HSK 4 brings you to nearly 2,000 words — enough to express abstract ideas, discuss opinions, and understand most written Chinese outside of specialized domains. Stories at this level tackle more nuanced themes and complex social dynamics.
Stories exploring interpersonal conflict, cultural themes, and moral dilemmas. Characters express subtle emotions and navigate ambiguous situations. You’ll encounter idioms (成语), more formal registers, and sentences with multiple clauses.
Study the 990 new Level 4 words offline with the Free HSK 4 Anki deck, including word and sentence audio.
Common Questions
Is HSK 4 enough to read ‘real’ Chinese content?▼
HSK 4 (~2,000 words) covers roughly 85-90% of everyday written Chinese. You’ll understand the gist of news articles and social media posts, though you’ll still encounter unknown words. Our graded stories bridge the gap between textbook Chinese and native content.
How do HSK 4 stories help with the HSK exam?▼
The HSK 4 exam includes a reading section with passages similar in length and complexity to our stories. Regular reading builds the speed and comprehension stamina the exam requires — you can’t cram reading fluency.
I know 2,000 words but read slowly. How do I speed up?▼
Speed comes from reading volume, not study. Read stories without stopping to look up every word — use context to guess meanings, then check afterward. Our audio narration helps too: listen while reading to internalize natural pacing.
一切yī qièeverything; every; all
一生yī shēngall one's life; throughout one's life
上门shàng ménto drop in; to visit; to lock a door
下降xià jiàngto decline; to drop; to fall
不仅bù jǐnnot just; not limited to; (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...)
不便bù biàninconvenient; inappropriate; unsuitable
不光bù guāngnot the only one; not only
不够bù gòunot enough; insufficient; inadequate
不如bù rúnot equal to; not as good as; inferior to; it would be better to
不得不bù dé bùhave no choice or option but to; cannot but; have to
不必bù bìneed not; does not have to; not necessarily
不断bù duànunceasing; uninterrupted; continuous
不满bù mǎndissatisfied; discontented; resentful; (before a number) to be less than
不管bù guǎnnot to be concerned; regardless of; no matter
不论bù lùnwhatever; no matter what (who, how etc); regardless of
不过bù guòonly; merely; no more than
与yǔand; to give; together with
专业zhuān yèspecialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university)
专门zhuān ménspecialized; dedicated (to a particular field or purpose); specially; specifically (for a particular purpose); (of institutions, personnel etc) designated or assigned for a specific task; special
世纪shì jìcentury
东部dōng bùthe east; eastern part
严格yán géstrict; stringent; tight; rigorous
严重yán zhònggrave; serious; severe; critical
中年zhōng niánmiddle age
中餐zhōng cānlunch; Chinese meal; Chinese food
丰富fēng fùto enrich; rich; plentiful
主意zhǔ yiplan; idea; decision
举jǔto lift; to hold up; to cite
举例jǔ lìto give an example
举办jǔ bànto conduct; to hold (an event)
举行jǔ xíngto hold (a meeting, ceremony etc)
之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]); him; her
之中zhī zhōnginside; among; in the midst of (doing sth)
之前zhī qiánbefore; prior to; ago
之后zhī hòuafter; behind; (at the beginning of a sentence) afterwards; since then
之间zhī jiān(after a noun) between; among; amid; (used after certain bisyllabic words to form expressions indicating a short period of time, e.g. 彈指之間|弹指之间[tan2 zhi3 zhi1 jian1])
乒乓球pīng pāng qiútable tennis; ping-pong; table tennis ball
乘chéngto ride; to mount; to make use of
乘坐chéng zuòto take (a ship, plane etc); to ride (in a train or other vehicle)
乘客chéng kèpassenger
也许yě xǔperhaps; maybe
乱luànin confusion or disorder; in a confused state of mind; disorder
于是yú shìthereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence
云yún(classical) to say
互相hù xiāngeach other; mutually; mutual
互联网Hù lián wǎngInternet
亚洲Yà zhōuAsia (abbr. for 亞細亞洲|亚细亚洲[Ya4 xi4 ya4 Zhou1])
交jiāoto hand over; to deliver; to pay (money)
交流jiāo liúto exchange; exchange; communication
交警jiāo jǐngtraffic police (abbr. for 交通警察[jiao1 tong1 jing3 cha2])
交通jiāo tōngto be connected; traffic; transportation
产生chǎn shēngto 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
京剧Jīng jùBeijing opera
亮liàngbright; light; to shine
亲戚qīn qia relative (i.e. family relation)
人员rén yuánstaff; crew; personnel
人数rén shùnumber of people
人生rén shēnglife (one's time on earth)
仅jǐnbarely; only; merely
仅仅jǐn jǐnbarely; only; merely
今后jīn hòuhereafter; henceforth; in the future
仍réngstill; yet; to remain
仍然réng ránstill; as before; yet
从中cóng zhōngfrom within; therefrom
从来cóng láialways; at all times; never (if used in negative sentence)
从此cóng cǐfrom now on; since then; henceforth
仔细zǐ xìcareful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out; (dialect) thrifty; frugal
付fùto pay; to hand over to; classifier for pairs or sets of things
以内yǐ nèiwithin; less than
价格jià géprice
价钱jià qianprice
任何rèn héany; whatever; whichever
任务rèn wumission; assignment; task; duty; role
份fènclassifier for gifts, newspaper, magazine, papers, reports, contracts etc
优点yōu diǎnmerit; benefit; strong point
优秀yōu xiùoutstanding; excellent
会员huì yuánmember
伤心shāng xīnto grieve; to be broken-hearted; to feel deeply hurt
估计gū jìto estimate; to assess; to calculate; (coll.) to reckon; to think (that ...)
低dīlow; beneath; to lower (one's head)
低于dī yúto be lower than
低价dī jiàlow price
低温dī wēnlow temperature
体检tǐ jiǎnabbr. for 體格檢查|体格检查[ti3 ge2 jian3 cha2]
体温tǐ wēn(body) temperature
体重tǐ zhòngbody weight
作为zuò wéione's conduct; deed; activity
作品zuò pǐnwork (of art); opus
作家zuò jiāauthor
作文zuò wénto write an essay; composition (student essay)
作用zuò yòngto act on; to affect; action; function; activity; impact; result; effect
作者zuò zhěauthor; writer
使shǐto make; to cause; to enable
使用shǐ yòngto use; to employ; to apply
使馆shǐ guǎnconsulate; diplomatic mission
例如lì rúfor example; for instance; such as
例子lì zicase; (for) instance; example
便于biàn yúeasy to; convenient for
保护bǎo hùto protect; to defend; to safeguard
保证bǎo zhèngguarantee; to guarantee; to ensure
信号xìn hàosignal
信心xìn xīnconfidence; faith (in sb or sth)
信息xìn xīinformation; news; message
俩liǎtwo (colloquial equivalent of 兩個|两个); both; some
修xiūto decorate; to embellish; to repair
修理xiū lǐto repair; to fix; to prune
倍bèi(two, three etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double
倒dàoto invert; to place upside down or frontside back; to pour out
值zhívalue; (to be) worth; to happen to
值得zhí deworth the money; to merit; to deserve; to be worth (doing sth)
假jiǎfake; false; artificial
假日jià rìa holiday; a day off
做梦zuò mèngto dream; to have a dream; fig. illusion
做法zuò fǎway of handling sth; method for making; work method
停tíngto stop; to halt; to park (a car)
停止tíng zhǐto stop; to halt; to cease
停车tíng chēto pull up (stop one's vehicle); to park; (of a machine) to stop working
停车场tíng chē chǎngparking lot; car park
健身jiàn shēnto exercise; to keep fit; to work out
健身房jiàn shēn fánggym; fitness club
偶尔ǒu ěroccasionally; once in a while; sometimes
儿童ér tóngchild
允许yǔn xǔto permit; to allow
兄弟xiōng dìbrothers; younger brother; I, me (humble term used by men in public speech)
光guānglight; ray (CL:道[dao4]); bright
克kèto be able to; to subdue; to restrain
免费miǎn fèifree (of charge)
入rùto enter; to go into; to join
入住rù zhùto check in (at a hotel etc); to move into (a house)
入口rù kǒuentrance; to import
入学rù xuéto enter a school or college; to go to school for the first time as a child
全quánall; whole; entire
全球quán qiúthe whole world; worldwide; global
全身quán shēnthe whole body; (typography) em
全部quán bùwhole; all
全都quán dōuall; without exception
公共gōng gòngpublic; common; communal
公路gōng lùhighway; road
公里gōng lǐkilometer
共gòngcommon; general; to share
共同gòng tóngcommon; joint; jointly
关键guān jiàncrucial point; crux; key
兴奋xīng fènexcited; excitement; (physiology) excitation
其中qí zhōngamong; in; included among these
其次qí cìnext; secondly
养成yǎng chéngto cultivate; to raise; to form (a habit)
内nèiinside; inner; internal
内容nèi róngcontent; substance; details
内心nèi xīnheart; innermost being; (math.) incenter
再次zài cìonce more; once again
再说zài shuōto say again; to put off a discussion until later; moreover
农村nóng cūnrural area; village
冷静lěng jìngcalm; cool-headed; dispassionate; (of a place) deserted; quiet
准zhǔnto allow; to grant; in accordance with
准时zhǔn shíon time; punctual; on schedule
准确zhǔn quèaccurate; exact; precise
凉liángcool; cold
减jiǎnto lower; to decrease; to reduce
减少jiǎn shǎoto lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower
减轻jiǎn qīngto lighten; to ease; to alleviate
出口chū kǒuan exit; to speak; to export
出差chū chāito go on an official or business trip
出现chū xiànto appear; to arise; to emerge
出租chū zūto rent
出行chū xíngto go out somewhere (relatively short trip); to set off on a journey (longer trip)
刀dāoknife; blade; single-edged sword
分为fēn wéito divide sth into (parts); to subdivide
分数fēn shù(exam) grade; mark; score
列lièto arrange; to line up; file
判断pàn duànto judge; to determine; judgment
到底dào dǐfinally; in the end; when all is said and done
到来dào láito arrive; arrival; advent
前后qián hòuaround; from beginning to end; all around
前方qián fāngahead; the front
剧院jù yuàntheater
剩shèngto remain; to be left; to have as remainder
力气lì qiphysical strength
办事bàn shìto handle (affairs); to work
办公bàn gōngto handle official business (usu. in an office); to do (office) work
办理bàn lǐto handle; to transact; to conduct
功夫gōng fuskill; art; kung fu
功课gōng kèhomework; assignment; task
加上jiā shàngplus; to put in; to add
加入jiā rùto become a member; to join; to mix into
加强jiā qiángto reinforce; to strengthen; to enhance
加快jiā kuàito accelerate; to speed up; to hasten
加油jiā yóuto add oil; to top up with gas; to refuel; to accelerate; to step on the gas; (fig.) to make an extra effort; to cheer sb on
加油站jiā yóu zhàngas station
加班jiā bānto work overtime
动作dòng zuòmovement; motion; action (CL:個|个[ge4]); to act; to move
动车dòng chē(PRC) (D- or C-class) high-speed train; power car; multiple-unit train (abbr. for 動車組|动车组[dong4 che1 zu3])
勇敢yǒng gǎnbrave; courageous
北部běi bùnorthern part
区qūarea; region; district
区别qū biédifference; to distinguish; to discriminate
十分shí fēnvery; completely; utterly
十字路口shí zì lù kǒucrossroads; intersection
千万qiān wànten million; countless; many
千克qiān kèkilogram
午餐wǔ cānlunch; luncheon
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