HSK 4 Vocabulary
990 new words with pinyin, meanings and an example sentence for every word. Search by character, pinyin without tones, or English.
See these words in a story
Every one has word-level pinyin, narrated audio and tap-to-define.
- HSK 4
Sunrise on Huangshan
Four friends go to see the Huangshan sunrise and get train delays, a storm, and a bad booking.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
The City Half Marathon
An overworked delivery dad trains for a half marathon with his daughter. Then his knee goes.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
A Room in Shenzhen
New job in Shenzhen, a broken AC, and a rental agency that ignores its tenants.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
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.
Read HSK 4 stories
Every one has word-level pinyin, narrated audio and tap-to-define.
- HSK 4
Sunrise on Huangshan
Four friends go to see the Huangshan sunrise and get train delays, a storm, and a bad booking.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
The City Half Marathon
An overworked delivery dad trains for a half marathon with his daughter. Then his knee goes.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
A Room in Shenzhen
New job in Shenzhen, a broken AC, and a rental agency that ignores its tenants.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
The Table Tennis Table in the Park
A retired player coaches a hot-tempered boy. Then the boy's mother bans their park games.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
The Footbridge
The planned footbridge has stairs too steep for older people, and only an intern notices.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin
- HSK 4
The Last Ferry
A bridge will soon replace his ferry. Then a storm hits, and a boy disappears across the river.
6 chapters · audio + pinyin