Discuss a person
谈论某个人物
Covers personal information, traits, background, appearance, personality, influence, and short written profiles.
HSK 4 Syllabus: Topics, Tasks, and Grammar
HSK 4 covers 77 official topics, 30 task areas, 1,978 words, and intermediate grammar for adult life, services, housing, work, technology, and society. This level covers 77 topics,30 official tasks, and 1,978 cumulative vocabulary words. HSK 4 expands into housing, help requests, workplace management, economics, technology, and public issues.
CEFR orientation: B21,978 cumulative words88 grammar patterns
77
topics
30
tasks
1,978
words
Level angle
The adult-life jump
HSK 4 expands into housing, help requests, workplace management, economics, technology, and public issues.
Topics
These are the official topic areas for HSK 4, shown with English labels first and the original Chinese syllabus labels preserved.
Daily life
日常生活
Personal situation个人情况
- Personal information/个人信息
- Personal traits/个人特征
Daily affairs日常事务
- Handling services/业务办理
- Asking for help with difficulties/困难求助
Interaction交往
- Polite behavior/礼貌行为
- Emotions/情感
- Reflections/感悟
Food and drink饮食
- Food and drinks/食物饮品
- Dining/就餐
- Cooking dishes/做菜
Transportation交通出行
- Travel experiences/出行经历
- Transportation/交通
Shopping购物
- Choosing products/商品选购
- Shopping experience/购物体验
- Merchant activities/商家活动
Medical and health医疗健康
- Seeking medical care/就医
- Healthy living/健康生活
Leisure休闲
- Leisure activities/休闲活动
- Feelings and opinions about activities/活动感受、看法等
Community社区
- Living situation/居住情况
- Community life/社区生活
- Housing rental and purchase/房屋租赁与买卖
Family life家庭生活
- Home life/居家生活
- Family relationships/家庭关系
- Growing-up process/成长过程
- Living habits/生活习惯
- Family affairs/家庭事务
Education
教育情况
Study situation学习情况
- Course situation/课程情况
- Teaching situation/教学情况
- Study experience/学习经历
- Study reflections/学习心得
Campus life校园生活
- Campus activities/校园活动
- School situation/学校情况
Education issues教育问题
- Family education/家庭教育
- Social education/社会教育
Work life
职场生活
Daily office work日常办公
- Office affairs/办公事务
- Work performance/工作表现
- Workplace interaction/职场交往
Occupation and experience职业与经历
- Work experience/工作经历
- Career status and evaluation/职业现状、职业评价
Work unit situation单位情况
- Personnel management/人事管理
- Work environment and benefits/工作环境与待遇
Nature and environment
自然与环境
Nature自然
- Geography/地理
- Climate/气候
- Animals and plants/动植物
- Natural scenery/自然景观
- Natural phenomena/自然现象
Environment环境
- Environmental conditions/环境状况
- Environmental protection/环境保护
Science and technology
科学技术
Technology development科技发展
- Use of new technology/新技术运用
Scientific knowledge科学知识
- Popular science knowledge/科普知识
- Research results/科研成果
Contemporary society
当代社会
Overview概况
- Capital and major provinces and cities/首都、主要省市
- Ethnic minorities/少数民族
Economic phenomena经济现象
- Popular products/流行产品
- New business forms/新商业形态
- Economic conditions/经济状况
Social phenomena社会现象
- Life values/生活观念
- Online life/网络生活
- Infrastructure/基础设施
- Popular things/流行事物
Literature and arts文艺
- Literary and artistic forms/文艺形式
- Literary and artistic activities/文艺活动
- Creators and their works/创作者及其作品
Sports体育
- Sports events/运动项目
- Sports competitions/体育比赛
- Sports figures and stories/体育名人、体育故事
China-foreign exchange中外交流
- Friendly exchanges/友好往来
Language and writing语言文字
- Common sayings, famous quotes, and similar expressions/俗语、名言等
Culture and tradition
文化与传统
Food culture饮食文化
- Traditional food concepts/传统饮食观念
- Regional foods, traditional shops, brands, and related topics/各地饮食、传统店铺、品牌等
Folk traditions民俗传统
- Traditional festivals and customs/传统节日与习俗
- National cultural treasures/国粹
- Local traditions/各地传统
- Interpersonal etiquette/人际交往礼仪
Cultural landscapes人文景观
- Scenic sites and historical monuments/名胜古迹等
History历史
- Historical figures and events/历史人物、历史事件
Tasks
Tasks describe what the syllabus expects learners to do with the language, beyond recognizing words in isolation.
Official HSK 4 tasks
HSK（四级）任务
Communicate and handle daily affairs
交流、处理日常事务
Covers service handling, documents, memberships, legal or police help, translation requests, and service feedback.
Use everyday social language
日常言语交往
Covers politeness, praise, congratulations, encouragement, apologies, cards, messages, and common written expressions.
Discuss emotional topics
谈论情感话题
Covers love, friendship, family affection, ideals, experiences, opinions, and short reflective writing.
Introduce food and dining situations
介绍饮食情况
Covers food and drink, dining, cooking methods, restaurant environment, service, and dining experiences.
Discuss transportation and travel
谈论交通出行
Covers travel experiences, transport services, plans, hotels, routes, driving, road conditions, and trip reflections.
Discuss shopping experiences and business activities
交流购物体验、商业活动内容
Covers online shopping, brands, cost, service, payment, promotions, advertisements, and shopping feedback.
Discuss medical care and healthy living
谈论就医情况、健康生活
Covers symptoms, injuries, health conditions, health concepts, medical experiences, and healthy-living summaries.
Discuss hobbies, leisure, and vacations
交流业余爱好、休闲度假
Covers reading, online activity, sports, fitness, dance, travel, gatherings, feelings, and opinions.
Discuss housing and community situations
交流居住情况、社区情况
Covers neighborhood environment, services, housing conditions, rentals, purchases, notices, posts, and listings.
Discuss family life
交流家庭生活情况
Covers home life, family relationships, growth experiences, habits, family affairs, opinions, and feelings.
Discuss teaching and study situations
谈论教学、学习情况
Covers courses, teaching activities, exams, degrees, scholarships, study planning, methods, and learning summaries.
Discuss campus life
交流校园生活
Covers campus activities, school facilities, expenses, majors, surveys, registration forms, and feedback forms.
Discuss education phenomena and ideas
谈论教育现象、观念
Covers family education, social education, education goals, school choices, vocational education, and public education topics.
Discuss work situations and performance
谈论工作情况与表现
Covers office tasks, work attitude, ability, coworker interaction, team building, and short workplace descriptions.
Introduce career experience and work-unit information
介绍职业经历与单位情况
Covers job seeking, work history, career status, recruitment, interviews, evaluations, personnel management, and benefits.
Discuss nature
谈论自然情况
Covers geography, climate, animals, plants, natural scenery, natural phenomena, and short nature descriptions.
Discuss environmental protection in daily life
谈论生活中的环保情况
Covers environmental conditions, pollution, environmental practices, beliefs, regulations, stories, and public prompts.
Introduce new technology uses and scientific results
介绍新技术应用及科技成果
Covers payment technology, drones, everyday technologies, popular science, research findings, and technology opinions.
Introduce major Chinese provinces, cities, and ethnic groups
介绍中国的主要省市、民族
Covers the capital, major cities, provinces, ethnic-minority features, distribution, and short introductions.
Discuss economic phenomena
谈论经济现象
Covers popular products, new business forms, sales, online shops, short-video commerce, and economic conditions.
Discuss social phenomena
谈论社会现象
Covers life values, online life, popular things, infrastructure, social articles, and short opinion writing.
Introduce art forms, activities, and works
介绍文艺形式、活动、作品
Covers novels, films, plays, performances, competitions, creators, works, and personal responses.
Discuss sports and competitions
谈论体育项目及比赛
Covers sports events, competition processes, awards, athlete performance, sports figures, and sports stories.
Tell China-foreign friendship stories
讲述中外友好故事
Covers sister cities, sister schools, cross-border friendship, study-abroad experiences, contests, and their effects.
Introduce common sayings and famous quotes
介绍常见俗语、名言
Covers familiar Chinese sayings, famous quotes, core meanings, and short explanatory readings.
Introduce traditional food culture
介绍传统饮食文化
Covers traditional food concepts, regional food styles, table etiquette, old shops, brands, and food-culture writing.
Introduce customs and traditions
介绍风俗传统
Covers festivals, customs, national cultural treasures, local traditions, taboos, and interpersonal etiquette.
Introduce scenic sites and historical monuments
介绍名胜古迹
Covers basic introductions to Chinese landmarks and historical sites such as Tiananmen and the Great Wall.
Introduce historical figures and events
介绍历史人物、历史事件
Covers basic introductions to Chinese historical figures and events such as Confucius and Laozi.
Grammar
Grammar categories use native expansion controls so the full pattern list remains readable on phone screens.
Word classes词类
动词：敢
dare as a verb
我不敢一个人走夜路。
I don't dare to walk alone at night.
指示代词：各、各位、各种、任何、此
demonstrative pronouns
各位同学，这是今天的作业。
Students, this is today's homework.
专用名量词：打、袋、棵、台、幅
specific noun measure words
我家院子里有五棵苹果树。
There are five apple trees in my yard.
借用名量词：脸、手、盒、屋子、桌子
borrowed noun measure words
她一脸笑容地走进来。
She walked in with a smile all over her face.
动量词：场、顿、趟
action measure words
我去了一趟北京。
I made a trip to Beijing.
程度副词：十分、更加、稍、稍微、尤其、多么
degree adverbs
这个问题尤其重要。
This question is especially important.
范围副词：共、全、光、仅、仅仅、至少
scope adverbs
全班共四十个学生。
The whole class has forty students in total.
时间副词：按时、从来、赶紧、赶快、已、忽然、将、将要、从、本来
time adverbs
他从来不吃早饭。
He never eats breakfast.
频率副词：重新、往往、偶尔、再次、老
frequency adverbs
周末我偶尔去公园散步。
I occasionally go to the park for a walk on weekends.
方式副词：故意、互相、相互
manner adverbs
他们互相帮助，一起完成了任务。
They helped each other and finished the task together.
关联副词：却
connective adverb
他很努力，成绩却不好。
He works hard, yet his grades are not good.
情态副词：也许、恐怕
modal adverbs
明天也许会下雨。
It might rain tomorrow.
语气副词：才4、就5、并1、还4、竟然、究竟、正好、到底、难道、千万、确实、只好、差(一)点儿
tone adverbs
你到底想说什么？
What on earth do you want to say?
介词引出时间、处所：自、当、由1、随着、等1
time and place prepositions
自去年开始，我就学中文了。
I have been learning Chinese since last year.
介词引出施事、受事：将、由2、叫、让
agent and patient prepositions
这件事由他负责。
He is responsible for this matter.
介词引出原因：由于1
cause preposition
由于天气不好，飞机晚点了。
The flight was delayed due to bad weather.
介词引出对象：对于、与1
object prepositions
对于这个问题，我有不同看法。
I have a different opinion on this issue.
介词引出凭借、依据：作为、按、按照
basis prepositions
请按照说明书操作。
Please operate according to the instructions.
连词连接词或词组：并2、而1、与2
word and phrase conjunctions
这个方案合理而可行。
This plan is reasonable and feasible.
连词连接分句或句子：此外、而2、既然、甚至、不过、并且、不光、不仅、另外、要是、因此、由于2、加上
clause conjunctions
他不仅聪明，而且很努力。
He is not only smart but also very hardworking.
其他助词：等2、者、之、就是
other particles
参加者有老师、学生等。
The participants include teachers, students, etc.
叹词：啊、嗯
interjections
嗯，我明白了。
Mm, I understand.
Phrases短语
数词+形容词+量词
number-adjective-measure phrase
我买了一大袋大米。
I bought one big bag of rice.
一A一B、无A无B、有A有B
paired A-B patterns
这一老一少走得很慢。
The old one and the young one walk slowly.
来得及/来不及、有的是、说不定、不怎么、就是说/这就是说
fixed colloquial phrases
快点儿，要来不及了！
Hurry up, or we'll be too late!
一+量词+比+一+量词
one measure after another
在……方面
in the area of ...
够……的
quite ... indeed
拿……来说
take ... for example
再也不/没……
never again ...
怎么都/也+不/没……
no matter how, not ...
为了……而……
in order to ...
动词+一X是一X
doing once counts as once
(没)有什么(好)X的
nothing worth X-ing
X是X，Y是Y
X is X, Y is Y
X也得X，不X也得X
must X either way
X就是了
just X
还X呢
still X?
你X你的吧
go do your own X
让/叫你X你就X
told to X, so X
说什么/怎么(着)也得X
must X no matter what
X就X(点儿)吧
just X a little
X是X
X is X
Sentence components句子成分
程度补语2：形容词/心理动词+死了/厉害
extreme degree complement
可能补语2：动词+得/不+了
potential complement with liao
Sentence types句子的类型
反问句2：难道……吗？
rhetorical question with nandao
由疑问代词构成的反问句
rhetorical question with interrogative pronouns
"把"字句2：主语+把+宾语+动词(+一/了)+动词
ba with repeated verb
"把"字句2：主语+把+宾语+动词+了
ba with completed action
"把"字句2：主语+把+宾语+动词+动量补语/时量补语
ba with action or duration complement
"把"字句2：主语+把+宾语+状语+动词
ba with adverbial
被动句2：主语+叫/让+宾语+动词+其他成分
passive with jiao or rang
兼语句2：表爱憎义：主语+表扬/批评+宾语1+动词+宾语2
pivotal sentence for praise or criticism
兼语句2：表称谓或认定义：主语+收/选+宾语1+做/当/为+宾语2
pivotal sentence for naming or appointing
兼语句2：表致使：主语+使/让+人称代词+动词短语
causative pivotal sentence
比较句3：A不如B(+形容词)
A not as ... as B
比较句3：跟……相比
compared with ...
双重否定句：用双重否定表示强调
double negative emphasis
并列复句：不是……而是……
not ... but ...
并列复句：既……又/也……
both ... and ...
并列复句：一方面……另一方面……
on one hand ... on the other ...
承接复句：首先……其次……
first ... second ...
承接复句：首先……然后……
first ... then ...
承接复句：……于是……
... and so ...
承接复句：……甚至……
... even ...
递进复句：不仅/不光……还/而且……
not only ... but also ...
递进复句：……并且……
... and also ...
递进复句：连……也/都……更……
even ... also, even more ...
选择复句：不是……就是……
either ... or ...
转折复句：尽管……但是/可是……
although ... but ...
转折复句：……然而……
... however ...
转折复句：……不过……
... however ...
转折复句：……X是X，就是/不过……
X is X, but ...
转折复句：……否则……
... otherwise ...
假设复句：要是……就……
if ... then ...
假设复句：要是……(就)……否则……
if ... otherwise ...
条件复句：不管……都/也……
no matter ... still ...
条件复句：无论……都/也……
regardless of ... still ...
因果复句：既然……就……
since ... then ...
因果复句：(由于)……因此……
because ... therefore ...
目的复句：……好……
... so that ...
让步复句：即使……也……
even if ... still ...
让步复句：就是……也……
even if ... still ...
紧缩复句：无标记
unmarked condensed clause
紧缩复句：不……也……
not ... still ...
Special expressions特殊表达法
概数表示法3：数词+来+量词
approximation with lai
用"大约、左右、前后"表示概数
approximation with about words
小数、分数、百分数、倍数的表示法
decimals, fractions, percentages, multiples
Study Tips
- Find weak real-life domains. Use the topic hierarchy to identify weaker adult-life domains such as housing, services, workplace communication, education issues, technology, and public topics.
- Read across genres. HSK 4 stories across family, school, mystery, city, and culture contexts show how the same syllabus topics behave in different registers.
- Recognize grammar in paragraphs. Treat grammar patterns as recognition targets inside paragraphs, especially disposal patterns, passive patterns, complements, rhetorical questions, and linked clauses.
Read HSK 4 topics in context
Graded stories turn this syllabus scope into vocabulary, grammar, and tasks inside a narrative instead of isolated lists.
Browse HSK 4 storiesFrequently Asked Questions
Is this the full HSK 4 syllabus?
This page represents the full compact HSK 4 topic, task, and grammar syllabus from the local extracted HSK 3.0 source files. It keeps the official Chinese labels and adds English summaries for readability.
Why does HSK 4 feel like such a jump from HSK 3?
HSK 4 expands into adult-life domains such as housing, service interactions, help requests, workplace management, economics, technology, and public issues. The topic count rises to 77 official third-level topics.
How should I use the HSK 4 task list?
Use the task list as a map of exam-framework domains: services, housing, education, work, society, culture, and public life. It is not a promise of free conversation in every domain.