HSK 4 Workbook: Exercises for All 12 Lessons, with Answers

By the end you can

• Say you worked something out, and stress a surprising case. Lesson 1 practises verb + 出来 (看出来, 猜出来, 想出来) and 连……都 / 也, with a fix-the-mistake exercise for each.
  她能看出来哪些句子有错误了。 · Tā néng kàn chūlai nǎxiē jùzi yǒu cuòwù le. · Now she can spot which sentences have mistakes.
• Give advice from a fact and say what stays true. Lesson 2 uses words for degrees and exams with 既然……就 and 不管……都, then you write about your own study plan.
  既然你已经决定了，就别想那么多。 · Jìrán nǐ yǐjīng juédìng le, jiù bié xiǎng nàme duō. · Since you've made up your mind, don't overthink it.
• Talk about jobs, interviews and teamwork. Lessons 3 and 4 add a stronger point with 不仅……而且, give an impression with 看起来, and say you had no choice with 只好 or 不得不.
  她不仅外语好，而且当过两年导游。 · Tā bùjǐn wàiyǔ hǎo, érqiě dāngguo liǎng nián dǎoyóu. · Not only are her languages good, she has also worked as a guide for two years.
• Tell the story of a trip that went wrong. Lesson 5 practises 来得及 and 来不及 for time, and 原来 and 竟然 for what surprised you, around a missed flight.
  原来晚上八点还有一班。 · Yuánlái wǎnshang bā diǎn hái yǒu yì bān. · It turned out there was another flight at eight in the evening.
• Say what stays the same and warn what could happen. Lesson 6 uses road and traffic words with 即使……也 and 否则, and you write about how you get somewhere.
  即使晚一点儿到，也比开快车安全。 · Jíshǐ wǎn yìdiǎnr dào, yě bǐ kāi kuài chē ānquán. · Even if we get there a bit late, it's safer than driving fast.
• Talk about your home and compare what you buy. Lessons 7 and 8 practise passive 让 / 叫, 一……也不, and comparing with 不如 and 相比, plus 再……也 for a result that won't change.
  跟网购相比，逛商店更有意思，可是价格不如网上便宜。 · Gēn wǎnggòu xiāngbǐ, guàng shāngdiàn gèng yǒu yìsi, kěshì jiàgé bùrú wǎngshang piányi. · Shops are more fun than buying online, but the prices aren't as low.
• Talk about health, sport and the people close to you. Lessons 9 and 10 use 尽管……还是, 由于……因此, 既……又 to describe two qualities, and 难道……吗 for a surprised question.
  尽管昨天很困，我还是去健身房练了一个小时。 · Jǐnguǎn zuótiān hěn kùn, wǒ háishi qù jiànshēnfáng liànle yí ge xiǎoshí. · Although I was sleepy yesterday, I still went to the gym and trained for an hour.
• Describe a show, a change in your city and your plans. Lessons 11 and 12 add 甚至, 却 and 然而 for contrast, and 随着 and 对于 to say how one change brings another and give your view.
  随着地铁越来越多，我的城市堵车少了。对于这个变化，我很满意。 · Suízhe dìtiě yuè lái yuè duō, wǒ de chéngshì dǔchē shǎo le. Duìyú zhège biànhuà, wǒ hěn mǎnyì. · As the underground has grown, there are fewer traffic jams in my city. I'm very happy with this change.
• Write a short paragraph for every lesson. Each Write page asks for 60–80 characters on the lesson's topic using its two patterns, after reading questions and sentence building.

What’s inside

• Lesson 1: Words: Words for Learning Chinese · Grammar: Verb + 出来 and 连……都 · Read: Chen Xiaoyu's Chinese Diary · Write: Write About How You Learn
• Lesson 2: Words: Words for Degrees and Exams · Grammar: 既然……就 and 不管……都 · Read: Lin Hao's Big Decision · Write: Write About a Study Plan
• Lesson 3: Words: Words for Jobs and Interviews · Grammar: 不仅……而且 and 看起来 · Read: Xiaoyu Reads a Job Ad · Write: Write About a Job You Want
• Lesson 4: Words: Words for Office Teamwork · Grammar: 只好 / 不得不 and 谁都 / 什么都 · Read: Xiaoyu's First Meeting · Write: Write About a Team Task
• Review A: Test Yourself: Test Yourself on Lessons 1–4
• Lesson 5: Words: Words for Flights and Trips · Grammar: 来得及 / 来不及 and 原来 / 竟然 · Read: A Missed Connection · Write: Write About a Trip
• Lesson 6: Words: Words for Roads and Traffic · Grammar: 即使……也 and 否则 · Read: A Jam on the Expressway · Write: Write About Your Way There
• Lesson 7: Words: Words for Rooms, Rent and Chores · Grammar: Passive 让 / 叫 and 一……也不 · Read: Lin Hao's New Flat · Write: Write About a Repair at Home
• Lesson 8: Words: Words for Prices and Payments · Grammar: 不如, 相比 and 再……也 · Read: A Coat Worth Buying · Write: Write About How You Shop
• Review B: Test Yourself: Test Yourself on Lessons 5–8
• Lesson 9: Words: Words for Health and Sport · Grammar: 尽管……还是 and 由于……因此 · Read: Chen Xiaoyu Gets Moving · Write: Write About Your Exercise Habits
• Lesson 10: Words: Words for Family and Feelings · Grammar: 既……又 and 难道……吗 · Read: A Birthday Surprise · Write: Write About Someone in Your Family
• Lesson 11: Words: Words for Parties and Shows · Grammar: 甚至, 却 and 然而 · Read: A Night of Peking Opera · Write: Write About a Party or Show
• Lesson 12: Words: Words for Nature and the Future · Grammar: 随着 and 对于 · Read: Lin Hao Chooses a Job · Write: Write About a Choice You Made
• Review C: Test Yourself: Test Yourself on Lessons 9–12

How to use this book

Each lesson has four pages, Words, Grammar, Read and Write, and takes about 30 minutes. Do it after the same lesson of the HSK 4 Course Book, or use it on its own.

1. Each lesson: Words, then Grammar. Match and use the lesson's words, then the two grammar patterns. Every exercise starts with a worked example.
2. Each lesson: Read, then Write. Read the short text, answer the questions on it, put words in order and write your 60–80 character paragraph.
3. After each page: Check with the key. Finish a whole page before you look at the answers at the back. Try the items you missed again a few days later.
4. After Lessons 4, 8, 12: Review A, B and C. Pages 19, 36 and 53 are one-page tests. Use them as a short check before the next block of lessons.
5. Every Say it task: Out loud. Say each speaking task aloud, then once more from memory.

Who it’s for

Learners working towards HSK 4 in the new HSK (HSK 3.0), especially anyone using SayMei's free HSK 4 Course Book, and teachers who want ready-made homework for each lesson.

Before you start: You should know the HSK 3 words and grammar. Exercises are in characters with an English line under each item, and the readings have no pinyin, so you should be comfortable reading HSK 3 characters.

Frequently asked questions

What's in each lesson?

Four pages, Words, Grammar, Read and Write, for about 30 minutes. The 12 lessons run from learning Chinese and job interviews to a traffic jam, rent and chores, health, a night of Peking Opera and choosing a job. Reviews A, B and C on pages 19, 36 and 53 come after Lessons 4, 8 and 12.

Do I need the HSK 4 Course Book to use it?

It follows the SayMei HSK 4 Course Book lesson by lesson, but it also works on its own: every page names its words and grammar pattern and shows a worked example.

Is there pinyin?

Only in a few places. The exercises are in characters with an English line under each item, and the readings are in characters only. The three key lines under each reading have pinyin and English.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The answer key at the back covers every exercise in the 12 lessons and the three reviews, with a model paragraph for each writing task.

What can I use alongside it?

The HSK 4 Guided Writing Workbook takes your writing from sentences to emails and opinion paragraphs. When you finish Lesson 12, the HSK 4 Mock Test is a full practice paper with free audio.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

HSK 4 Course Book: 12 Lessons for the New HSK 4 · HSK 4 Reading Practice: Longer Texts & Inference · HSK 4 Guided Writing Workbook · HSK 4 Vocabulary Workbook: Words in Context & Collocations · Browse all 294 workbooks