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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 42514300 of 4,991 · page 86 of 100

吸引xīyǐnHSK 4

to attract

  • to attract
  • to appeal to
  • to fascinate
西红柿xīhóngshìHSK 4

tomato

  • tomato
洗衣机xǐyījīHSK 4

washing machine

  • washing machine
  • washer
  • CL:台
xiánHSK 4

surname Xian

  • surname Xian
现代xiàndàiHSK 4

Hyundai, South Korean company

  • Hyundai, South Korean company
限制xiànzhìHSK 4

to restrict

  • to restrict
  • to limit
  • to confine
  • restriction
  • limit
  • CL:个
羡慕xiànmùHSK 4

to envy

  • to envy
  • to admire
相反xiāngfǎnHSK 4

opposite

xiāngHSK 4

fragrant

  • fragrant
  • sweet smelling
  • aromatic
  • savory or appetizing
  • (to eat) with relish
  • (of sleep) sound
  • perfume or spice
  • joss or incense stick
  • CL:根
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
详细xiángxìHSK 4

detailed

  • detailed
  • in detail
  • minute
xiǎngHSK 4

echo

  • echo
  • sound
  • noise
  • to make a sound
  • to sound
  • to ring
  • loud
  • classifier for noises
消息xiāoxiHSK 4

(piece of) news

  • (piece of) news
  • information
  • message
  • CL:条
小说xiǎoshuōHSK 4

novel

  • novel
  • fiction
  • CL:本,部
效果xiàoguǒHSK 4

result

  • result
  • effect
  • efficacy
  • (theater) sound or visual effects
笑话xiàohuaHSK 4

joke

  • joke
  • jest (CL:个)
  • to laugh at
  • to mock
  • ridiculous
  • absurd
心情xīnqíngHSK 4

mood

  • mood
  • frame of mind
  • CL:个
辛苦xīnkǔHSK 4

exhausting

  • exhausting
  • hard
  • tough
  • arduous
  • to work hard
  • to go to a lot of trouble
  • hardship(s)
信任xìnrènHSK 4

to trust

  • to trust
  • to have confidence in
信心xìnxīnHSK 4

confidence

  • confidence
  • faith (in sb or sth)
  • CL:个
信用卡xìnyòngkǎHSK 4

credit card

hángHSK 4

(bound form) row

  • (bound form) row
  • line
  • (bound form) line of business
  • trade
  • profession
  • (bound form) commercial firm
  • (bound form) to rank (first, second etc) among one's siblings (by age)
  • (in data tables) row
  • (Tw) column
  • classifier for rows or lines
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
xǐngHSK 4

to wake up

  • to wake up
  • to be awake
  • to become aware
  • to sober up
  • to come to
兴奋xīngfènHSK 4

excited

  • excited
  • excitement
  • (physiology) excitation
幸福xìngfúHSK 4

happiness

  • happiness
  • happy
  • blessed
性别xìngbiéHSK 4

gender

  • gender
  • sex
性格xìnggéHSK 4

nature

  • nature
  • disposition
  • temperament
  • character
  • CL:个
xiūHSK 4

surname Xiu

  • surname Xiu
许多xǔduōHSK 4

many

  • many
  • a lot of
  • much
xiěHSK 4

see 血

  • see 血
压力yālìHSK 4

pressure

  • pressure
牙膏yágāoHSK 4

toothpaste

  • toothpaste
  • CL:管
亚洲yàzhōuHSK 4

Asia (abbr. for 亚细亚洲)

  • Asia (abbr. for 亚细亚洲)
HSK 4

ah (used to express surprise)

  • ah (used to express surprise)
  • (onom.) creaking
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
严格yángéHSK 4

strict

  • strict
  • stringent
  • tight
  • rigorous
严重yánzhòngHSK 4

grave

  • grave
  • serious
  • severe
  • critical
研究生yánjiūshēngHSK 4

graduate student

  • graduate student
  • postgraduate student
  • research student
yánHSK 4

salt

  • salt
  • CL:粒
演出yǎnchūHSK 4

to act (in a play)

  • to act (in a play)
  • to perform
  • to put on (a performance)
  • performance
  • concert
  • show
  • CL:场,次
演员yǎnyuánHSK 4

actor

阳光yángguāngHSK 4

sunshine

  • sunshine
  • (of personality) upbeat
  • energetic
  • transparent (open to public scrutiny)
养成yǎngchéngHSK 4

to cultivate

  • to cultivate
  • to raise
  • to form (a habit)
  • to acquire
样子yàngziHSK 4

appearance

  • appearance
  • manner
  • pattern
  • model
邀请yāoqǐngHSK 4

to invite

  • to invite
  • invitation
  • CL:个
钥匙yàoshiHSK 4

key

  • key
  • CL:把
也许yěxǔHSK 4

perhaps

  • perhaps
  • maybe
叶子yèziHSK 4

leaf (CL:片)

  • leaf (CL:片)
  • (slang) marijuana
xiéHSK 4

head

  • head
一切yīqièHSK 4

everything

  • everything
  • every
  • all
HSK 4

old variant of 以

  • old variant of 以
亿HSK 4

100 million

  • 100 million

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