HSK 4 Character List 2026: 441 New Characters
HSK Level 4 adds 441 new recognition characters, bringing the cumulative total to 1,096. The writing requirement grows to 400 cumulative characters (150 new at L4). At this level, characters become structurally complex — many have multiple readings or appear in formal written contexts.
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HSK 4 Requirements 2026
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HSK 3 Character List 2026
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HSK 5 Character List 2026
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Character Requirements at a Glance
441
New recognition chars
1,096
Cumulative recognition
150
New writing chars
400
Cumulative writing
Recognition vs. Writing: What is the Difference?
Recognition (认读字)
You must be able to read these characters and understand their meaning in context. They appear in reading comprehension and listening passages. You do NOT need to write them from memory.
Writing (书写字)
You must be able to write these characters correctly from memory — correct stroke order, components, and tone. The 150 writing characters at L4 are a subset of the 441 recognition characters.
Recognition Characters by Theme
People & Relationships
Kinship terms, life stages, and professional titles
Work & Society
Workplace, achievement, and professional vocabulary
Urban Life & Commerce
Shopping, commercial activity, and consumer transactions
Nature & Environment
Environment, natural phenomena, and ecology
Body & Health
Body parts, symptoms, and medical/health vocabulary
Culture & Arts
Arts, media, performance, and cultural heritage
Learning & Abstract Concepts
Academic and abstract reasoning vocabulary
See these characters in real words
In the Pass HSK app, HSK 4 characters show up in the words and sentences you learn, with pinyin, audio and short practice questions.
Find your level and start freeFree to start · No account or credit card needed · Web, iOS & Android
Full Recognition List (441 characters)
All 441 new HSK 4 recognition characters from the official 2026 syllabus.
Writing Characters (150 new at L4)
These 150 characters must be written correctly from memory. All are a subset of the recognition list above.
Study Tips for HSK 4 Characters
Group characters by component (部首)
Many L4 characters share components: 技、际、济、纪、继、绝 all contain 纟 (silk radical). Learning the radical meaning helps decode unfamiliar characters during the exam.
Prioritize the 150 writing characters first
Since writing characters are a strict subset of recognition characters, learn to write them first. Every writing character is automatically a recognition character too.
Watch for characters with multiple meanings
Characters like 省 (province / to save), 量 (measure / quantity), 弹 (to play / bullet), 划 (to row / to plan) have multiple readings. Always learn characters in their vocabulary context, not in isolation.
Use vocabulary to reinforce characters
Learn 研究 (research) together with 研 and 究. Learning characters embedded in the vocabulary they are part of doubles learning efficiency.
Characters stick better inside words
In the Pass HSK app, HSK 4 characters show up in the words and sentences you learn, with pinyin, audio and short practice questions.
Find your level and start freeFree to start · No account or credit card needed · Web, iOS & Android