HSK 4 Vocabulary List: 272 Words (HSK 2.0) + New HSK 3.0 List
HSK 4 is the upper-intermediate milestone of China's official Mandarin proficiency exam. It adds 272 new words to the 300 you already know from HSK1–HSK3, bringing your total vocabulary to 572 words, roughly B1–B2 on the CEFR scale. At this level you can discuss abstract topics, express nuanced opinions, and talk about work, society, and current events with confidence.
This is the HSK 2.0 list. The exam changes to HSK 3.0 worldwide on 13 December 2026. See the HSK 3.0 level 4 word list and what changed in HSK 3.0.
What Is HSK 4?
The HSK (汉语水平考试 — Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is China's standardised Mandarin proficiency test for non-native speakers. HSK 4 is the fourth of six levels and requires a total of 572 words (272 new ones on top of HSK1–HSK3).
At HSK 4 level you can discuss a wide range of topics in detail, express and support opinions, understand the main points of news articles and short essays, and communicate fluently on subjects related to work, study, and social life. It roughly corresponds to B1–B2 on the European CEFR scale.
HSK 4 at a glance:
✓ 272 new vocabulary words (572 total)
✓ Ability to discuss abstract and opinion-based topics
✓ Reading news articles and short essays with the main idea clear
✓ Written expression of connected, multi-clause arguments
20 Most Useful HSK4 Words
These 20 words come up constantly in everyday speech, so learn them first. Click any character to open its stroke animation and download a free practice sheet.
- 解决 jiějué — to solve / to resolve
- 影响 yǐngxiǎng — to influence / to affect
- 发展 fāzhǎn — to develop / development
- 成功 chénggōng — to succeed / success
- 接受 jiēshòu — to accept / to receive
- 交流 jiāoliú — to communicate / to exchange
- 坚持 jiānchí — to persist / to stick with something
- 完成 wánchéng — to complete / to finish
- 考虑 kǎolǜ — to consider / to think over
- 联系 liánxi — to contact / to get in touch
- 改变 gǎibiàn — to change / to transform
- 解释 jiěshì — to explain
- 复杂 fùzá — complicated / complex
- 简单 jiǎndān — simple / easy
- 积极 jījí — positive / proactive
- 紧张 jǐnzhāng — nervous / stressed
- 经验 jīngyàn — experience
- 态度 tàidu — attitude
- 社会 shèhuì — society
- 生活 shēnghuó — life / lifestyle
HSK4 Words by Category
Learning words in semantic groups speeds up memorisation. Here are key HSK4 words organised by theme. Click any word to see its stroke animation.
Actions & Achievement
People & Society
Work & Study
Feelings & Opinions
Daily Life & Technology
The Grammar Jump from HSK3 to HSK4
HSK4 introduces more complex sentence patterns built from multiple logical connectors. Here are the most important ones:
不仅…还… (not only… but also…)
他不仅会说英语，还会说法语。
He not only speaks English, but also French.
除了…以外，还… (besides… also…)
除了工作以外，他还喜欢摄影。
Besides work, he also enjoys photography.
即使…也… (even if… still…)
即使很困难，他也不放弃。
Even if it's very difficult, he still won't give up.
The key structural shift from HSK3 to HSK4 is moving from simple paired connectors to layered conditional and concessive logic. Sentences now nest multiple clauses ("even if X, though Y, still Z") and you need to track more than one logical relationship at once.
Study Tips for HSK4
- Review HSK1–HSK3 first — HSK4 vocabulary and grammar build directly on the earlier levels. If words like 了解 and 提高 or connectors like 虽然...但是 feel shaky, review HSK1-3 before adding HSK4 words.
- Learn words in sentences, not isolation — At HSK4, many words are close in meaning: 考虑 (kǎolǜ), 想 (xiǎng) and 打算 (dǎsuàn) all touch on "thinking about something" but differ in nuance. Learn each new word with an example sentence.
- Write characters to activate memory — Use HanziBook to generate a free practice copybook for any HSK4 character. The motor memory from writing each stroke in order makes characters stick far better than flashcards alone.
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