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Illustration in teal tones representing the HSK 4 Mandarin vocabulary list.
HSK 4 Vocabulary

HSK 4 Vocabulary List: 2,000 Words (HSK 3.0)

HSK 4 has 2,000 words in HSK 3.0, 1,000 of them new at this level (the old HSK 2.0 list had 1,200). Fluentide has 302 free stories at the Intermediate (HSK 4) level that use them, with transcript and pinyin.

Browse 302 stories ↓

By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated October 2026

Hear HSK 4 words in a real story

胡迪尼的大象与好奇心

Economist Bartleby Column: Andrew Palmer on the Hidden Costs of Workplace Curiosity

2 min

What is on the HSK 4 word list?

The other 1,000 come from HSK 1–3. They cover opinion, comparison, and evaluation: the words you need to say what you think, not just what happened.

HSK proficiency ladderHSK 3.0 levels 1 to 6 with cumulative vocabulary requirements: HSK 1 requires 300 words, HSK 2 requires 500, HSK 3 requires 1,000, HSK 4 requires 2,000, HSK 5 about 3,600, and HSK 6 about 5,400 words. Word counts follow the official HSK 3.0 exam syllabus.HSK levels by cumulative vocabularyHSK 1beginner300 wordsHSK 2elementary500 wordsHSK 3pre-intermediate1,000 wordsHSK 4intermediate2,000 wordsHSK 5upper-intermediate~3,600 wordsHSK 6advanced~5,400 wordsSource: HSK 3.0 exam syllabus, chinesetest.cn
Words needed at each level, counting the levels below it.

HSK 4 word list

All 1,978 words from the official HSK 3.0 syllabus, the 990 new at HSK 4 first. The syllabus counts 2,000 because a few words are listed once per reading; here each appears once.

Pinyin from the syllabus, definitions from CC-CEDICT. Tap a word for its other senses.

Showing 701–750 of 1,978 · page 15 of 40

算suànHSK 4

to calculate

  • to calculate
  • to figure out
  • to include
  • to count in
  • to count
  • to be valid
  • to carry weight
  • to regard as
  • to consider (to be ...)
随便suíbiànHSK 4

as one wishes

  • as one wishes
  • as one pleases
  • at random
  • negligent
  • casual
  • wanton
随着suízheHSK 4

along with

  • along with
  • in the wake of
  • following
孙女sūnnǚHSK 4

son's daughter

  • son's daughter
  • granddaughter
孙子sūnziHSK 4

grandson

  • grandson
  • son's son
所有suǒyǒuHSK 4

all

  • all
  • to have
  • to possess
  • to own
台táiHSK 4

platform

  • platform
  • stage
  • classifier for machines
  • (classical) you (in letters)
  • desk
  • table
  • counter
  • platform
  • stage
  • terrace
  • stand
  • support
  • station
  • broadcasting station
  • classifier for vehicles or machines
  • typhoon
  • Taiwan (abbr.)
  • surname Tai
  • Taiwan (abbr.)
  • used in place names
  • variant of 台
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
抬táiHSK 4

to lift

  • to lift
  • to raise
  • (of two or more persons) to carry
  • variant of 抬
抬头táitóuHSK 4

to raise one's head

  • to raise one's head
  • to look up
  • (fig.) to begin to emerge
  • to show signs of growth
  • (commerce) account name, or space for writing the name on checks, bills etc
态度tàidùHSK 4

manner

  • manner
  • bearing
  • attitude
  • approach
  • CL:个
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
谈tánHSK 4

to speak

  • to speak
  • to talk
  • to converse
  • to chat
  • to discuss
  • surname Tan
汤tāngHSK 4

soup

  • soup
  • hot or boiling water
  • decoction of medicinal herbs
  • water in which sth has been boiled
  • rushing current
  • surname Tang
躺tǎngHSK 4

to recline

  • to recline
  • to lie down
趟tàngHSK 4

classifier for times, round trips or rows

  • classifier for times, round trips or rows
  • a time
  • a trip
  • to wade
  • to trample
  • to turn the soil
  • old variant of 趟
讨论tǎolùnHSK 4

to discuss

  • to discuss
  • to talk over
讨厌tǎoyànHSK 4

to dislike

  • to dislike
  • to loathe
  • annoying
  • troublesome
特点tèdiǎnHSK 4

characteristic

  • characteristic
  • trait
  • feature
提tíHSK 4

to carry (hanging down from the hand)

  • to carry (hanging down from the hand)
  • to lift
  • to put forward
  • to mention
  • to raise (an issue)
  • upwards character stroke
  • lifting brush stroke (in painting)
  • scoop for measuring liquid
  • used in 提防 and 提溜
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
提出tíchūHSK 4

to raise (an issue)

  • to raise (an issue)
  • to propose
  • to put forward
  • to suggest
  • to post (on a website)
  • to withdraw (cash)
提到tídàoHSK 4

to mention

  • to mention
  • to raise (a subject)
  • to refer to
提供tígōngHSK 4

to offer

  • to offer
  • to supply
  • to provide
  • to furnish
提前tíqiánHSK 4

to shift to an earlier date

  • to shift to an earlier date
  • to do sth ahead of time
  • in advance
提醒tíxǐngHSK 4

to remind

  • to remind
  • to call attention to
  • to warn of
体检tǐjiǎnHSK 4

physical examination

  • physical examination
  • clinical examination
  • health checkup
体温tǐwēnHSK 4

(body) temperature

  • (body) temperature
体重tǐzhòngHSK 4

body weight

  • body weight
填写tiánxiěHSK 4

to fill in a form

  • to fill in a form
  • to write data in a box (on a questionnaire or web form)
条件tiáojiànHSK 4

condition

  • condition
  • circumstance
  • term
  • factor
  • requirement
  • prerequisite
  • qualification
  • situation
  • state
  • condition
  • CL:个
听力tīnglìHSK 4

hearing

  • hearing
  • listening ability
听众tīngzhòngHSK 4

audience

  • audience
  • listeners
停tíngHSK 4

to stop

  • to stop
  • to halt
  • to park (a car)
停车tíngchēHSK 4

to pull up (stop one's vehicle)

  • to pull up (stop one's vehicle)
  • to park
  • (of a machine) to stop working
  • to stall
停车场tíngchēchǎngHSK 4

parking lot

  • parking lot
  • car park
停止tíngzhǐHSK 4

to stop

  • to stop
  • to halt
  • to cease
通tōngHSK 4

to go through

  • to go through
  • to know well
  • (suffix) expert
  • to connect
  • to communicate
  • open
  • to clear
  • classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc
  • classifier for an activity, taken in its entirety (tirade of abuse, stint of music playing, bout of drinking etc)
通过tōngguòHSK 4

to pass through

  • to pass through
  • to get through
  • to adopt (a resolution)
  • to pass (legislation)
  • to pass (a test)
  • by means of
  • through
  • via
通知tōngzhīHSK 4

to notify

  • to notify
  • to inform
  • notice
  • notification
  • CL:个
同时tóngshíHSK 4

at the same time

  • at the same time
  • simultaneously
同样tóngyàngHSK 4

same

  • same
  • equal
  • similar
  • similarly
  • also
  • too
童年tóngniánHSK 4

childhood

  • childhood
桶tǒngHSK 4

bucket

  • bucket
  • (trash) can
  • barrel (of oil etc)
  • CL:个,只
痛tòngHSK 4

ache

  • ache
  • pain
  • sorrow
  • deeply
  • thoroughly
头痛tóutòngHSK 4

to have a headache

  • to have a headache
图túHSK 4

diagram

  • diagram
  • picture
  • drawing
  • chart
  • map
  • CL:张
  • to plan
  • to scheme
  • to attempt
  • to pursue
  • to seek
图片túpiànHSK 4

picture

  • picture
  • photograph
  • CL:张
土tǔHSK 4

earth

  • earth
  • dust
  • clay
  • local
  • indigenous
  • crude opium
  • unsophisticated
  • one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音
  • surname Tu
  • Tu ethnic group
推tuīHSK 4

to push

  • to push
  • to cut
  • to refuse
  • to reject
  • to decline
  • to shirk (responsibility)
  • to put off
  • to delay
  • to push forward
  • to nominate
  • to elect
  • massage
推迟tuīchíHSK 4

to postpone

  • to postpone
  • to put off
  • to defer
推出tuīchūHSK 4

to push out

  • to push out
  • to release
  • to launch
  • to publish
  • to recommend
脱tuōHSK 4

to shed

  • to shed
  • to take off
  • to escape
  • to get away from

Stories that use these HSK 4 words

Each one is a Fluentide Intermediate (HSK 4) story, written inside that word band. Press play; the first few need no account.

HSK 4 Chinese listening episodes

Showing 12 of 302

How to actually learn HSK 4 vocabulary

Reading a word on a page and catching it at speed in a sentence are different skills. The HSK listening section tests the second.

Four steps in a loop. One: skim this list and note which words feel unfamiliar. Two: hear them in HSK 4 stories every day. Three: look a word up only after you have heard it. Four: check the list monthly; the gaps show what to listen for next. Then repeat.Hear a word first, look it up second1Skim this listNote the wordsyou don't know2Hear themHSK 4 stories,every day3Look up afteronly once youhave heard it4Check monthlyGaps show whatto listen forrepeat
Use the list as a checklist, and do the learning by ear.

The method in practice

Hear HSK 4 vocabulary in real Mandarin

Each HSK 4 episode uses this word band, with the transcript, pinyin and line-by-line English. Five free episodes after a one-tap magic-link sign-in — no password, no payment.

More HSK 4

HSK 4 listening practice, test format and timeline · HSK 4 grammar points · All six HSK levels compared