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HSK 6 Vocabulary

HSK 6 Vocabulary List: 5,000 Words

HSK 6 assumes 5,000 cumulative words — 2500 of them new at this level. They cover chengyu, formal and classical register, and the layered vocabulary of serious written Chinese.

By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated July 2026

What is on the HSK 6 word list?

The HSK word lists are published and cumulative, which is what makes the exam a finite target. HSK 6 assumes 5,000 words in total — 2,500 of them introduced at this level.

They cover chengyu, formal and classical register, and the layered vocabulary of serious written Chinese.

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 6 word list

All 4,991 entries below, straight from the official Hanban HSK 2.0 list. The 2,500 words new at HSK 6 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 40514100 of 4,991 · page 82 of 100

kùnHSK 4

to trap

  • to trap
  • to surround
  • hard-pressed
  • stranded
  • destitute
困难kùnnanHSK 4

difficult

  • difficult
  • challenging
  • straitened circumstances
  • difficult situation
扩大kuòdàHSK 4

to expand

  • to expand
  • to enlarge
  • to broaden one's scope
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
垃圾桶lājītǒngHSK 4

rubbish bin

  • rubbish bin
  • trash can
  • garbage can
  • Taiwan pr.
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
HSK 4

to pull

  • to pull
  • to play (a bowed instrument)
  • to drag
  • to draw
  • to chat
  • (coll.) to empty one's bowels
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
HSK 4

old variant of 辣

  • old variant of 辣
来不及láibujíHSK 4

there's not enough time (to do sth)

  • there's not enough time (to do sth)
  • it's too late (to do sth)
来得及láidejíHSK 4

to have enough time

  • to have enough time
  • can do it in time
  • can still make it
lǎnHSK 4

variant of 懒

  • variant of 懒
浪费làngfèiHSK 4

to waste

  • to waste
  • to squander
浪漫làngmànHSK 4

romantic

  • romantic
老虎lǎohǔHSK 4

tiger

  • tiger
  • CL:只
冷静lěngjìngHSK 4

calm

  • calm
  • cool-headed
  • dispassionate
  • (of a place) deserted
  • quiet
礼貌lǐmàoHSK 4

courtesy

  • courtesy
  • politeness
  • manners
  • courteous
  • polite
理发lǐfàHSK 4

to get a haircut

  • to get a haircut
  • to have one's hair done
  • to cut (sb's) hair
  • to give (sb) a haircut
理解lǐjiěHSK 4

to comprehend

  • to comprehend
  • to understand
理想lǐxiǎngHSK 4

an ideal

  • an ideal
  • a dream
  • ideal
  • perfect
力气lìqiHSK 4

physical strength

  • physical strength
厉害lìhaiHSK 4

(used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible

  • (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible
  • intense
  • severe
  • devastating
  • amazing
  • awesome
  • outstanding
  • (of a person) stern
  • strict
  • harsh
  • shrewd
  • tough
  • (of an animal) fierce
  • (of a resemblance) striking
  • (of liquor or chili pepper) strong
  • (of bacteria) virulent
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
例如lìrúHSK 4

for example

liǎHSK 4

two (colloquial equivalent of 两个)

  • two (colloquial equivalent of 两个)
  • both
  • some
liánHSK 4

surname Lian

联系liánxìHSK 4

variant of 联系

凉快liángkuaiHSK 4

pleasantly cool (weather etc)

  • pleasantly cool (weather etc)
  • to cool oneself
  • to cool off
  • (Tw) (slang) (of clothing) scanty
  • revealing
  • (coll.) to stay out of it
  • to butt out
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
liàngHSK 4

bright

  • bright
  • light
  • to shine
  • to flash
  • loud and clear
  • to show (one's passport etc)
  • to make public (one's views etc)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
聊天liáotiānHSK 4

to chat

另外lìngwàiHSK 4

additional

  • additional
  • in addition
  • besides
  • separate
  • other
  • moreover
  • furthermore
流泪liúlèiHSK 4

to shed tears

  • to shed tears
流利liúlìHSK 4

fluent

  • fluent
流行liúxíngHSK 4

(of a contagious disease etc) to spread

  • (of a contagious disease etc) to spread
  • to propagate
  • (of a style of clothing, song etc) popular
  • fashionable
liúHSK 4

old variant of 留

  • old variant of 留
留学liúxuéHSK 4

to study abroad

律师lu:4shīHSK 4

lawyer

  • lawyer
luànHSK 4

in confusion or disorder

  • in confusion or disorder
  • in a confused state of mind
  • disorder
  • upheaval
  • riot
  • illicit sexual relations
  • to throw into disorder
  • to mix up
  • indiscriminate
  • random
  • arbitrary
麻烦máfanHSK 4

trouble

  • trouble
  • inconvenience
  • inconvenient
  • troublesome
  • annoying
  • to bother sb
  • to put sb to trouble
马虎mǎhuHSK 4

careless

mǎnHSK 4

Manchu ethnic group

毛巾máojīnHSK 4

towel

  • towel
  • CL:条
美丽měilìHSK 4

beautiful

  • beautiful
mèngHSK 4

dream (CL:场,个)

  • dream (CL:场,个)
  • (bound form) to dream
密码mìmǎHSK 4

cipher

  • cipher
  • secret code
  • password
  • PIN
免费miǎnfèiHSK 4

free (of charge)

  • free (of charge)
民族mínzúHSK 4

nationality

  • nationality
  • ethnic group
  • CL:个
母亲mǔqīnHSK 4

mother

目的mùdìHSK 4

purpose

  • purpose
  • aim
  • goal
  • target
  • objective
  • CL:个
耐心nàixīnHSK 4

to be patient

  • to be patient
  • patience
难道nándàoHSK 4

don't tell me ...

  • don't tell me ...
  • could it be that...?
难受nánshòuHSK 4

to feel unwell

  • to feel unwell
  • to suffer pain
  • to be difficult to bear
nèiHSK 4

inside

  • inside
  • inner
  • internal
  • within
  • interior
内容nèiróngHSK 4

content

  • content
  • substance
  • details
  • CL:个,项

How to actually learn HSK 6 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 6 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.

The method in practice

Hear HSK 6 vocabulary in real Mandarin

Every HSK 6 episode is written inside this word band and read at HSK 6 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 6