🇨🇳 HSK 4
HSK 4 reading practice: Chinese stories at your level
At HSK 4 you know around 1,200 words, and the challenge changes. You can read simple Chinese, but literary vocabulary, chengyu and longer sentences still trip you up. The goal now is to read longer works without losing the thread.
ReadNative's Romance of the Three Kingdoms selections (HSK 3–4) — the Peach Garden oath, Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu — are a good place to consolidate, and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (HSK 4–5) bridges to the next level. If you want something lighter first, Journey to the West is free in your browser. All of ReadNative's Chinese books have read-along audio.
HSK 4 covers about 1,200 words under the HSK 2.0 standard, with more abstract vocabulary, formal connectors and the ability to discuss a wide range of everyday topics.
HSK 4 stories you can read now
Books that cover HSK 4
HSK 1 reading · HSK 2 reading · HSK 3 reading · HSK 5 reading · Most common Chinese words · Best Chinese graded readers
Questions
What should I read at HSK 4?
Longer graded works that introduce some literary vocabulary. Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio are written for this.
When should I switch to native material?
Many learners start with native material at HSK 5 or later. Until then, graded reading lets you read much more for the same effort.
Does this follow HSK 2.0 or HSK 3.0?
The word counts here follow the HSK 2.0 standard (HSK 1–6), which most textbooks and graded readers still use. HSK 3.0, introduced in 2021, has nine bands and larger word lists, so treat levels as approximate.