HSK 5 Vocabulary
HSK 5 Vocabulary List (213 words)
Compiled from Fluentide podcast episodes. Updated May 2026.
The HSK 5 vocabulary list covers around 2,500 words — advanced Mandarin proficiency. These are the words for academic lectures, business analysis, literary criticism, and the kind of nuanced commentary you find in Caixin or 36Kr. Each word includes pinyin, translation, and links to Fluentide HSK 5-6 episodes.
The method in practice
Learn HSK 5 vocabulary in real Mandarin context
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Where HSK 5 Sits in the HSK Ladder
HSK 5 Word List
败笔bàibǐa blunder; a flaw
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半壁江山bànbì jiāngshān(idiom) half of the whole (domain)
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宝刀已老bǎodāo yǐ lǎo(idiom) past one's prime (lit. the fine blade has aged)
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保质期bǎozhìqīshelf life
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暴露bàolùto expose
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背书bèishūto endorse / endorsement
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奔向bēnxiàngto rush toward; head for
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本质běnzhìessence; fundamental nature
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鄙视bǐshìto look down on; contempt
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边界biānjièboundary / borders
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飙升biāoshēngto soar; skyrocket
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表演努力biǎoyǎn nǔlìperforming effort (looking busy for show)
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剥夺政治权利bōduó zhèngzhì quánlìdeprivation of political rights
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不离不弃bù lí bù qì(idiom) to never abandon; stay through thick and thin
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不翼而飞bù yì ér fēito vanish without a trace (idiom)
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擦肩而过cā jiān ér guò(idiom) to brush past; narrowly miss
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猜测cāicèspeculation; guesswork
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常态chángtàinormal state; a regular pattern
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持久chíjiǔlong-lasting; persistent
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持权转播商chíquán zhuǎnbōshāngrights-holding broadcaster
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出海chūhǎito go overseas (especially for a brand entering foreign markets)
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出口chūkǒuexit; way out
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传说中chuánshuō zhōnglegendary; long-rumored
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辞职信cízhí xìnresignation letter
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篡改cuàngǎito falsify / tamper with
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脆弱cuìruòfragile; vulnerable
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错过cuòguòto miss (an opportunity)
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代名词dàimíngcíbyword; synonym for
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地缘政治dìyuán zhèngzhìgeopolitics
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底蕴深厚dǐyùn shēnhòudeeply storied; rich in heritage
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颠覆diānfùto disrupt / overturn
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顶尖dǐngjiāntop-tier; elite
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订阅dìngyuèsubscription
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兜回来dōu huílaito bring back around; recover
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发酵fājiào(figurative) to ferment; to keep building / escalating
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法律fǎlǜlaw
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方向盘fāngxiàngpánsteering wheel
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风口浪尖fēngkǒu làngjiān(idiom) the eye of the storm; the center of controversy
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封神fēngshén(slang) to be elevated to legend / god status
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复盘fùpánretrospective; post-mortem review
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盖棺定论gài guān dìng lùnto reach a final verdict (idiom)
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高管gāoguǎnsenior executive
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高气压系统gāo qìyā xìtǒnghigh-pressure system
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个人语境理解gèrén yǔjìng lǐjiěpersonal context understanding
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公共财富gōnggòng cáifùpublic wealth / a common good
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功成身退gōng chéng shēn tuì(idiom) to retire after achieving success
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拐点guǎidiǎninflection point, turning point
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国际guójìinternational
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国际化guójìhuàinternationalization; going global
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过关斩将guò guān zhǎn jiàng(idiom) to cut through every obstacle
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Showing 50 of 213 words