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.
By Haoshan Hong · Native Mandarin speaker · Updated 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.
Scroll
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 951–1000 of 1,978 · page 20 of 40
重视zhòngshìHSK 4to attach importance to sth
- to attach importance to sth
- to value
重新chóngxīnHSK 4again
- again
- once more
- re-
周围zhōuwéiHSK 4environs
- environs
- surroundings
- periphery
主意zhǔyiHSK 4plan
- plan
- idea
- decision
- CL:个
- Beijing pr.
祝zhùHSK 4to pray for
- to pray for
- to wish (sb bon voyage, happy birthday etc)
- person who invokes the spirits during sacrificial ceremonies
- surname Zhu
祝贺zhùhèHSK 4to congratulate
- to congratulate
- congratulations
- CL:个
著名zhùmíngHSK 4famous
- famous
- noted
- well-known
- celebrated
专门zhuānménHSK 4specialized
- specialized
- dedicated (to a particular field or purpose)
- specially
- specifically (for a particular purpose)
- (of institutions, personnel etc) designated or assigned for a specific task
- special
专业zhuānyèHSK 4specialty
- specialty
- specialized field
- main field of study (at university)
- major
- CL:门,个
- professional
转zhuǎn / zhuànHSK 4to turn
- to turn
- to change direction
- to transfer
- to forward (mail)
- (Internet) to share (sb else's content)
- to revolve
- to turn
- to circle about
- to walk about
- classifier for revolutions (per minute etc): revs, rpm
- classifier for repeated actions
- see 转文
转发zhuǎnfāHSK 4to transmit
- to transmit
- to forward (mail, SMS, packets of data)
- to pass on
- to republish (an article from another publication)
转机zhuǎnjīHSK 4(to take) a turn for the better
- (to take) a turn for the better
- to change planes
赚zhuànHSK 4to earn
- to earn
- to make a profit
- to cheat
- to swindle
装zhuāngHSK 4to install
- to install
- to load
- to pretend
- adornment
- to adorn
- dress
- clothing
- costume (of an actor in a play)
- to play a role
- to pretend
- to install
- to fix
- to wrap (sth in a bag)
- to load
- to pack
准zhǔnHSK 4to allow
- to allow
- to grant
- in accordance with
- in the light of
- accurate
- standard
- definitely
- certainly
- about to become (bride, son-in-law etc)
- quasi-
- para-
准确zhǔnquèHSK 4accurate
- accurate
- exact
- precise
准时zhǔnshíHSK 4on time
- on time
- punctual
- on schedule
资料zīliàoHSK 4material
- material
- resources
- data
- information
- profile (Internet)
- CL:份,个
仔细zǐxìHSK 4careful
- careful
- attentive
- cautious
- to be careful
- to look out
- (dialect) thrifty
- frugal
自zìHSK 4(bound form) self
- (bound form) self
- oneself
- from
- since
- naturally
- as a matter of course
自然zìránHSK 4nature
- nature
- natural
- naturally
自习zìxíHSK 4to study outside of class time (reviewing one's lessons)
- to study outside of class time (reviewing one's lessons)
- to study in one's free time
- individual study
自信zìxìnHSK 4to have confidence in oneself
- to have confidence in oneself
- self-confidence
自学zìxuéHSK 4self-study
- self-study
- to study on one's own
总结zǒngjiéHSK 4to sum up
- to sum up
- to conclude
- summary
- résumé
- CL:个
租zūHSK 4to hire
- to hire
- to rent
- to charter
- to rent out
- to lease out
- rent
- land tax
组zǔHSK 4to form
- to form
- to organize
- group
- team
- classifier for sets, series, groups of people, batteries
最终zuìzhōngHSK 4final
- final
- ultimate
尊重zūnzhòngHSK 4to esteem
- to esteem
- to respect
- to honor
- to value
- eminent
- serious
- proper
左右zuǒyòuHSK 4left and right
- left and right
- nearby
- approximately
- attendant
- to control
- to influence
作家zuòjiāHSK 4author
- author
- CL:个,位
作品zuòpǐnHSK 4work (of art)
- work (of art)
- opus
- CL:部,篇
作为zuòwéiHSK 4as
- as
- in the capacity of
- one's conduct
- deed
- activity
- accomplishment
- achievement
- to act as
- as (in the capacity of)
- qua
- to view as
- to look upon (sth as)
- to take sth to be
作文zuòwénHSK 4to write an essay
- to write an essay
- composition (student essay)
- CL:篇
作用zuòyòngHSK 4to act on
- to act on
- to affect
- action
- function
- activity
- impact
- result
- effect
- purpose
- intent
- (suffix) -ation, -tion etc, as in 抑制作用, inhibition
作者zuòzhěHSK 4author
- author
- writer
座zuòHSK 4classifier for buildings, mountains, bridges
- classifier for buildings, mountains, bridges
- seat
- base
- stand
- (bound form) constellation
- classifier for large immovable objects such as buildings, mountains, bridges etc
- (archaic) suffix used in a respectful form of address (e.g. 师座)
座位zuòwèiHSK 4seat
- seat
- CL:个
做法zuòfǎHSK 4way of handling sth
- way of handling sth
- method for making
- work method
- recipe
- practice
- CL:个
做梦zuòmèngHSK 4to dream
- to dream
- to have a dream
- (fig.) to indulge in wishful thinking
阿姨āyíHSK 3maternal aunt
- maternal aunt
- term of address for a woman of one's mother's generation
- childcare worker
- nanny
- domestic worker
矮ǎiHSK 3(of a person) short
- (of a person) short
- (of a wall etc) low
- (of rank) inferior (to)
- lower (than)
爱人àirenHSK 3spouse (PRC)
- spouse (PRC)
- lover (non-PRC)
- CL:个
安静ānjìngHSK 3quiet
- quiet
- peaceful
- calm
安全ānquánHSK 3safe
- safe
- secure
- safety
- security
把bǎHSK 3to hold
- to hold
- to grasp
- to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate
- handlebar
- classifier: handful, bundle, bunch
- classifier for things with handles
- (used to put the object before the verb: 把 + {noun} + {verb})
- handle
班级bānjíHSK 3class (group of students)
- class (group of students)
- grade (in school)
搬bānHSK 3to move (i.e. relocate oneself)
- to move (i.e. relocate oneself)
- to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky)
- to shift
- to copy indiscriminately
搬家bānjiāHSK 3to move house
- to move house
- to relocate
- to remove (sth)
办bànHSK 3to take care of (a matter)
- to take care of (a matter)
- to deal with (a task, procedure etc)
- to organize (an event)
- to establish
- to set up
- to manage
- to run (an enterprise)
- (law) to handle
- to investigate
- to prosecute (a case or suspect)
- (bound form) office (as in 招办, admissions office) (abbr. for 办公室)
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 2 Chinese listening episodes
HSK 3 Chinese listening episodes
HSK 4 Chinese listening episodes
HSK 5+ Chinese listening episodes
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.
Scroll
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.