What HSK 4 is
Level 4 is the step from everyday talk to talking about anything. You describe feelings and character, argue and persuade, discuss work, study, money, health, the news and technology, and read texts longer than a couple of paragraphs.
In the new HSK 3.0 syllabus level 4 has 1,000 new words — 2,000 together with the first three levels — and 441 new characters to recognize. The standard asks you to write another 150 characters by hand. The words of the earlier levels are on the HSK 1 words, HSK 2 and HSK 3 pages.
How to learn the words on the list
- By topic, not alphabetically. Words of one topic come up together: “tea”, “drink” and “cup” stick as one scene. That is why the list is split into topics, in the order they come in the course.
- With sound from the start. Tap a word to hear how it is pronounced. The tone is part of the word: māma and mǎ differ only in their melody. If the tones still blur together, start with the pinyin chart.
- Test, don’t reread. Turn on “Test yourself”: the meanings hide, and you recall them on your own. Recalling is harder than reading, and that is exactly what makes a word stick.
- A little every day. Five to seven new words a day, and you finish the list in a month and a half to two months. The arrow next to a word opens its page, with its characters stroke by stroke and phrases that use it. In the course, words come back for review just when you start to forget them.
Common questions
How many words do you need for HSK 4?
In the new HSK 3.0 syllabus, level 4 adds 1,000 new words — 2,000 together with the first three levels. In the old syllabus level 4 asked for 1,200 words.
How many characters are on level 4?
You need to recognize 441 new characters on top of the first three levels. The standard asks you to write another 150 characters by hand.
How long does it take to learn the HSK 4 words?
In the course it is 169 lessons of 9–11 minutes. At one lesson a day, with reviews, level 4 takes about six months.
How is HSK 4 different from level 3?
Twice as many words, and more abstract topics: feelings, relationships, work, the environment, society, art. Sentences get longer, with more linking words like “so”, “although”, “not only… but also”, and it matters more to understand a text as a whole than word by word.
The same 1,000 words, in lessons
169 level 4 lessons: a word is heard in a dialogue, you build a phrase with it and meet it again in review. Start free, no sign-up.
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