HSK 6 represents full professional proficiency with 5,300+ words. At this level you can read most Chinese text fluently, understand implicit meanings, and appreciate stylistic nuance. Our stories push your comprehension with dense, rewarding narratives.
Complex narratives that reward close reading — unreliable narrators, layered symbolism, stories within stories. The vocabulary includes formal, literary, and technical terms. These stories read like novellas: multiple plotlines, character development, and thematic depth.
Common Questions
Is HSK 6 the highest level?▼
Under the old HSK standard, yes. But the new HSK 3.0 (2025) added levels 7, 8, and 9 for advanced and near-native proficiency. HSKStory is one of the few platforms with graded content at these new levels.
I passed HSK 6 years ago. Are these stories still useful?▼
Yes — vocabulary knowledge and reading fluency are different skills. Many HSK 6 passers can recognize words on a test but struggle with extended reading. Our stories maintain your reading muscles and expose you to vocabulary in natural contexts.
How do HSK 6 stories compare to native Chinese novels?▼
They’re comparable in sophistication but more accessible. Native novels assume cultural knowledge and use rare characters freely. Our stories are intellectually challenging while ensuring every word serves a purpose within the HSK 6 vocabulary scope.
一一yī yīone by one; one after another
一再yī zàirepeatedly
一口气yī kǒu qìone breath; in one breath; at a stretch
一同yī tóngtogether
一向yī xiànga period of time in the recent past; (indicating a period of time up to the present) all along; the whole time
一帆风顺yī fān fēng shùnpropitious wind throughout the journey (idiom); plain sailing; to go smoothly
一带yī dàiregion; area
一律yī lǜsame; identical; uniformly; all; without exception
一时yī shía period of time; a while; for a short while
一模一样yī mú yī yàng(idiom) exactly alike; identical; also pr. [yi1mo2-yi1yang4]
一流yī liútop quality; front ranking
一系列yī xì lièa series of; a string of
一贯yī guànconsistent; constant; from start to finish
一身yī shēnwhole body; from head to toe; single person
一辈子yī bèi zi(for) a lifetime
一道yī dàotogether
一阵yī zhèna burst; a fit; a peal
万物wàn wùall things; all that exists
上台shàng táito rise to power (in politics); to go on stage (in the theater)
上市shàng shìto hit the market (of a new product); to float (a company on the stock market)
上当shàng dàngtaken in (by sb's deceit); to be fooled; to be duped
上旬shàng xúnfirst third of a month
上级shàng jíhigher authorities; superiors; CL:個|个[ge4]
上进shàng jìnto make progress; to do better; fig. ambitious to improve oneself
上述shàng shùaforementioned; above-mentioned
下功夫xià gōng fuvariant of 下工夫[xia4 gong1 fu5]
下单xià dānto place an order; to order
下旬xià xúnlast third of the month
下线xià xiànto go offline; (of a product) to roll off the assembly line; downline (person below oneself in a pyramid scheme)
不安bù ānunpeaceful; unstable; uneasy
不宜bù yínot suitable; inadvisable; inappropriate
不已bù yǐ(used after a verb) endlessly; incessantly
不得bù démust not; may not; not to be allowed
不成bù chéngwon't do; unable to; (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be?
不料bù liàounexpectedly; to one's surprise
不时bù shífrom time to time; now and then; occasionally
不曾bù cénghasn't yet; hasn't ever
不止bù zhǐincessantly; without end; more than
不禁bù jīncan't help (doing sth); can't refrain from
不耐烦bù nài fánimpatient; to lose patience
不至于bù zhì yúunlikely to go so far as to; not as bad as
不许bù xǔnot to allow; must not; can't
不适bù shìunwell; indisposed; out of sorts
不顾bù gùin spite of; regardless of
与其yǔ qírather than... (used in expressions of the form 與其|与其[yu3 qi2] + {verb1} + 不如[bu4 ru2] + {verb2} "rather than {verb1}, better to {verb2}")
专利zhuān lìpatent; sth uniquely enjoyed (or possessed etc) by a certain group of people; monopoly
专注zhuān zhùto focus; to concentrate; to give one's full attention
专用zhuān yòngspecial; dedicated
专科zhuān kēspecialized subject; branch (of medicine); specialized training school
专题zhuān tíspecific topic (addressed by a book, lecture, TV program etc); article, report or program etc on a specific topic
业yèline of business; industry; occupation
两岸liǎng ànbilateral; both shores; both sides
两极liǎng jíthe two poles; the north and south poles; both ends of sth
严yántight (closely sealed); stern; strict
严厉yán lìsevere; strict
严寒yán hánbitter cold; severe winter
严禁yán jìnto strictly prohibit
丧失sàng shīto lose; to forfeit
个体gè tǐindividual
中央zhōng yāngcentral; middle; center
中奖zhòng jiǎngto win a prize (in a lottery etc)
中断zhōng duànto cut short; to break off; to discontinue
中旬zhōng xúnmiddle third of a month
中暑zhòng shǔto suffer heat exhaustion; sunstroke; heatstroke
中毒zhòng dúto be poisoned
中等zhōng děngmedium
丰收fēng shōuto reap a bumper harvest
串chuànto string together; to skewer; to connect wrongly
为何wèi héwhy
为期wéi qī(to be done) by (a certain date); lasting (a certain time)
为止wéi zhǐuntil; (used in combination with words like 到[dao4] or 至[zhi4] in constructs of the form 到...為止|到...为止)
为此wèi cǐfor this reason; with regards to this; in this respect
为难wéi nánto feel embarrassed or awkward; to make things difficult (for someone); to find things difficult (to do or manage)
主办zhǔ bànto organize; to host (a conference or sports event)
主导zhǔ dǎoleading; dominant; prevailing
主张zhǔ zhāngto advocate; to stand for; view
主播zhǔ bō(news) anchor; (program) host; (Internet) streamer
主流zhǔ liúmain stream (of a river); fig. the essential point; main viewpoint of a matter
主演zhǔ yǎnto play the leading role; to star; lead actor
主管zhǔ guǎnin charge; responsible for; person in charge
主角zhǔ juéleading role; lead; protagonist
举动jǔ dòngact; action; activity
之所以zhī suǒ yǐ(after a noun N and before a predicate P) the reason why N P; Example: 我之所以討厭他|我之所以讨厌他[wo3 zhi1 suo3 yi3 tao3 yan4 ta1] "the reason why I dislike him (is ...)"
乌龟wū guītortoise; cuckold
乐于lè yúwilling (to do sth); to take pleasure in
乐器yuè qìmusical instrument; CL:件[jian4]
乐曲yuè qǔmusical composition
也好yě hǎothat's fine; may as well; (reduplicated) regardless of whether ... or ...
习俗xí súcustom; tradition; local tradition
书写shū xiěto write
书画shū huàpainting and calligraphy
书籍shū jíbooks; works
书面shū miànin writing; written
争吵zhēng chǎoto quarrel; dispute
争夺zhēng duóto fight over; to contest; to vie over
争议zhēng yìcontroversy; dispute; to dispute
争论zhēng lùnto argue; to debate; to contend
事务shì wù(political, economic etc) affairs; work; transaction (as in a computer database)
事后shì hòuafter the event; in hindsight; in retrospect
事项shì xiàngmatter; item
二氧化碳èr yǎng huà tàncarbon dioxide CO2
于yúto go; to take; sentence-final interrogative particle
亏损kuī sǔndeficit; (financial) loss
互助hù zhùto help each other
井jǐnga well; CL:口[kou3]; neat
亚军yà jūnsecond place (in a sports contest); runner-up
交谈jiāo tánto discuss; to converse; chat; discussion
交际jiāo jìcommunication; social intercourse
产出chǎn chūto produce (graduates, breast milk, toxic waste, creative ideas etc); output
产地chǎn dìsource (of a product); place of origin; manufacturing location
亲密qīn mìintimate; close
亲属qīn shǔkin; kindred; relatives
人为rén wéiartificial; man-made; having human cause or origin
人事rén shìpersonnel; human resources; human affairs
人均rén jūnper capita; averaged per person
人士rén shìperson; figure; public figure
人家rén jiāhousehold; dwelling; family
人山人海rén shān rén hǎi(idiom) multitude; vast crowd
人工智能rén gōng zhì néngartificial intelligence (AI)
人行道rén xíng dàosidewalk
仍旧réng jiùstill (remaining); to remain (the same); yet
从业cóng yèto practice (a trade)
从未cóng wèinever
仓库cāng kùdepot; storehouse; warehouse
代价dài jiàprice; cost; consideration (in share dealing)
代理dài lǐto act on behalf of sb in a responsible position; to act as an agent or proxy; surrogate
以便yǐ biànso that; so as to; in order to
以免yǐ miǎnin order to avoid; so as not to
以往yǐ wǎngin the past; formerly
仪器yí qìinstrument; apparatus; CL:臺|台[tai2]
仪式yí shìceremony
仰yǎngto face upward; to look up; to admire
众人zhòng réneveryone
众所周知zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī(idiom) as everyone knows
优先yōu xiānto have priority; to take precedence
优化yōu huàto optimize; (corporate euphemism) to lay off staff
优异yōu yìexceptional; outstandingly good
会见huì jiànto meet with (sb who is paying a visit); CL:次[ci4]
会计kuài jìaccountant; accountancy; accounting
传承chuán chéngto pass on (to future generations); passed on (from former times); a continued tradition
传授chuán shòuto impart; to pass on; to teach
传染chuán rǎnto infect; contagious
传染病chuán rǎn bìnginfectious disease; contagious disease; communicable disease
传真chuán zhēnto fax; a fax; (literary) to portray vividly in painting
传输chuán shūto transmit; transmission
传达chuán dáto pass on; to convey; to relay
伤亡shāng wángcasualties; injuries and deaths
伤口shāng kǒuwound; cut
伤员shāng yuánwounded person
伴随bàn suíto accompany; to follow; to occur together with
低碳dī tàn(attributive) low-carbon; low-carb (diet)
住宅zhù zháiresidence; dwelling; abode
体操tǐ cāogymnastic; gymnastics
体积tǐ jīvolume (amount of space an object occupies)
体系tǐ xìsystem; setup; CL:個|个[ge4]
余额yú ébalance (of an account, bill etc); surplus; remainder
佩服pèi fúto admire
使劲shǐ jìnto exert all one's strength
侄子zhí zibrother's son; nephew
例外lì wàiexception; to be an exception
供应gōng yìngto supply; to provide (goods, services etc)
供给gōng jǐto furnish; to provide; supply (as in supply and demand)
依旧yī jiùas before; still; to remain the same
依赖yī làito depend on; to be dependent on
侧cèthe side; to incline towards; to lean
便捷biàn jiéconvenient and fast
保修bǎo xiūto promise to keep sth in good repair; guarantee; warranty
保健bǎo jiànhealth protection; health care; to maintain in good health
保暖bǎo nuǎnto keep warm
保管bǎo guǎnto hold in safekeeping; to have in one's care; to guarantee; certainly; surely
保障bǎo zhàngto ensure; to guarantee; to safeguard
信念xìn niànfaith; belief; conviction
信赖xìn làito trust; to have confidence in; to have faith in
修复xiū fùto restore; to renovate; (computing) to repair (a corrupted file etc)
修订xiū dìngto revise
俱乐部jù lè bù(loanword) club (the organization or its premises)
倍增bèi zēngto double; to redouble; to increase many times over
倒是dào shicontrary to what one might expect; actually; contrariwise
倒车dǎo chēto change buses, trains etc
倒闭dǎo bìto go bankrupt; to close down
借助jiè zhùto draw support from; with the help of
借鉴jiè jiànto draw on (others' experience); to learn from (how others do things); lesson to be learned (by observing others)
值班zhí bānto work a shift; on duty
倾向qīng xiàngtrend; tendency; orientation
倾听qīng tīngto listen attentively
假设jiǎ shèto suppose; to presume; to assume
健全jiàn quánrobust; sound
偶像ǒu xiàngidol
偷tōuto steal; to pilfer; to snatch
偷偷tōu tōustealthily; secretly; covertly
储存chǔ cúnstockpile; to store; to stockpile
储蓄chǔ xùto save money (in a bank); savings
儿科ér kēpediatrics
元宵yuán xiāoLantern Festival; night of the 15th of the first lunar month; sticky rice dumplings
元素yuán sùelement (key component of sth); (chemistry) element; (math.) element (member of a set)
充实chōng shírich; full; substantial
先前xiān qiánbefore; previously
免miǎnto excuse sb; to exempt; to remove or dismiss from office
免疫miǎn yìimmunity (to disease)
免税miǎn shuìnot liable to taxation (of monastery, imperial family etc); tax free; duty free (shop)
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