HSK vocabulary lists
There are two HSK word lists in circulation, and they are not the same thing: the classic HSK 2.0 (2010) has six levels and 5,000 words, while the current HSK 3.0 (2021) has nine levels in three bands and around 11,000 words. A word that is "HSK 4" means a different thing in each. Pick the list that matches your textbook or your exam.
HSK 3.0 — current standard
2021 standard, 9 levels in 3 bands. Levels 7–9 are one advanced band in our data, so the lists go up to level 7.
- HSK 1 vocabulary 506 words · 506 cumulative
- HSK 2 vocabulary 750 words · 1256 cumulative
- HSK 3 vocabulary 953 words · 2209 cumulative
- HSK 4 vocabulary 972 words · 3181 cumulative
- HSK 5 vocabulary 1059 words · 4240 cumulative
- HSK 6 vocabulary 1123 words · 5363 cumulative
- HSK 7 vocabulary 5606 words · 10969 cumulative
HSK 2.0 — classic standard
The 2010 standard that most textbooks, Anki decks and course materials still follow. Six levels, 5,000 words — and a very different level 4.
- HSK 1 vocabulary (2.0) 150 words · 150 cumulative
- HSK 2 vocabulary (2.0) 147 words · 297 cumulative
- HSK 3 vocabulary (2.0) 298 words · 595 cumulative
- HSK 4 vocabulary (2.0) 598 words · 1193 cumulative
- HSK 5 vocabulary (2.0) 1298 words · 2491 cumulative
- HSK 6 vocabulary (2.0) 2500 words · 4991 cumulative
Which one should you use?
If your teacher, textbook or app says "HSK 4" and gives you a 1,200-word list, you are on 2.0. If you are preparing for the exam as it is given now, or you started after 2021, you are on 3.0. The two lists overlap heavily — 4,490 words appear in both — but the level numbers do not line up.