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HSK 5 Vocabulary

HSK 5 Vocabulary List: 2,500 Words

HSK 5 assumes 2,500 cumulative words — 1300 of them new at this level. They cover news, business, academic and literary register — the vocabulary of newspapers, lectures, and film dialogue.

By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated July 2026

Hear HSK 5 words in a real story

黄石公园热泉区清出280多顶帽子

Yellowstone Finds 280 Hats in Hot-Spring Areas

1 min

What is on the HSK 5 word list?

The HSK word lists are published and cumulative, which is what makes the exam a finite target. HSK 5 assumes 2,500 words in total — 1,300 of them introduced at this level.

They cover news, business, academic and literary register — the vocabulary of newspapers, lectures, and film dialogue.

HSK proficiency ladderThe six HSK levels with cumulative vocabulary requirements: HSK 1 requires 150 words, HSK 2 requires 300, HSK 3 requires 600, HSK 4 requires 1,200, HSK 5 requires 2,500, and HSK 6 requires 5,000 words. Word counts follow the official Hanban HSK 2.0 standard.HSK levels by cumulative vocabularyHSK 1beginner150 wordsHSK 2elementary300 wordsHSK 3pre-intermediate600 wordsHSK 4intermediate1,200 wordsHSK 5upper-intermediate2,500 wordsHSK 6advanced5,000 wordsSource: Hanban HSK 2.0 standard
Cumulative vocabulary required at each HSK level — bar width is proportional to the word count.

HSK 5 word list

All 2,491 entries below, straight from the official Hanban HSK 2.0 list. The 1,298 words new at HSK 5 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 2,491 · page 1 of 50

唉àiHSK 5

alas

  • alas
  • oh dear
  • interjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!)
  • to sigh
爱护àihùHSK 5

to cherish

  • to cherish
  • to treasure
  • to take care of
  • to love and protect
爱惜àixīHSK 5

to cherish

  • to cherish
  • to treasure
  • to use sparingly
爱心àixīnHSK 5

compassion

  • compassion
  • kindness
  • care for others
  • love
  • CL:片
  • charity (bazaar, golf day etc)
  • heart (the symbol ♥)
安慰ānwèiHSK 5

to comfort

  • to comfort
  • to console
安装ānzhuāngHSK 5

to install

  • to install
  • to erect
  • to fix
  • to mount
  • installation
岸ànHSK 5

bank

  • bank
  • shore
  • beach
  • coast
  • variant of 岸
把握bǎwòHSK 5

to grasp (also fig.)

  • to grasp (also fig.)
  • to seize
  • to hold
  • assurance
  • certainty
  • sure (of the outcome)
摆bǎiHSK 5

to arrange

  • to arrange
  • to exhibit
  • to move to and fro
  • a pendulum
  • hem (at the bottom of a garment)
班主任bānzhǔrènHSK 5

teacher in charge of a class

  • teacher in charge of a class
办理bànlǐHSK 5

to handle

  • to handle
  • to transact
  • to conduct
傍晚bàngwǎnHSK 5

in the evening

  • in the evening
  • when night falls
  • towards evening
  • at night fall
  • at dusk
棒bàngHSK 5

stick

  • stick
  • club
  • cudgel
  • smart
  • capable
  • strong
  • wonderful
  • classifier for legs of a relay race
包裹bāoguǒHSK 5

to wrap up

  • to wrap up
  • to bind up
  • bundle
  • parcel
  • package
  • CL:个
包含bāohánHSK 5

to contain

  • to contain
  • to embody
  • to include
包子bāoziHSK 5

baozi

  • baozi
  • bao (steamed stuffed bun)
薄báoHSK 5

thin

  • thin
  • cold in manner
  • indifferent
  • weak
  • light
  • infertile
  • meager
  • slight
  • weak
  • ungenerous or unkind
  • frivolous
  • to despise
  • to belittle
  • to look down on
  • to approach or near
  • surname Bo
  • see 薄荷
宝贝bǎobèiHSK 5

treasured object

  • treasured object
  • treasure
  • darling
  • baby
  • cowry
  • good-for-nothing or queer character
宝贵bǎoguìHSK 5

valuable

  • valuable
  • precious
  • to value
  • to treasure
  • to set store by
保持bǎochíHSK 5

to keep

  • to keep
  • to maintain
  • to hold
  • to preserve
保存bǎocúnHSK 5

to conserve

  • to conserve
  • to preserve
  • to keep
  • to store
  • (computing) to save (a file etc)
保留bǎoliúHSK 5

to keep

  • to keep
  • to retain
  • to have reservations (about sth)
  • to hold back (from saying sth)
  • to put aside for later
保险bǎoxiǎnHSK 5

insurance

  • insurance
  • to insure
  • safe
  • secure
  • be sure
  • be bound to
  • CL:份
报告bàogàoHSK 5

to inform

  • to inform
  • to report
  • to make known
  • report
  • speech
  • talk
  • lecture
  • CL:篇,份,个,通
悲观bēiguānHSK 5

pessimistic

  • pessimistic
背bèiHSK 5

the back of a body or object

  • the back of a body or object
  • to turn one's back
  • to hide something from
  • to learn by heart
  • to recite from memory
  • (slang) unlucky
  • hard of hearing
  • to carry on one's back
  • (fig.) to bear
  • to shoulder (a burden, blame etc)
  • variant of 背
背景bèijǐngHSK 5

background

  • background
  • backdrop
  • context
  • (fig.) powerful backer
被子bèiziHSK 5

blanket

  • blanket
  • quilt
  • CL:条,床
本科běnkēHSK 5

undergraduate course

  • undergraduate course
  • undergraduate (attributive)
本领běnlǐngHSK 5

skill

  • skill
  • ability
  • capability
  • CL:项,个
本质běnzhìHSK 5

essence

  • essence
  • nature
  • innate character
  • intrinsic quality
比例bǐlìHSK 5

proportion

  • proportion
  • scale
比如bǐrúHSK 5

for example

  • for example
  • for instance
  • such as
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
彼此bǐcǐHSK 5

each other

  • each other
  • one another
必然bìránHSK 5

inevitable

  • inevitable
  • certain
  • necessity
必需bìxūHSK 5

to need

  • to need
  • to require
  • essential
  • indispensable
必要bìyàoHSK 5

necessary

  • necessary
  • essential
  • indispensable
  • required
毕竟bìjìngHSK 5

after all

  • after all
  • all in all
  • when all is said and done
  • in the final analysis
避免bìmiǎnHSK 5

to avert

  • to avert
  • to prevent
  • to avoid
  • to refrain from
编辑biānjíHSK 5

to edit

  • to edit
  • to compile
  • editor
  • compiler
鞭炮biānpàoHSK 5

firecrackers

  • firecrackers
  • string of small firecrackers
  • CL:枚
便biànHSK 5

plain

  • plain
  • informal
  • suitable
  • convenient
  • opportune
  • to urinate or defecate
  • equivalent to 就: then
  • in that case
  • even if
  • soon afterwards
  • used in 便宜
  • used in 便便
  • used in 便嬛
辩论biànlùnHSK 5

debate

  • debate
  • argument
  • to argue over
  • CL:场,次
标点biāodiǎnHSK 5

punctuation

  • punctuation
  • a punctuation mark
  • to punctuate
  • CL:个
标志biāozhìHSK 5

sign

  • sign
  • mark
  • symbol
  • logo
  • to symbolize
  • to indicate
  • to mark
表面biǎomiànHSK 5

surface

  • surface
  • face
  • outside
  • appearance
表明biǎomíngHSK 5

to make clear

  • to make clear
  • to make known
  • to state clearly
  • to indicate
  • known
表情biǎoqíngHSK 5

(facial) expression

  • (facial) expression
  • to express one's feelings
表现biǎoxiànHSK 5

to show

  • to show
  • to show off
  • to display
  • to manifest
  • expression
  • manifestation
  • show
  • display
  • performance (at work etc)
  • behavior
丙bǐngHSK 5

third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干

  • third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干
  • third in order
  • letter "C" or Roman "III" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc
  • ancient Chinese compass point: 165°
  • propyl

How to actually learn HSK 5 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.

1

Read the list once, do not memorise it

You are looking for which words feel unfamiliar, not trying to learn them here.

2

Listen at your level daily

Fluentide's HSK 5 episodes are written inside this vocabulary band, so the words arrive in sentences instead of flashcards.

3

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.

4

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.

HSK 5 episodes to hear these words in

Every episode below is written inside the HSK 5 word band and read at HSK 5 speed. Press play — no account needed for the first few.

HSK 5–6 Chinese listening episodes

Showing 12 of 231

The method in practice

Hear HSK 5 vocabulary in real Mandarin

Every HSK 5 episode is written inside this word band and read at HSK 5 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.

More HSK 5

HSK 5 listening practice, test format and timeline · HSK 5 grammar points · All six HSK levels compared