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.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 真实 | zhēn shí | true; real | |
| 真理 | zhēn lǐ | truth; CL:個|个[gè] | |
| 着凉 | zháo liáng | to catch cold | |
| 睁 | zhēng | to open (one's eyes) | |
| 瞎 | xiā | blind; groundlessly; foolishly | |
| 瞧 | qiáo | to look at; to see; to see (a doctor) | |
| 矛盾 | máo dùn | contradictory; contradiction; CL:個|个[gè] | |
| 短信 | duǎn xìn | text message; SMS | |
| 石头 | shí tou | stone; CL:塊|块[kuài] | |
| 矿泉水 | kuàng quán shuǐ | mineral spring water; CL:瓶; 杯[bēi] | |
| 砍 | kǎn | to chop; to cut down; to throw sth at sb | |
| 破产 | pò chǎn | to go bankrupt; to become impoverished; bankruptcy | |
| 破坏 | pò huài | destruction; damage; to wreck | |
| 硬件 | yìng jiàn | hardware | |
| 硬币 | yìng bì | coin; CL:枚[méi] | |
| 确定 | què dìng | definite; certain; fixed | |
| 确认 | què rèn | to confirm; to verify; confirmation | |
| 碎 | suì | to break down; to break into pieces; fragmentary | |
| 碰见 | pèng jiàn | to run into; to meet (unexpectedly); to bump into | |
| 磁带 | cí dài | magnetic tape; CL:盤|盘; 盒[hé] | |
| 礼拜天 | lǐ bài tiān | Sunday | |
| 祖先 | zǔ xiān | ancestor; forebears | |
| 祖国 | zǔ guó | ancestral land CL:個|个[gè]; homeland; used for PRC | |
| 祝福 | zhù fú | blessings; to wish sb well | |
| 神秘 | shén mì | mysterious; mystery |
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