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.
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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 1451–1500 of 1,978 · page 30 of 40
照zhàoHSK 3to shine
- to shine
- to illuminate
- according to
- in accordance with
- to shine
- to illuminate
- to reflect
- to look at (one's reflection)
- to take (a photo)
- photo
- as requested
- as before
- variant of 照
照顾zhàogùHSK 3to take care of
- to take care of
- to show consideration
- to attend to
- to look after
照片zhàopiànHSK 3photograph
- photograph
- CL:张,幅
照相zhàoxiàngHSK 3to take a photograph
- to take a photograph
着急zháojíHSK 3to worry
- to worry
- to feel anxious
- to feel a sense of urgency
- to be in a hurry
- Taiwan pr.
直到zhídàoHSK 3until
- until
只能zhǐ néngHSK 3can only
- can only
- obliged to do sth
- to have no other choice
只是zhǐshìHSK 3merely
- merely
- only
- just
- nothing but
- simply
- but
- however
只要zhǐyàoHSK 3so long as
- so long as
- provided
- if
只有zhǐyǒuHSK 3only have ...
- only have ...
- there is only ...
- (used in combination with 才) it is only if ... (that one can ...) (as in 只有通过治疗才能痊愈 "the only way to cure it is with therapy")
- it is only (someone) who ... (as in 只有男性才有此需要 "only men would have such a requirement")
- (used to express lack of alternatives) can only
- have no choice but to (as in 只有屈服 "the only thing you can do is give in")
纸zhǐHSK 3paper (CL:张,沓)
- paper (CL:张,沓)
- classifier for documents, letters etc
- variant of 纸
中zhōng / zhòngHSK 3within
- within
- among
- in
- middle
- center
- while (doing sth)
- during
- (dialect) OK
- all right
- to hit (a target)
- to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc)
- to win (a prize or lottery)
- (bound form) China
- Chinese
- surname Zhong
中间zhōngjiānHSK 3the middle
- the middle
- the inside
- in the middle
- within
- between
- among
- during
- in the meantime
终于zhōngyúHSK 3at last
- at last
- in the end
- finally
- eventually
种zhǒng / zhòngHSK 3seed
- seed
- species
- kind
- type
- classifier for types, kinds, sorts
- to plant
- to grow
- to cultivate
重要zhòngyàoHSK 3important
- important
- significant
- major
周末zhōumòHSK 3weekend
主要zhǔyàoHSK 3main
- main
- principal
- major
- primary
住院zhùyuànHSK 3to stay in hospital
- to stay in hospital
- to be hospitalized
注意zhùyìHSK 3to take note of
- to take note of
- to pay attention to
子ziHSK 3son
- son
- child
- seed
- egg
- small thing
- 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat
- viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位
- ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north)
- subsidiary
- subordinate
- (prefix) sub-
- noun suffix, as in 椅子 "chair"
字典zìdiǎnHSK 3Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a 词典, which has entries for words of one or more characters)
- Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a 词典, which has entries for words of one or more characters)
- (coll.) dictionary
- CL:本
自行车zìxíngchēHSK 3bicycle
- bicycle
- bike
- CL:辆
总zǒngHSK 3(bound form) general
- (bound form) general
- overall
- to sum up
- in every case
- always
- invariably
- anyway
- after all
- eventually
- sooner or later
- surely
- (after a person's name) abbr. for 总经理 or 总编 etc
总是zǒngshìHSK 3always
嘴zuǐHSK 3mouth
- mouth
- beak
- nozzle
- spout (of teapot etc)
- CL:张,个
最好zuìhǎoHSK 3best
- best
- had better ...
- it would be best to ...
最后zuìhòuHSK 3final
- final
- last
- ultimate
- finally
- in the end
最近zuìjìnHSK 3recently
- recently
- soon
- nearest
作业zuòyèHSK 3school assignment
- school assignment
- homework
- work
- task
- operation
- CL:个
- to operate
做客zuòkèHSK 3to be a guest or visitor
- to be a guest or visitor
啊a / āHSK 2modal particle ending sentence, showing affirmation, approval, or consent
- modal particle ending sentence, showing affirmation, approval, or consent
- interjection of surprise
- Ah!
- Oh!
- interjection expressing doubt or requiring answer
- Eh?
- what?
- interjection of surprise or doubt
- Eh?
- My!
- what's up?
- interjection or grunt of agreement
- uhm
- Ah, OK
- expression of recognition
- Oh, it's you!
爱好àihàoHSK 2to like
- to like
- to be fond of
- to take pleasure in
- to be keen on
- interest
- hobby
白色báisèHSK 2white
- white
- fig. reactionary
- anti-communist
班bānHSK 2team
- team
- class
- grade
- (military) squad
- work shift
- classifier for groups of people and scheduled transport vehicles
- surname Ban
帮bāngHSK 2to help
- to help
- to assist
- to support
- for sb (i.e. as a help)
- hired (as worker)
- side (of pail, boat etc)
- outer layer
- upper (of a shoe)
- group
- gang
- clique
- party
- secret society
- old variant of 帮
- old variant of 帮
帮忙bāngmángHSK 2to help
- to help
- to lend a hand
- to do a favor
- to do a good turn
包bāoHSK 2to cover
- to cover
- to wrap
- to hold
- to include
- to take charge of
- to contract (to or for)
- package
- wrapper
- container
- bag
- to hold or embrace
- bundle
- packet
- CL:个,只
- surname Bao
本子běnziHSK 2book
- book
- notebook
- Japanese-style self-published comic (esp. an erotic one), aka "dōjinshi"
- CL:本
- edition
比bǐHSK 2to compare
- to compare
- (followed by a noun and adjective) more {adj.} than {noun}
- ratio
- to gesture
- (Taiwan pr. in some compounds derived from Classical Chinese)
- Belgium
- Belgian
- euphemistic variant of 屄
- abbr. for 比利时
笔bǐHSK 2writing brush
- writing brush
- writing implement (pen, pencil etc) (CL:支,枝)
- brushstroke
- stroke (in painting or calligraphy)
- (bound form) style of writing
- literary manner
- technique of brushwork
- (classifier) stroke of a Chinese character
- (classifier) sum of money
- financial transaction
- piece of business
- (literary) to write (with a brush or pen)
别biéHSK 2don't
- don't
- other
- to leave
- to part (from)
- (bound form) other
- another
- different
- don't ...!
- to fasten with a pin or clip
- to stick in
- to insert (in order to hinder movement)
- (noun suffix) category (as in 性别, 派别)
- (literary) to differentiate
- to distinguish
- (dialect) to turn away
- to turn aside
- to avert (one's face, gaze etc)
- to make sb change their ways, opinions etc
- surname Bie
不错búcuòHSK 2correct
- correct
- right
- not bad
- pretty good
不好意思bù hǎoyìsiHSK 2to feel embarrassed
- to feel embarrassed
- to find it embarrassing
- to be sorry (for inconveniencing sb)
车站chēzhànHSK 2rail station
- rail station
- bus stop
- CL:处,个
出chūHSK 2to go out
- to go out
- to come out
- to arise
- to occur
- to produce
- to yield
- to go beyond
- to exceed
- (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result)
- classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc
- variant of 出 (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels)
出国chūguóHSK 2to go abroad
- to go abroad
- to leave the country
出来chūláiHSK 2to come out
- to come out
- to appear
- to arise
出门chūménHSK 2to go out
- to go out
- to leave home
- to go on a journey
- away from home
- (of a woman) to get married
出去chūqùHSK 2to go out
- to go out
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.
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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.