HSK 5 is the level where Chinese conversations stretch beyond the everyday and start dancing into real opinions, abstract ideas, and unexpected tangents. You’re not just ordering food or asking for directions-you’re debating if a movie sequel was worth it, explaining why you want to switch jobs, or describing the exact vibe of your favourite café. It’s a messy, exciting stage where your vocabulary needs to keep up with your thoughts.
This list gathers about 1300 practical words the HSK 5 exam expects and that your daily Chinese life actually demands. Each word comes with a straightforward meaning and a natural example sentence so you can see it in action, not a lonely translation. There’s audio playback for every entry too, because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes.
Once you’ve worked through the table online, use the free PDF download button right below it to take your study offline-no sign-ups, no fuss.
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Quick Quiz
Think you know your HSK 5 words inside out? Take the quick quiz below to check which ones have stuck and where you might need a little extra review.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 寺庙 | sì miào | temple; monastery; shrine | |
| 寻找 | xún zhǎo | to seek; to look for | |
| 导演 | dǎo yǎn | to direct; director (film etc) | |
| 导致 | dǎo zhì | to lead to; to create; to cause | |
| 寿命 | shòu mìng | life span; life expectancy | |
| 射击 | shè jī | to shoot; to fire (a gun) | |
| 尊敬 | zūn jìng | respect; to revere | |
| 小伙子 | xiǎo huǒ zi | young man; young guy; lad | |
| 小偷 | xiǎo tōu | thief | |
| 小吃 | xiǎo chī | snack; refreshments; CL:家[jiā] | |
| 小气 | xiǎo qì | stingy; petty; miserly | |
| 小麦 | xiǎo mài | wheat; CL:粒[lì] | |
| 尖锐 | jiān ruì | sharp; intense; penetrating | |
| 尺子 | chǐ zi | rule; ruler (measuring instrument); CL:把[bǎ] | |
| 尽力 | jìn lì | to strive one's hardest; to spare no effort | |
| 尽量 | jǐn liàng | as much as possible; to the greatest extent | |
| 尾巴 | wěi ba | tail | |
| 居然 | jū rán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise; go so far as to | |
| 届 | jiè | to arrive at (place or time); period; to become due | |
| 屋子 | wū zi | house; room; CL:間|间[jiān] | |
| 展开 | zhǎn kāi | to unfold; to carry out; to be in full swing | |
| 展览 | zhǎn lǎn | to put on display; to exhibit; exhibition | |
| 属于 | shǔ yú | to be classified as; to belong to; to be part of | |
| 岛 | dǎo | island; CL:個|个; 座[zuò] | |
| 岸 | àn | bank; shore; beach |
Free Simplified Chinese Vocab List and Flashcard PDFs to Download
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