2025 HSK examination syllabus

HSK 4
vocabulary.

四级词汇

Read longer narratives and discuss familiar subjects with vocabulary for relationships, explanations, and abstract ideas.

1,000new words
2,000cumulative words
What to learn

Notice word combinations and sentence context instead of memorizing isolated translations.

How to use this list

Use the list as a reading reference: search for an unfamiliar word, hear it, and return to the sentence where you found it.

2026 rollout: This syllabus was published in November 2025 and became effective in July 2026. The official second-round HSK 3.0 global trial is scheduled for September 20, 2026, so confirm the syllabus and test format with your center.

List scope

All 2,000 words from HSK 1 through HSK 4.

HSK 4 only 1,000HSK 1–4 combined 2,000
Official 2025 syllabus

HSK 4 vocabulary

Words 1,001–1,100 of 2,000Hear any word · Save useful vocabulary

security check (abbr. for 安全檢查|安全检查[an1 quan2 jian3 cha2]); to do a security check

baijiu, a spirit usually distilled from sorghum; white wine (abbr. for 白葡萄酒[bai2 pu2 tao5 jiu3])

to handle official business (usu. in an office); to do (office) work

to carry on one's back; (fig.) to bear; to shoulder (a burden, blame etc)

written examination; paper test (for an applicant)

standard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard

名、形

exterior surface; family relationship via females

名、(动)

(of sb) to express; to state; to show; (of sth) to indicate; to signify; to show

and; besides; moreover; furthermore; in addition

doctor (as an academic degree); person specialized in a skill or trade

not just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...)

dissatisfied; discontented; resentful; (before a number) to be less than

not equal to; not as good as; inferior to; it would be better to

to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around

erhua variant of 差點|差点[cha4 dian3]

形、副

to arise; to come into being; to come about; to give rise to; to bring into being; to bring about; to produce; to engender; to generate

to take (a ship, plane etc); to ride (in a train or other vehicle)

to go out somewhere (relatively short trip); to set off on a journey (longer trip)

word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical term)

Vocabulary levels, pinyin, parts of speech, and counts follow the official 2025 HSK examination syllabus, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and effective July 2026. English glosses are adapted from CC-CEDICT under CC BY-SA 4.0; context may change the best translation.