HSK 5 Vocabulary
HSK 5 Vocabulary List (261 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.
Where HSK 5 Sits in the HSK Ladder
HSK 5 Word List
暗流ànliúundercurrent
normalnormal
白领báilǐngwhite-collar worker
normal
班味bānwèioffice-smell (slang)
normal
半壁江山bànbì jiāngshānhalf the kingdom
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包装bāozhuāngto package; packaging
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饱和度bǎohé dùsaturation (of color)
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保密bǎomìto keep secret; classified
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闭环bìhuánclosed loop
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变味biàn wèito lose its original character
normal
标准化biāozhǔnhuàstandardized; standardization
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波比跳bōbǐtiàoburpee
normal
博弈bóyì(strategic) game; competition
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不可或缺bùkě huòquēindispensable
normal
不可预测bùkě yùcèunpredictable
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不确定bù quèdìnguncertain; uncertainty
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参差不齐cēncī bù qíuneven; varying
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超级周期chāojí zhōuqīsuper-cycle
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嘲讽cháofěngto mock; to ridicule
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沉重chénzhòngheavy; weighty
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成熟chéngshúmature; maturity
normalnormal
承包商chéngbāo shāngcontractor
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承认chéngrènto acknowledge, to admit
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诚意chéngyìsincerity (especially in actions)
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持续发酵chíxù fājiàocontinuing to ferment; sustained spread
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出口管制chūkǒu guǎnzhìexport controls
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出片chūpiànphotogenic; produces good photos (slang)
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处方chǔfāngprescription (medical)
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传播学chuánbō xuécommunication studies
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传感器chuán'gǎnqìsensor
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传奇chuánqílegend; legendary figure
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猝死cùsǐto die suddenly
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措辞cuòcíwording; phrasing
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搭售dāshòutying; bundling
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代工dàigōngcontract manufacturing/OEM
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蛋白质dànbáizhìprotein
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当头一棒dāngtóu yī bànga sharp blow to the head; sudden hard hit
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颠覆diānfùto subvert; overturn
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电子显微镜diànzǐ xiǎnwēijìngelectron microscope
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短板duǎnbǎnweak spot; shortcoming
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对峙duìzhìstandoff; confrontation
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恶化èhuàto deteriorate; worsen
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反讽fǎnfěngirony
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非升即走fēi shēng jí zǒuup-or-out (HR term)
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肺水肿fèi shuǐzhǒngpulmonary edema
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分红率fēnhónglǜdividend payout ratio
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风向标fēngxiàngbiāoweathervane/barometer
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封堵fēngdǔto seal off; block off
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蜂巢fēngcháohoneycomb
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符号行为fúhào xíngwéisymbolic act
normal
干预方案gānyù fāng'ànintervention plan
normal
Showing 50 of 261 words