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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 节 | jié | festival; holiday; node | |
| 节省 | jié shěng | saving; to save; to use sparingly | |
| 花生 | huā shēng | peanut; groundnut; CL:粒[lì] | |
| 苗条 | miáo tiáo | slim; slender; graceful | |
| 英俊 | yīng jùn | handsome | |
| 英雄 | yīng xióng | hero; CL:個|个[gè] | |
| 荣幸 | róng xìng | honored | |
| 荣誉 | róng yù | honor; credit; glory | |
| 营业 | yíng yè | to do business; to trade | |
| 营养 | yíng yǎng | nutrition; nourishment; CL:種|种[zhǒng] | |
| 落后 | luò hòu | to fall behind; to lag (in technology etc); backward | |
| 蔬菜 | shū cài | vegetables; produce; CL:種|种[zhǒng] | |
| 薄 | báo | thin; cold in manner; indifferent | |
| 虚心 | xū xīn | modest | |
| 蛇 | shé | snake; serpent; CL:條|条[tiáo] | |
| 蜜蜂 | mì fēng | bee; honeybee; CL:隻|只 | |
| 蜡烛 | là zhú | candle; CL:根; 支[zhī] | |
| 蝴蝶 | hú dié | butterfly; CL:隻|只[zhī] | |
| 融化 | róng huà | to melt; to thaw; to dissolve | |
| 行业 | háng yè | industry; business | |
| 行为 | xíng wéi | action; conduct; behavior | |
| 行人 | xíng rén | pedestrian; traveler on foot; passer-by | |
| 行动 | xíng dòng | operation; action; to move | |
| 补充 | bǔ chōng | to replenish; to supplement; to complement | |
| 表情 | biǎo qíng | (facial) expression; to express one's feelings; expression |
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