín bì | Renminbi (RMB); Chinese Yuan (CNY) |
| 仍然 | réng rán | still; as before; yet |
| 日记 | rì jì | diary |
| 入口 | rù kǒu | entrance; to import |
| 扔 | rēng | to throw; to throw away |
| 帅 | Shuài | surname Shuai; (bound form) commander-in-chief; (bound form) to lead; to command |
| 硕士 | shuò shì | master's degree; person who has a master's degree; learned person |
| 说明 | shuō míng | to explain; to illustrate; to indicate |
| 社会 | shè huì | society |
| 甚至 | shèn zhì | even; so much so that |
| 剩 | shèng | to remain; to be left; to have as remainder |
| 试 | shì | to test; to try; experiment |
| 市场 | shì chǎng | marketplace; market (also in abstract) |
| 适合 | shì hé | to fit; to suit |
| 世纪 | shì jì | century |
| 适应 | shì yìng | to adapt; to fit; to suit |
| 十分 | shí fēn | very; completely; utterly |
| 实际 | shí jì | reality; practice; practical |
| 食品 | shí pǐn | foodstuff; food; provisions |
| 实在 | shí zài | really; actually; indeed |
| 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) |
| 售货员 | shòu huò yuán | salesperson |
| 数量 | shù liàng | amount; quantity; quantitative |
| 数字 | shù zì | numeral; digit; number |
| 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 |
| 熟悉 | shú xī | to be familiar with; to know well |
| 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 |
| 深 | shēn | old variant of 深; deep (lit. and fig.) |
| 申请 | shēn qǐng | to apply for sth; application form |
| 生活 | shēng huó | to live; life; livelihood |
| 生命 | shēng mìng | life (as the characteristic of living beings); living being; creature |
| 省 | shěng | to save; to economize; to be frugal; to omit; to delete; to leave out; province |
| 失败 | shī bài | to be defeated; to lose; to fail (e.g. experiments) |
| 师傅 | shī fu | master; qualified worker; respectful form of address for older men |
| 湿润 | shī rùn | moist |
| 失望 | shī wàng | disappointed; to lose hope; to despair |
| 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 |
| 收入 | shōu rù | to take in; income; revenue |
| 收拾 | shōu shi | to put in order; to tidy up; to pack |
| 输 | shū | to lose; to be beaten; (bound form) to transport; (literary) to donate; to contribute |
| 使用 | shǐ yòng | to use; to employ; to apply |
| 首都 | shǒu dū | capital (city) |
| 首先 | shǒu xiān | first (of all); in the first place |
| 算 | suàn | to regard as; to figure; to calculate |
| 随便 | suí biàn | as one wishes; as one pleases; at random |
| 随着 | suí zhe | along with; in the wake of; following |
| 酸 | suān | sour; tart; sick at heart |
| 所有 | suǒ yǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 散步 | sàn bù | to take a walk; to go for a walk |
| 速度 | sù dù | speed; rate; velocity |
| 塑料袋 | sù liào dài | plastic bag |
| 森林 | sēn lín | forest |
| 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 |
| 死 | sǐ | to die; impassable; uncrossable |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 态度 | tài du | manner; bearing; attitude |
| 台 | Tái | Taiwan (abbr.); surname Tai; (classical) you (in letters) |
| 抬 | tái | to lift; to raise; (of two or more persons) to carry |
| 谈 | Tán | surname Tan; to speak; to talk |
| 特点 | tè diǎn | characteristic (feature); trait; feature |
| 提供 | tí gōng | to offer; to supply; to provide |
| 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 |
| 停止 | tíng zhǐ | to stop; to halt; to cease |
| 同情 | tóng qíng | to sympathize with; sympathy |
| 汤 | Tāng | surname Tang; rushing current; soup |
| 趟 | tāng | old variant of 趟; to wade; to trample |
| 通过 | tōng guò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation); to pass (a test) |
| 通知 | tōng zhī | to notify; to inform; notice |
| 躺 | tǎng | to recline; to lie down |
| 讨论 | tǎo lùn | to discuss; to talk over |
| 讨厌 | tǎo yàn | to dislike; to loathe; disagreeable |
| 挺 | tǐng | straight; erect; to stick out (a part of the body) |
| 袜子 | wà zi | socks; stockings |
| 完全 | wán quán | complete; whole; totally; entirely |
| 味道 | wèi dao | flavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...); hint (of ...); (fig.) interest; delight |
| 文章 | wén zhāng | article; essay; literary works |
| 握手 | wò shǒu | to shake hands |
| 误会 | wù huì | to misunderstand; to mistake; misunderstanding |
| 无 | wú | not to have; no; none |
| 无聊 | wú liáo | bored; boring; senseless |
| 无论 | wú lùn | no matter what or how; regardless of whether... |
| 危险 | wēi xiǎn | danger; dangerous |
| 温度 | wēn dù | temperature |
| 污染 | wū rǎn | to pollute; to contaminate (lit. and fig.) |
| 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 |
| 现代 | Xiàn dài | Hyundai, South Korean company; modern times; modern age |
| 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 |
| 咸 | Xián | surname Xian; all; everyone |
| 详细 | xiáng xì | detailed; in detail; minute |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic |
| 相反 | xiāng fǎn | opposite; contrary |
| 消息 | xiāo xi | news; information |
| 修 | Xiū | surname Xiu; to decorate; to embellish |
| 响 | xiǎng | echo; sound; noise |
| 小说 | xiǎo shuō | novel; fiction |
| 血 | xuè | blood; colloquial pr. [xiě] |
| 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 |
| 性别 | xìng bié | gender; sex |
| 幸福 | xìng fú | happiness; happy; blessed |
| 性格 | xìng gé | nature; disposition; temperament |
| 西红柿 | xī hóng shì | tomato |
| 吸引 | xī yǐn | to attract; to appeal to; to fascinate |
| 辛苦 | xīn kǔ | exhausting; hard; tough |
| 心情 | xīn qíng | mood; frame of mind |
| 兴奋 | xīng fèn | excited; excitement; (physiology) excitation |
| 洗衣机 | xǐ yī jī | washing machine; washer |
| 醒 | xǐng | to wake up; to be awake; to become aware |
| 许多 | xǔ duō | many; a lot of; much |
| 呀 | ya | (particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) |
| 圆 | yuán | circle; round; circular |
| 原谅 | yuán liàng | to excuse; to forgive; to pardon |
| 原来 | yuán lái | original; former; originally |
| 原因 | yuán yīn | cause; origin; root cause |
| 阅读 | yuè dú | to read; reading |
| 约会 | yuē huì | appointment; engagement; date |
| 亚洲 | Yà zhōu | Asia (abbr. for 亚细亚洲) |
| 样子 | yàng zi | appearance; manner; pattern |
| 钥匙 | yào shi | key |
| 牙膏 | yá gāo | toothpaste |
| 盐 | yán | salt |
| 严格 | yán gé | strict; stringent; tight |
| 研究生 | yán jiū shēng | graduate student; postgraduate student; research student |
| 严重 | yán zhòng | grave; serious; severe |
| 阳光 | yáng guāng | sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic; transparent (open to public scrutiny) |
| 页 | yè | page; leaf; (xié) "head" radical in Chinese characters (rare, archaic) |
| 叶子 | yè zi | leaf; (slang) marijuana |
| 亿 | yì | 100 million |
| 意见 | yì jiàn | idea; opinion; suggestion |
| 艺术 | yì shù | art |
| 印象 | yìn xiàng | impression (sth that stays in one's mind); a memory |
| 硬 | yìng | hard; stiff; solid; (fig.) strong; firm; resolutely; uncompromisingly |
| 赢 | yíng | to beat; to win; to profit |
| 由 | yóu | to follow; from; because of; due to |
| 尤其 | yóu qí | especially; particularly |
| 由于 | yóu yú | due to; as a result of; thanks to |
| 预习 | yù xí | to prepare a lesson |
| 愉快 | yú kuài | cheerful; cheerily; delightful |
| 于是 | yú shì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence |
| 压力 | yā lì | pressure |
| 邀请 | yāo qǐng | to invite; invitation |
| 也许 | yě xǔ | perhaps; maybe |
| 一切 | yī qiè | everything; every; all |
| 因此 | yīn cǐ | thus; consequently; as a result |
| 优点 | yōu diǎn | merit; benefit; strong point |
| 幽默 | yōu mò | (loanword) humor; humorous |
| 优秀 | yōu xiù | outstanding; excellent |
| 演出 | yǎn chū | to act (in a play); to perform; to put on (a performance) |
| 演员 | yǎn yuán | actor or actress; performer |
| 养成 | yǎng chéng | to cultivate; to raise; to form (a habit) |
| 以 | yǐ | old variant of 以; old variant of 以; abbr. for Israel 列 |
| 饮料 | yǐn liào | drink; beverage |
| 引起 | yǐn qǐ | to give rise to; to lead to; to cause; to arouse |
| 勇敢 | yǒng gǎn | brave; courageous |
| 永远 | yǒng yuǎn | forever; eternal |
| 友好 | Yǒu hǎo | Youhao district of Yichun city 市, Heilongjiang; friendly; amicable; close friend |
| 有趣 | yǒu qù | interesting; fascinating; amusing |
| 友谊 | yǒu yì | companionship; fellowship; friendship |
| 与 | yǔ | and; to give; together with |
| 语法 | yǔ fǎ | grammar |
| 羽毛球 | yǔ máo qiú | shuttlecock; badminton |
| 语言 | yǔ yán | language |
| 允许 | yǔn xǔ | to permit; to allow |
| 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) |
| 正常 | zhèng cháng | regular; normal; ordinary |
| 正好 | zhèng hǎo | just (in time); just right; just enough |
| 证明 | zhèng míng | proof; certificate; identification |
| 正确 | zhèng què | correct; sound; right; proper |
| 正式 | zhèng shì | formal; official |
| 质量 | zhì liàng | quality; (physics) mass |
| 至少 | zhì shǎo | at least; (to say the) least |
| 制造 | zhì zào | to manufacture; to make |
| 值得 | zhí de | to be worth; to deserve |
| 直接 | zhí jiē | direct (opposite: indirect 间接); immediate; straightforward |
| 植物 | zhí wù | plant; vegetation |
| 职业 | zhí yè | occupation; profession; vocation; professional |
| 重视 | zhòng shì | to attach importance to sth; to value |
| 祝贺 | zhù hè | to congratulate; congratulations |
| 著名 | zhù míng | famous; noted; well-known |
| 逐渐 | zhú jiàn | gradually |
| 招聘 | zhāo pìn | to invite applications for a job; to recruit |
| 真正 | zhēn zhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed |
| 整理 | zhěng lǐ | to arrange; to tidy up; to sort out |
| 整齐 | zhěng qí | orderly; neat; even |
| 之 | zhī | (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的); him; her |
| 支持 | zhī chí | to be in favor of; to support; to back |
| 知识 | zhī shi | knowledge; intellectual |
| 中文 | Zhōng wén | Chinese language |
| 周围 | zhōu wéi | environs; surroundings; periphery |
| 猪 | zhū | hog; pig; swine |
| 窄 | zhǎi | narrow; narrow-minded; badly off |
| 指 | zhǐ | finger; to point at or to; to indicate or refer to |
| 只好 | zhǐ hǎo | to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to |
| 只要 | zhǐ yào | if only; so long as |
| 主动 | zhǔ dòng | to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord; spontaneous |
| 主意 | zhǔ yi | plan; idea; decision |
| 准确 | zhǔn què | accurate; exact; precise |
| 准时 | zhǔn shí | on time; punctual; on schedule |
| 最后 | zuì hòu | final; last; finally |
| 最好 | zuì hǎo | best; (you) had better (do what we suggest) |
| 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 |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth; beak; nozzle |
| 暂时 | zàn shí | temporary; provisional; for the time being |
| 杂志 | zá zhì | magazine |
| 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 |
| 责任 | zé rèn | responsibility; blame; duty |
| 自然 | zì rán | nature; natural; naturally |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty; filthy; to get (sth) dirty; (zàng) viscera; internal organ (as in 心脏, 肝脏) |
| 增加 | zēng jiā | to raise; to increase |
| 增长 | zēng zhǎng | to grow; to increase |
| 租 | zū | to hire; to rent; to charter |
| 尊重 | zūn zhòng | to esteem; to respect; to honor |
| 仔细 | zǐ xì | careful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out |
| 总结 | zǒng jié | to sum up; to conclude; summary |
| 组成 | zǔ chéng | to form; to make up; to constitute |
| 组织 | zǔ zhī | to organize; organization; (biology) tissue |
| 爱情 | ài qíng | romance; love (romantic) |
| 暗 | àn | variant of 暗; dark; to turn dark |
| 按时 | àn shí | on time; before deadline; on schedule |
| 按照 | àn zhào | according to; in accordance with; in the light of |
| 而 | ér | and; as well as; and so |
| 儿童 | ér tóng | child |
| 安排 | ān pái | to arrange; to plan; to set up |
| 安全 | ān quán | safe; secure; safety; security |
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally; once in a while; sometimes |
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.
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