HSK 4 vocabulary, grammar and exam guide

What HSK 4 means

HSK 4 marks the move from elementary to intermediate Chinese. You can talk about a wide range of subjects, express opinions and give reasons, and communicate fairly fluently with native speakers on familiar topics. The test organiser links it to CEFR B2; European associations usually place it around B1. In practice, an HSK 4 learner can live in China without constant help, follow the gist of a TV series with subtitles and do simple work tasks in Chinese.

	HSK 4
New words (HSK 3.0)	about 970
Total words (HSK 3.0)	about 2,000
Characters to recognise (cumulative)	about 1,100
Characters to write (cumulative)	about 400
Skills tested (current format)	listening, reading, writing + HSKK Intermediate
Exam length (current format)	about 105 minutes, plus HSKK
Pass mark (current format)	180 of 300

The HSK 4 exam format

Part	Questions	Time	What you do
Listening	45	about 30 min	Short and longer dialogues and passages; judge statements and answer questions. Each recording plays only once.
Reading	40	about 40 min	Choose words for gaps, put three sentences in order, read passages and answer questions.
Writing	15	about 25 min	Ten sentence-building items, and five pictures where you write a sentence using a given word.
HSKK Intermediate	separate	about 21 min	Repeat sentences, describe pictures, answer questions with preparation time.

The single playback in listening is what surprises most candidates. Practise with recordings you hear only once. All practical information is in the HSK exam guide.

Sample HSK 4 questions

Reading (put sentences in order). A 所以我们决定改到下个星期 · B 原来打算这个周末开会 · C 但是经理突然要去出差. Answer: B C A.

Reading (gap). 这次比赛虽然输了，___ 大家都学到了很多经验。 A 但是 · B 因此 · C 于是. Answer: A.

Writing, part 2. Picture: a woman in a gym. Word given: 坚持. A good answer: 她每天坚持锻炼一个小时。Tā měitiān jiānchí duànliàn yí ge xiǎoshí.

HSK 4 grammar points

The focus shifts from single structures to linking ideas:

1. 无论 / 不管…都…: no matter: 不管多忙，他都去锻炼.
2. 即使…也…: even if: 即使下雨，比赛也会进行.
3. 只有…才…: only if: 只有多练习，才能说得流利.
4. 既然…就…: since (given that): 既然你来了，就一起吃饭吧.
5. 不仅…还 / 也…: not only … but also.
6. 尽管…还是 / 但是…: although.
7. 不是…而是…: not … but rather.
8. 难道…吗？: rhetorical “surely not?”: 难道你不知道吗？Nándào nǐ bù zhīdào ma?
9. 竟然: unexpectedly: 他竟然忘了.
10. 却: but, yet (after the subject): 我想去，他却不想去.
11. 由于 / 因此: formal “because” and “therefore”.
12. 随着: along with: 随着经济发展…
13. 对于 / 关于: regarding / about.
14. 差点儿: almost: 我差点儿迟到.
15. 起来 in evaluations: 看起来很好吃。Kàn qǐlai hěn hǎochī.

The complete HSK 4 vocabulary list

The words below are new at HSK 4; you also need HSK 1, HSK 2 and HSK 3.

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How long does it take to prepare for HSK 4?

From zero, about 600–900 hours: two to three years at two lessons a week with daily practice. After HSK 3, about a year. Business learners often aim for HSK 4 as a practical working level; see Business Chinese.

After HSK 4

HSK 5 is where you start reading newspapers and real books. Structured support for HSK 4 and the HSKK is part of my HSK preparation course.

Word list: the official HSK 3.0 vocabulary (2025 syllabus), as compiled in the open complete-hsk-vocabulary project (MIT licence). Pinyin checked and meanings written by KeSong Chinese.

Frequently asked questions

Is HSK 4 enough to study or work in China?

HSK 4 is a common minimum for Chinese-taught undergraduate programmes and for many jobs where Chinese is useful but not the main working language. For demanding roles, or postgraduate study in Chinese, employers and universities often ask for HSK 5 or 6. Always check the specific requirement.

How long does it take to prepare for HSK 4?

From zero, about 600–900 hours in total, which is two to three years at two lessons a week with regular self-study. After HSK 3, plan roughly a year. The big jump is vocabulary: around 1,000 new words at this level under HSK 3.0.

Is HSK 4 much harder than HSK 3?

Yes, it is the biggest step in the elementary-to-intermediate range. Texts are longer, the listening is faster with more natural speech, the writing section asks you to build sentences and describe pictures, and the vocabulary doubles. Learners who read a little every day handle the jump much better.

What is the HSKK Intermediate?

It is the speaking test that goes with HSK 4 at the Dutch test centres. You listen and repeat sentences, describe pictures and answer questions, each with preparation time, recorded on a computer. It lasts about 21 minutes and tests whether you can speak in connected sentences on everyday topics.

Prepare for HSK 4 with Zoey

HSK 4 and HSKK Intermediate preparation with timed mock tests, online or in Amsterdam.

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• Business Chinese

  For professionals and teams working with Chinese partners. In-company or online.

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About the author

Zoey (Ziqiao Zang, 臧子乔) has taught Chinese as a foreign language since 2011 and in the Netherlands since 2016. She holds a Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Zhejiang Normal University and set up and ran an official HSK online exam centre with more than 250 candidates.

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