HSK 4 Vocabulary List: 1,200 Words
HSK 4 assumes 1,200 cumulative words — 600 of them new at this level. They cover opinion, comparison, and evaluation — the abstract vocabulary you need to say what you think, not just what happened.
By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated July 2026
What is on the HSK 4 word list?
The HSK word lists are published and cumulative, which is what makes the exam a finite target. HSK 4 assumes 1,200 words in total — 600 of them introduced at this level.
They cover opinion, comparison, and evaluation — the abstract vocabulary you need to say what you think, not just what happened.
HSK 4 word list
All 1,193 entries below, straight from the official Hanban HSK 2.0 list. The 598 words new at HSK 4 come first, then earlier levels.
Pinyin and definitions come from CC-CEDICT. Tap any word to see its other senses without leaving the list. Words with a full Fluentide entry — character breakdown, usage notes, example sentences — link out from there.
Showing 1–50 of 1,193 · page 1 of 24
爱情àiqíngHSK 4romance
- romance
- love (romantic)
- CL:份
安排ānpáiHSK 4to arrange
- to arrange
- to plan
- to set up
- arrangements
- plans
安全ānquánHSK 4safe
- safe
- secure
- safety
- security
按时ànshíHSK 4on time
- on time
- before deadline
- on schedule
按照ànzhàoHSK 4according to
- according to
- in accordance with
- on the basis of
暗ànHSK 4variant of 暗
- variant of 暗
包括bāokuòHSK 4to comprise
- to comprise
- to include
- to involve
- to incorporate
- to consist of
保护bǎohùHSK 4to protect
- to protect
- to defend
- to safeguard
- protection
- CL:种
保证bǎozhèngHSK 4guarantee
- guarantee
- to guarantee
- to ensure
- to safeguard
- to pledge
- CL:个
报道bàodàoHSK 4to report (news)
- to report (news)
- report
- CL:篇,份
报名bàomíngHSK 4to sign up
- to sign up
- to enter one's name
- to apply
- to register
- to enroll
- to enlist
抱bàoHSK 4to hold
- to hold
- to carry (in one's arms)
- to hug
- to embrace
- to surround
- to cherish
- (coll.) (of clothes) to fit nicely
抱歉bàoqiànHSK 4to be sorry
- to be sorry
- to feel apologetic
- sorry!
倍bèiHSK 4(two, three etc) -fold
- (two, three etc) -fold
- times (multiplier)
- double
- to increase or multiply
本来běnláiHSK 4original
- original
- originally
- at first
- it goes without saying
- of course
笨bènHSK 4stupid
- stupid
- foolish
- silly
- slow-witted
- clumsy
笔记本bǐjìběnHSK 4notebook (stationery) (CL:本)
- notebook (stationery) (CL:本)
- (computing) laptop
- notebook (abbr. for 笔记本电脑)
毕业bìyèHSK 4graduation
- graduation
- to graduate
- to finish school
遍biànHSK 4variant of 遍
- variant of 遍
标准biāozhǔnHSK 4standard
- standard
- norm
- criterion
- (adjective) standard
- good
- correct
- conforming to a standard
表达biǎodáHSK 4to express
- to express
- to convey
表格biǎogéHSK 4form
- form
- table
- CL:张,份
表扬biǎoyángHSK 4to praise
- to praise
- to commend
饼干bǐnggānHSK 4biscuit
- biscuit
- cracker
- cookie
- CL:片,块
并且bìngqiěHSK 4and
- and
- besides
- moreover
- furthermore
- in addition
博士bóshìHSK 4doctor (as an academic degree)
- doctor (as an academic degree)
- (old) person specialized in a skill or trade
- (old) court academician
不但bùdànHSK 4not only (... but also ...)
- not only (... but also ...)
不得不bùdébùHSK 4have no choice or option but to
- have no choice or option but to
- cannot but
- have to
- can't help it
- can't avoid
不管bùguǎnHSK 4not to be concerned
- not to be concerned
- regardless of
- no matter
不过bùguòHSK 4only
- only
- merely
- no more than
- but
- however
- anyway (to get back to a previous topic)
- cannot be more (after adjectival)
不仅bùjǐnHSK 4not just
- not just
- not limited to
- (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...)
部分bùfenHSK 4part
- part
- portion
- piece
- Taiwan pr.
擦cāHSK 4to rub
- to rub
- to scratch
- to wipe
- to polish
- to apply (lipstick, lotion etc)
- to brush (past)
- to shred (a vegetable etc)
猜cāiHSK 4to guess
材料cáiliàoHSK 4(raw) material
- (raw) material
- data
- (fig.) person who has the potential to do the job
参观cānguānHSK 4to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory)
- to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory)
- to tour
- to look around
差不多chàbuduōHSK 4almost
- almost
- nearly
- more or less
- about the same
- good enough
- not bad
尝chángHSK 4to taste
- to taste
- to try (food)
- to experience
- (literary) ever
- once
场chángHSK 4threshing floor
- threshing floor
- classifier for events and happenings: spell, episode, bout
超过chāoguòHSK 4to surpass
- to surpass
- to exceed
- to outstrip
吵chǎoHSK 4to quarrel
- to quarrel
- to make a noise
- noisy
- to disturb by making a noise
成功chénggōngHSK 4Chenggong or Chengkung town in Taitung County 台东县, southeast Taiwan
- Chenggong or Chengkung town in Taitung County 台东县, southeast Taiwan
成熟chéngshúHSK 4mature
- mature
- ripe
- to mature
- to ripen
- Taiwan pr.
成为chéngwéiHSK 4to become
- to become
- to turn into
诚实chéngshíHSK 4honest
乘坐chéngzuòHSK 4to take (a ship, plane etc)
- to take (a ship, plane etc)
- to ride (in a train or other vehicle)
吃惊chījīngHSK 4to be startled
- to be startled
- to be shocked
- to be amazed
抽烟chōuyānHSK 4variant of 抽烟
- variant of 抽烟
出差chūchāiHSK 4to go on an official or business trip
- to go on an official or business trip
出发chūfāHSK 4to set off
- to set off
- to start (on a journey)
How to actually learn HSK 4 vocabulary
A word list is a checklist, not a method. Recognising a word on a page is a different skill from catching it at speed in a sentence — and the HSK listening section only tests the second one.
Read the list once, do not memorise it
You are looking for which words feel unfamiliar, not trying to learn them here.
Listen at your level daily
Fluentide's HSK 4 episodes are written inside this vocabulary band, so the words arrive in sentences instead of flashcards.
Look a word up only after you have heard it
A word you have already met in audio sticks in one reading. A word you meet cold takes many.
Come back to this list monthly
Use it as a progress check, not a study plan. The gaps you find are what to listen for next.
The method in practice
Hear HSK 4 vocabulary in real Mandarin
Every HSK 4 episode is written inside this word band and read at HSK 4 speed, so words stick because you have heard them in a sentence. Full transcript, pinyin toggle, and line-by-line English on every episode. Five free episodes after a one-tap magic-link sign-in — no password, no payment.