New HSK 4 Under HSK 3.0: 2,000 Words, Speaking Test & How to Prepare

What is HSK 4 Under HSK 3.0?

HSK 4 is the first level of the Intermediate stage in the new HSK 3.0 system. It follows HSK 3, and represents the gateway to university-level Chinese and professional communication.

At this level you should be able to discuss general topics, express opinions clearly, handle daily professional communication, and understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics. This is the new entry point for many undergraduate programs in China.

HSK 4 requires 2,000 cumulative words, a 67% increase from HSK 2.0's 1,200. That means 1,000 new words beyond HSK 3. By this level the syllabus lists 1,096 characters to recognise and 400 to write by hand.

What Changed from HSK 2.0?

HSK 4 sees two major changes: a significantly larger vocabulary and a mandatory speaking component.

Translation (翻译): What We Can Confirm

Many HSK 3.0 guides, including an earlier version of this one, said HSK 4 adds a translation section. We have not found that in CTI's own notices, so we can't tell you whether the HSK 4 paper includes translation or what it would look like. We will update this page when CTI publishes it.

Translation practice is worth doing anyway. Moving meaning between English and Chinese trains the comprehension the reading section tests and the recall the writing and speaking sections need.

How to Practise Translation

• Read bilingual materials: Find articles, news summaries, or books that present Chinese and English side by side. Pay attention to how ideas are structured differently in each language.
• Practice summarizing in the other language: Read a paragraph in Chinese and summarize it in your native language, then reverse the process. This builds the mental switching ability that translation requires.
• Learn common translation patterns: Chinese sentence structure differs from English in predictable ways (time before place, topic-comment structure). Learning these patterns makes translation faster and more natural.
• Practice under time pressure: Translate short passages with a timer to build speed and confidence.
• Focus on meaning, not word-for-word: Good translation conveys meaning naturally in the target language. Do not try to translate word by word, instead, understand the meaning and re-express it.

Vocabulary: 1,000 New Words

The jump from 1,000 to 2,000 cumulative words is substantial, you need to learn 1,000 new words beyond HSK 3. That is double the jump from HSK 2 to HSK 3, and the vocabulary shifts noticeably toward more academic and professional territory.

The new vocabulary covers topics that support university-level study and professional communication:

• Academic and professional vocabulary: 竞争 (competition), 效果 (effect/result), 研究 (research)
• Abstract concepts: 价值 (value), 积累 (accumulate), 原则 (principle)
• Formal expressions: 合适 (suitable), 建议 (suggest), 表达 (express)
• Social and cultural topics: 传统 (tradition), 文化 (culture), 社会 (society)
• Professional situations: 合同 (contract), 项目 (project), 责任 (responsibility)

Sample HSK 4 Vocabulary

Click the cards below to reveal the pinyin and English meaning. These are representative HSK 4 words:

HSK 4 Exam Format Under 3.0

The HSK 4 exam now tests four skills instead of three, with speaking the major addition:

Written Exam

• Listening: Multiple-choice questions based on dialogues, conversations, and longer passages. Topics expand to include professional situations, news-style content, and academic discussions.
• Reading: Multiple-choice and matching questions on longer, more complex texts. No pinyin support. Passages include articles, notices, emails, and opinion pieces.
• Writing: Paragraph writing and short compositions on given topics.

Oral Exam (Speaking)

• Reading aloud with correct pronunciation, tones, and natural rhythm
• Describing pictures and situations with more detail than HSK 3
• Answering questions on a wider range of topics, including abstract ones
• Expressing and defending opinions on given topics (topic discussion)

The speaking test at HSK 4 features more complex prompts than Level 3, requiring you to express opinions and discuss topics in greater depth. You register for the written and speaking tests of HSK 4 together. The CTI notices published so far do not state a pass mark for the new exam, so treat any figure you see quoted as a guess until CTI publishes one.

Study Plan: HSK 3 to HSK 4

Plan for 6-12 months after completing HSK 3. The larger vocabulary and more demanding speaking test mean you should study daily with a mix of SRS, reading, and speaking practice.

Months 1-3: Vocabulary + Reading

• Learn 10-15 new words per day using spaced repetition (SRS)
• Continue reviewing HSK 1-3 words to maintain your foundation
• Start reading graded readers and simple news articles in Chinese
• Begin daily speaking practice (15-20 minutes minimum)
• Start exposure to bilingual materials for translation readiness

Months 4-6: Skills Integration + Translation Practice

• Complete the 1,000 new words and enter full review mode
• Practice listening with news broadcasts and longer dialogues at natural speed
• Begin dedicated translation practice, translate short passages both directions daily
• Practice expressing opinions on various topics in Chinese (speaking and writing)
• Read Chinese articles and summarize them in your native language

Months 7-12: Exam Preparation + Mock Tests

• Take full-length practice exams (all five skill sections)
• Practice the speaking test format: read-aloud, picture description, Q&A, topic discussion
• Do timed translation exercises to build speed and accuracy
• Focus on weak areas identified during practice exams
• Practice typing Chinese using pinyin input under time pressure
• Record yourself speaking and listen back for tone and fluency errors

Frequently Asked Questions

What's new as of September 2026

The first official sitting of the new HSK exam is announced for 13 December 2026 (HSK 1-6). Every 2026 sitting before it uses the old HSK 2.0 exam, apart from trial sittings on 31 January 2026 and 20 September 2026, and the last global HSK 2.0 sitting is 7 November 2026. Verify the latest test windows at chinesetest.cn, since test dates and registration cutoffs shift between countries. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band with its own test, and the exam syllabus sets 11,000 words across all nine levels.

This guide has been reviewed for accuracy against the 《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》 standard and the current Hanban test format. If you spot a discrepancy with official Hanban publications, please contact us. Freshness date is embedded in the page metadata so search engines and AI answer engines see the latest revision timestamp.

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