HSK 5 · 270/300

The Resource Directory

45 resources annotated with exactly how I used each one. No gatekeeping — these are the same free and paid materials I used to pass HSK5 as a full-time CS student.

“I found these free, so you should too.”

Showing 12 resources for 词汇 Vocab

  1. 01

    AI Chatbots (ChatGPT / Claude)

    Sentence correction, native-context example sentences, essay feedback, quiz generation — I used AI across every skill category, not just one. The key is treating it as a responsive tutor rather than a search engine: ask it to quiz you, correct you, or explain why a sentence sounds unnatural.

    ★★★★★词汇 Vocab语法 Grammar
  2. 02

    Anki

    Spaced repetition is already built in, and if you're on iPhone and can't use Pleco for free, this is the alternative I'd recommend without hesitation. The premade HSK decks — both old and new versions — mean you can get started without building from scratch if you don't want to. I still think making your own cards is worth the time, but Anki makes either approach viable.

    ★★★★★词汇 Vocab
  3. 03

    Fiction / Non-Fiction Books

    This is where in-context and subject-specific vocabulary actually gets absorbed rather than memorised. I found idioms here that I later used in my HSK5 essays because I'd seen them in a real sentence first, not a flashcard. More on specific apps in the reading section, but the point is: reading real content is irreplaceable at the upper levels.

    ★★★★★词汇 Vocab阅读 Reading
  4. 04

    Pleco

    I made my own flashcard decks rather than relying on premade ones, and the extra effort of building them gave me more exposure to each word before I'd even tested myself. The on-screen drawing feature for character dictation practice is something I kept coming back to when I didn't have a pen nearby. Genuinely the app I used the most across the whole study period.

    ★★★★★词汇 Vocab
  5. 05

    发展汉语 (Developing Chinese)

    I didn't use it heavily myself, but almost every university language programme in China uses it, so there's clearly something there. The people I know who did use it still supplemented with HSK books, so I'd treat it as a parallel resource rather than a replacement. Worth picking up if you want a more academic framing of the grammar.

    ★★★★☆词汇 Vocab语法 Grammar
  6. 06

    HSK (1-6) Coursebooks (Level 4/5)

    Most new words come with translations, and the idioms embedded in the texts are genuinely useful for understanding how natives actually talk. I'd rate it higher if the vocab presentation were more varied, but as a structured foundation it's solid. The indirect exposure — words you pick up from context rather than a glossary — sticks better than anything drilled in isolation.

    ★★★★☆词汇 Vocab
  7. 07

    HSK (1-6) Workbooks (Level 4/5)

    The reading sections are dense with new vocabulary, and the fact that translations aren't always given forces you to work harder — which, annoyingly, makes the words stick. I'd write down unknown words and anchor each one to the sentence I found it in, which made review much faster later. Don't just scroll through the texts; that's how you waste the best part of the resource.

    ★★★★☆词汇 Vocab阅读 Reading
  8. 08

    新华字典 (Xinhua Dictionary)

    Only relevant once you're deep enough into the language to think and define in Chinese — which won't be most people reading this. I mention it because at higher levels a monolingual dictionary forces a different kind of engagement with the language, but don't rush to it.

    ★★★☆☆词汇 Vocab
  9. 09

    FluentU Chinese (YouTube)

    Real-world video content with learning tools layered on top. The YouTube channel gives you a taste of the approach.

    Unrated听力 Listening词汇 Vocab
  10. 10

    Jun – Stickynote Chinese (YouTube)

    Memory and vocabulary-focused content. Worth checking if you're looking for alternative ways to retain characters and grammar patterns.

    Unrated词汇 Vocab语法 Grammar
  11. 11

    Mandarin Blueprint (YouTube)

    A memory-technique-focused channel — useful if you're trying to build a mental framework for retaining characters rather than just drilling them. I didn't use it as a primary resource but it's worth knowing about, especially early on when the character system is still unfamiliar.

    Unrated词汇 Vocab口语 Speaking
  12. 12

    Mandarin Click (YouTube)

    Structured explanations of grammar and vocabulary points. Good supplementary resource alongside the HSK books.

    Unrated语法 Grammar词汇 Vocab