Bridge into independent reading with vocabulary for culture, nature, opinions, causes, and more complete narratives.
Choose five new words, write one sentence with each, then meet them again in an HSK 3 story before adding more.
Showing only words introduced at HSK 3.
Short sentences make a word easier to understand—and much easier to remember.
故事让我们了解中国文化。
Stories help us understand Chinese culture.这是一个古老的传说。
This is an ancient legend.大家一起保护这座山。
Everyone protects this mountain together.人们一起庆祝新年。
People celebrate the new year together.故事里的世界很大。
The world inside the story is vast.人和自然一起生活。
People live together with nature.compassion; kindness
Nto arrange; to plan
V/Nto install; to erect
Vto press; to push
V/Prepaccording to; in accordance with; on the basis of
Prepto hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate
Prepto hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate
Mto grasp (also fig.); to seize
V/Nwhite; in vain
AdvChinese cabbage, esp. napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis); sometimes used to refer to bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
Nclass (group of students); grade (in school)
Nto move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky)
Vto move house; to relocate; to remove (sth)
—board; plank
Nto handle; to transact; to conduct
Vto defend; to protect; to keep; to guarantee; to ensure
Vto ensure public security; to ensure safety (for workers engaged in production)
Nto keep; to maintain
Vto conserve; to preserve; to keep; to store; (computing) to save (a file etc)
Vto protect; to defend
Vto keep; to retain
Vinsurance; to insure
Adj/Nguarantee; to guarantee
V/Nto report; to inform; to announce; to respond; to reply
Nto report for duty; to check in
—to report (news); report
V/Nto inform; to report
V/Nto carry on one's back; (fig.) to bear; to shoulder (a burden, blame etc)
Vnorthern part
Nthe back of a body or object; to turn one's back
Nbehind; at the back
Nquilt; to cover (with)
Prepblanket; quilt
Noriginal; originally
Adj/Advskill; ability
Nability; skill
Nto compare; to contrast
Adv/Vproportion; scale
Ncompetition (sports etc); match
V/Ninevitable; certain
Adjnecessary; essential
Adj/N(intransitive) to change; to vary; change; variation
V/Nto change into
—title; heading
Nstandard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard
N/Adjto express; to convey
Vform; table
Nsurface; face
Nto make clear; to make known
Vto show; to show off
V/Nplay; show
V/Nand; furthermore
Adv/Conjand; besides; moreover; furthermore; in addition
Conjto broadcast; to air (a TV program etc)
—to broadcast; to transmit (by radio or TV)
Vneed not; does not have to
Advunceasing; uninterrupted
V/Advwhatever; no matter what (who, how etc)
Conjto repair; to patch
Vto replenish; to supplement
V/NVocabulary levels and counts follow the GF0025-2021 international Chinese education standard. English glosses are adapted from CC-CEDICT under CC BY-SA 4.0; context may change the best translation.