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Illustration in teal tones representing the HSK 6 Mandarin vocabulary list.
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

Hear HSK 6 words in a real story

黄石公园热泉区清出280多顶帽子

Yellowstone Finds Over 280 Hats in Hot-Spring Areas

1 min

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 4801–4850 of 4,991 · page 97 of 100

希望xīwàngHSK 2

to hope

洗xǐHSK 2

to wash

  • to wash
  • to bathe
  • to develop (photographs)
  • to shuffle (cards etc)
  • to erase (a recording)
  • used in 洗马
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
向xiàngHSK 2

towards

  • towards
  • to face
  • to turn towards
  • direction
  • to support
  • to side with
  • shortly before
  • formerly
  • always
  • all along
  • (suffix) suitable for ...
  • oriented to ...
  • to tend toward
  • to guide
  • surname Xiang
  • direction
  • orientation
  • to face
  • to turn toward
  • to
  • towards
  • shortly before
  • formerly
  • variant of 向
  • variant of 向
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
小时xiǎoshíHSK 2

hour

笑xiàoHSK 2

to laugh

  • to laugh
  • to smile
  • to laugh at
  • old variant of 笑
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
新xīnHSK 2

new

  • new
  • newly
  • meso- (chemistry)
  • surname Xin
  • abbr. for Xinjiang 新疆
  • abbr. for Singapore 新加坡
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
姓xìngHSK 2

family name

  • family name
  • surname
  • to be surnamed ...
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
休息xiūxiHSK 2

rest

雪xuěHSK 2

snow

  • snow
  • CL:场
  • (literary) to wipe away (a humiliation etc)
  • surname Xue
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
颜色yánsèHSK 2

color

  • color
  • countenance
  • appearance
  • facial expression
  • pigment
  • dyestuff
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
眼睛yǎnjingHSK 2

eye

羊肉yángròuHSK 2

mutton

药yàoHSK 2

leaf of the iris

  • leaf of the iris
  • medicine
  • drug
  • substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting)
  • CL:种,服,味
  • to poison
  • variant of 药
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
要yàoHSK 2

to want

  • to want
  • to need
  • to ask for
  • will
  • shall
  • about to
  • need to
  • should
  • if (same as 要是)
  • (bound form) important
  • (bound form) to demand
  • to coerce
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
也yěHSK 2

also

  • also
  • too
  • as well
  • (not ...) either
  • (used after a verbal or nominal expression X to indicate that X is an extreme or unexpected case) even (X)
  • (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊
  • surname Ye
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
一起yīqǐHSK 2

(in) the same place

  • (in) the same place
  • together
  • in company (with)
  • altogether
  • in total
  • an instance of
  • a case of (murder, accident, dispute etc)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
已经yǐjīngHSK 2

already

意思yìsiHSK 2

idea

  • idea
  • opinion
  • meaning
  • wish
  • desire
  • interest
  • fun
  • token of appreciation, affection etc
  • CL:个
  • to give as a small token
  • to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
因为yīnwèiHSK 2

because

阴yīnHSK 2

overcast (weather)

  • overcast (weather)
  • cloudy
  • shady
  • Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang)
  • negative (electric.)
  • feminine
  • moon
  • implicit
  • hidden
  • genitalia
  • surname Yin
  • variant of 阴
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
游泳yóuyǒngHSK 2

swimming

右边yòubianHSK 2

right side

鱼yúHSK 2

fish (CL:条,尾)

  • fish (CL:条,尾)
  • used in the names of various aquatic animals that are not fish (including abalone 鲍鱼, alligators and crocodiles 鳄鱼 and octopi 章鱼)
  • surname Yu
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
元yuánHSK 2

currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan)

  • currency unit (esp. Chinese yuan)
  • (bound form) first
  • original
  • primary
  • (bound form) basic
  • fundamental
  • (bound form) constituent
  • part
  • (prefix) meta-
  • (math.) argument
  • variable
  • era (of a reign)
  • (Tw) (geology) eon
  • surname Yuan
  • Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
远yuǎnHSK 2

far

  • far
  • distant
  • remote
  • (intensifier in a comparison) by far
  • much (lower etc)
  • to distance oneself from (classical)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
运动yùndòngHSK 2

to move

  • to move
  • to exercise
  • sports
  • exercise
  • motion
  • movement
  • campaign
  • CL:场
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
再zàiHSK 2

again

  • again
  • once more
  • re-
  • further
  • beyond this point of time
  • (before an adjective) more
  • then (after sth, and not until then)
  • no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, and then (usually) 也 or 都 for emphasis)
  • (used to introduce additional information, as in 再则, 再就是 etc)
  • (literary) to reappear
  • to reoccur
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
早上zǎoshangHSK 2

early morning

张zhāngHSK 2

to open up

  • to open up
  • to spread
  • sheet of paper
  • classifier for flat objects, sheet
  • classifier for votes
  • surname Zhang
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
长chángHSK 2

long

  • long
  • (bound form) length
  • (bound form) strong point
  • forte
  • (bound form) to be good at
  • (literary) surplus
  • spare (Taiwan pr. )
  • chief
  • head
  • elder
  • to grow
  • to develop
  • to increase
  • to enhance
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
丈夫zhàngfuHSK 2

husband

找zhǎoHSK 2

to try to find

  • to try to find
  • to look for
  • to call on sb
  • to find
  • to seek
  • to return
  • to give change
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
着zheHSK 2

aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state

  • aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state
  • a move in chess (Taiwan pr. )
  • trick
  • tactic
  • (dialect) okay
  • all right
  • (dialect) to put in
  • to add
  • to touch
  • to come in contact with
  • to feel
  • to be affected by
  • to catch fire
  • to burn
  • (coll.) to fall asleep
  • (after a verb) hitting the mark
  • succeeding in
  • to wear (clothes)
  • to contact
  • to use
  • to apply
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
  • variant of 着
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
真zhēnHSK 2

really

正在zhèngzàiHSK 2

to be in the process of (doing sth)

  • to be in the process of (doing sth)
  • to be currently ...-ing
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
知道zhīdàoHSK 2

to know

  • to know
  • to become aware of
  • also pr.
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
准备zhǔnbèiHSK 2

preparation

  • preparation
  • to prepare
  • to intend
  • to be about to
  • reserve (fund)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
自行车zìxíngchēHSK 2

bicycle

走zǒuHSK 2

to walk

  • to walk
  • to go
  • to run
  • to move (of vehicle)
  • to visit
  • to leave
  • to go away
  • to die (euph.)
  • from
  • through
  • away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走)
  • to change (shape, form, meaning)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
最zuìHSK 2

(before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree

  • (before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree
  • (the) most ...
  • -est
  • (after 之) best or most extreme example (e.g. 世界之最 "the greatest in the world")
  • variant of 最
  • old variant of 最
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
左边zuǒbianHSK 2

left

爱àiHSK 1

to love

  • to love
  • to be fond of
  • to like
  • affection
  • to be inclined (to do sth)
  • to tend to (happen)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
八bāHSK 1

eight

爸爸bàbaHSK 1

(coll.) father

杯子bēiziHSK 1

cup

北京běijīngHSK 1

Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京)

  • Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (short name 京)
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
本běnHSK 1

(bound form) root

  • (bound form) root
  • stem
  • (bound form) origin
  • source
  • (bound form) one's own
  • this
  • (bound form) this
  • the current (year etc)
  • (bound form) original
  • (bound form) inherent
  • originally
  • initially
  • capital
  • principal
  • classifier for books, periodicals, files etc
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
不bùHSK 1

no

不客气bùkèqiHSK 1

you're welcome

  • you're welcome
  • don't mention it
  • impolite
  • rude
  • blunt
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →
菜càiHSK 1

vegetable

  • vegetable
  • greens (CL:棵)
  • dish (of food) (CL:样,道,盘)
  • (of one's skills etc) weak
  • poor
  • (coll.) (one's) type
Character breakdown, usage notes and examples →

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.

HSK 6 episodes to hear these words in

Every episode below is written inside the HSK 6 word band and read at HSK 6 speed. Press play — no account needed for the first few.

HSK 5–6 Chinese listening episodes

Showing 12 of 246

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