🏅 Chinese Ability & Success Vocabulary 能力·成败·难易

90 essential Mandarin Chinese words for the Ability & Success scene, each with pinyin, English meaning, HSK level and native speaker audio, plus example sentences. Tap 🔊 to listen.

完成 wán chéng HSK 2
to complete; to accomplish; to finish
我今天要完成这个工作。wǒ jīn tiān yào wán chéng zhè ge gōng zuòI want to finish this work today.
做到 zuò dào HSK 2
to accomplish; to achieve; to manage to do
只要努力，你一定能做到。zhǐ yào nǔ lì nǐ yí dìng néng zuò dàoAs long as you work hard, you can definitely do it.
达到 dá dào HSK 3
to reach; to achieve; to attain
他终于达到了目标。tā zhōng yú dá dào le mù biāoHe finally reached his goal.
争取 zhēng qǔ HSK 3
to strive for; to fight for; to win over
我们要争取更多的时间。wǒ men yào zhēng qǔ gèng duō de shí jiānWe should strive for more time.
争 zhēng HSK 3
to strive for; to compete for; to argue
两个孩子在争一个玩具。liǎng gè hái zi zài zhēng yí gè wán jùThe two children are fighting over a toy.
把握 bǎ wò HSK 3
to grasp; to seize; assurance; certainty
我们要把握好机会。wǒ men yào bǎ wò hǎo jī huìWe need to seize the opportunity well.
克服 kè fú HSK 3
to overcome; to conquer (difficulties)
我们一定能克服这个困难。wǒ men yí dìng néng kè fú zhè ge kùn nanWe can surely overcome this difficulty.
坚持 jiān chí HSK 3
to persist in; to insist on; to persevere
他每天坚持跑步。tā měi tiān jiān chí pǎo bùHe persists in running every day.
赢得 yíng dé HSK 4
to win; to gain (respect, trust, victory)
他的诚实赢得了大家的信任。tā de chéng shí yíng dé le dà jiā de xìn rènHis honesty won everyone's trust.
付出 fù chū HSK 4
to pay; to expend; to devote (effort or time)
他为这个项目付出了很多。tā wèi zhè ge xiàng mù fù chū le hěn duōHe devoted a lot to this project.
追求 zhuī qiú HSK 4
to pursue; to seek after
每个人都追求幸福的生活。měi gè rén dōu zhuī qiú xìng fú de shēng huóEveryone pursues a happy life.
摆脱 bǎi tuō HSK 4
to break away from; to get rid of; to free oneself from
他终于摆脱了压力，轻松多了。tā zhōng yú bǎi tuō le yā lì qīng sōng duō leHe finally got rid of the stress and felt much more relaxed.
奋斗 fèn dòu HSK 4
to strive; to struggle for
他为了梦想不停地奋斗。tā wèi le mèng xiǎng bù tíng de fèn dòuHe keeps striving for his dream.
征服 zhēng fú HSK 4
to conquer; to subdue; to overcome
登山队终于征服了那座高山。dēng shān duì zhōng yú zhēng fú le nà zuò gāo shānThe climbing team finally conquered that high mountain.
挑战 tiǎo zhàn HSK 4
to challenge; challenge
这份工作对我是个挑战。zhè fèn gōng zuò duì wǒ shì ge tiǎo zhànThis job is a challenge for me.
失败 shī bài HSK 4
to fail; failure; defeat
这次实验又失败了。zhè cì shí yàn yòu shī bài leThis experiment failed again.
放弃 fàng qì HSK 5
to give up; to abandon; to renounce
不管多难，你都不要放弃bù guǎn duō nán nǐ dōu bú yào fàng qìNo matter how hard it is, don't give up.
达成 dá chéng HSK 5
to reach (an agreement); to accomplish
双方终于达成了协议。shuāng fāng zhōng yú dá chéng le xié yìThe two sides finally reached an agreement.
突破 tū pò HSK 5
to break through; to make a breakthrough
科学家在研究上取得了重大突破。kē xué jiā zài yán jiū shàng qǔ dé le zhòng dà tū pòScientists made a major breakthrough in their research.
超越 chāo yuè HSK 5
to surpass; to exceed; to transcend
他的成绩超越了所有对手。tā de chéng jì chāo yuè le suǒ yǒu duì shǒuHis results surpassed all his rivals.
失误 shī wù HSK 5
mistake; error; to make a mistake
这次比赛他出现了严重失误。zhè cì bǐ sài tā chū xiàn le yán zhòng shī wùHe made a serious mistake in this match.
搞好 gǎo hǎo HSK 5
to do well; to manage well
我们要搞好同事之间的关系。wǒ men yào gǎo hǎo tóng shì zhī jiān de guān xìWe should build good relationships with colleagues.
尝试 cháng shì HSK 5
to try; to attempt
我想尝试一种新的方法。wǒ xiǎng cháng shì yì zhǒng xīn de fāng fǎI want to try a new method.
错过 cuò guò HSK 6
to miss (a train, opportunity, etc.)
我今天早上错过了最后一班地铁。wǒ jīn tiān zǎo shang cuò guò le zuì hòu yì bān dì tiěThis morning I missed the last subway.
水平 shuǐ píng HSK 2
level; standard
他的中文水平很高。tā de zhōng wén shuǐ píng hěn gāoHis Chinese level is very high.
好处 hǎo chù HSK 2
benefit; advantage
早睡早起有很多好处。zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ yǒu hěn duō hǎo chùGoing to bed early and rising early has many benefits.
经验 jīng yàn HSK 3
experience
他有很多工作经验。tā yǒu hěn duō gōng zuò jīng yànHe has a lot of work experience.
资格 zī gé HSK 3
qualification; eligibility
你没有资格说这样的话nǐ méi yǒu zī gé shuō zhè yàng de huàYou're not in a position to say such things.
人才 rén cái HSK 3
talent; talented person
公司需要更多的人才。gōng sī xū yào gèng duō de rén cáiThe company needs more talent.
成就 chéng jiù HSK 3
accomplishment; achievement; to achieve
他在科学上取得了很大的成就。tā zài kē xué shàng qǔ dé le hěn dà de chéng jiùHe has made great achievements in science.
成果 chéng guǒ HSK 3
result; achievement; fruits (of labor)
这次研究取得了很大的成果。zhè cì yán jiū qǔ dé le hěn dà de chéng guǒThis research achieved great results.
考验 kǎo yàn HSK 3
to test; trial; ordeal
这次比赛是对我们的考验。zhè cì bǐ sài shì duì wǒ men de kǎo yànThis competition is a test for us.
难度 nán dù HSK 3
degree of difficulty
这次考试的难度很大。zhè cì kǎo shì de nán dù hěn dàThis exam's level of difficulty is high.
奖 jiǎng HSK 4
prize; award; to reward
他在比赛中得了一等奖。tā zài bǐ sài zhōng dé le yì děng jiǎngHe won first prize in the competition.
技巧 jì qiǎo HSK 4
skill; technique
老师教了我们很多考试技巧。lǎo shī jiāo le wǒ men hěn duō kǎo shì jì qiǎoThe teacher taught us many exam techniques.
获奖 huò jiǎng HSK 4
to win an award
她的作品获奖了。tā de zuò pǐn huò jiǎng leHer work won an award.
技能 jì néng HSK 5
skill; technical ability
他掌握了很多实用技能。tā zhǎng wò le hěn duō shí yòng jì néngHe has mastered many practical skills.
天才 tiān cái HSK 5
genius; talent; gifted
他从小就是个音乐天才。tā cóng xiǎo jiù shì gè yīn yuè tiān cáiHe has been a musical genius since childhood.
掌握 zhǎng wò HSK 5
to master; to grasp; to control
他已经掌握了这门技术。tā yǐ jīng zhǎng wò le zhè mén jì shùHe has already mastered this skill.
高手 gāo shǒu HSK 6
expert; master; ace
他是下棋的高手,很少输。tā shì xià qí de gāo shǒu hěn shǎo shūHe is a master at chess and rarely loses.
难 nán HSK 1
difficult; hard
这个问题很难zhè ge wèn tí hěn nánThis question is very difficult.
努力 nǔ lì HSK 2
to make an effort; hard-working; diligent
他学习非常努力。tā xué xí fēi cháng nǔ lìHe studies very hard.
顺利 shùn lì HSK 2
smooth; going well
今天的考试很顺利。jīn tiān de kǎo shì hěn shùn lìToday's exam went very smoothly.
坏处 huài chu HSK 2
harm; disadvantage; drawback
抽烟对身体有很多坏处。chōu yān duì shēn tǐ yǒu hěn duō huài chuSmoking has many harms to your health.
力量 lì liang HSK 3
power; force; strength
团结的力量非常大。tuán jié de lì liang fēi cháng dàThe power of unity is enormous.
困难 kùn nan HSK 3
difficult; difficulty; hardship
学好一门语言很困难xué hǎo yì mén yǔ yán hěn kùn nanMastering a language is very difficult.
胜利 shèng lì HSK 3
victory; to triumph; to win
我们球队终于取得了胜利wǒ men qiú duì zhōng yú qǔ dé le shèng lìOur team finally achieved victory.
强大 qiáng dà HSK 3
powerful; strong; formidable
这个国家的力量很强大。zhè ge guó jiā de lì liàng hěn qiáng dàThis country's power is very strong.
幸运 xìng yùn HSK 3
lucky; fortunate; good luck
我今天真是太幸运了。wǒ jīn tiān zhēn shi tài xìng yùn leI'm really so lucky today.
成功 chéng gōng HSK 3
to succeed; success; successful
这次实验终于成功了。zhè cì shí yàn zhōng yú chéng gōng leThis experiment finally succeeded.
强 qiáng HSK 3
strong; powerful; better
他的能力比我强。tā de néng lì bǐ wǒ qiángHis ability is stronger than mine.
能力 néng lì HSK 3
ability; capability; capacity
他的工作能力很强。tā de gōng zuò néng lì hěn qiángHis work ability is very strong.
优势 yōu shì HSK 3
advantage; superiority; edge
会说外语是他的优势。huì shuō wài yǔ shì tā de yōu shìBeing able to speak a foreign language is his advantage.
实力 shí lì HSK 3
strength; actual ability
这支球队的实力很强。zhè zhī qiú duì de shí lì hěn qiángThis team's strength is very strong.
领先 lǐng xiān HSK 3
to lead; to be ahead
我们队一直领先。wǒ men duì yì zhí lǐng xiānOur team has been in the lead all along.
才能 cái néng HSK 3
talent; ability
他很有音乐方面的才能。tā hěn yǒu yīn yuè fāng miàn de cái néngHe has a lot of talent in music.
毛病 máo bìng HSK 3
fault; defect; problem; ailment
这台电脑又出毛病了。zhè tái diàn nǎo yòu chū máo bìng leThis computer is acting up again.
缺点 quē diǎn HSK 3
weak point; fault; shortcoming; disadvantage
每个人都有自己的缺点。měi gè rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de quē diǎnEveryone has their own shortcomings.
本事 běn shi HSK 3
ability; skill; capability
他很有本事，什么都会修。tā hěn yǒu běn shi shén me dōu huì xiūHe is very capable; he can fix anything.
容易 róng yì HSK 3
easy; likely to; apt to
这道题很容易。zhè dào tí hěn róng yìThis question is very easy.
优点 yōu diǎn HSK 3
merit; strong point; advantage
这个方法最大的优点是省钱。zhè ge fāng fǎ zuì dà de yōu diǎn shì shěng qiánThe biggest advantage of this method is saving money.
本领 běn lǐng HSK 3
skill; ability; capability
他有一身好本领。tā yǒu yì shēn hǎo běn lǐngHe has excellent skills.
简单 jiǎn dān HSK 3
simple; not complicated
这个问题很简单。zhè ge wèn tí hěn jiǎn dānThis question is very simple.
所长 suǒ cháng HSK 3
one's strong point, what one is good at
每个人都有自己的所长。měi ge rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de suǒ chángEveryone has their own strong points.
长处 cháng chù HSK 3
strong point, merit
每个人都有自己的长处。měi ge rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de cháng chùEveryone has their own strong points.
短处 duǎn chù HSK 3
shortcoming; weak point; fault
每个人都有自己的短处měi ge rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de duǎn chùEveryone has their own shortcomings.
战胜 zhàn shèng HSK 4
to defeat; to overcome; to prevail over
我们终于战胜了困难。wǒ men zhōng yú zhàn shèng le kùn nanWe finally overcame the difficulties.
收获 shōu huò HSK 4
harvest; gains; to gain
这次旅行让我收获了很多。zhè cì lǚ xíng ràng wǒ shōu huò le hěn duōThis trip gained me a lot.
善于 shàn yú HSK 4
to be good at; to be adept at
他很善于和别人交流。tā hěn shàn yú hé bié rén jiāo liúHe is very good at communicating with others.
智力 zhì lì HSK 4
intelligence; intellect
这个游戏能锻炼孩子的智力。zhè ge yóu xì néng duàn liàn hái zi de zhì lìThis game can train children's intelligence.
熟练 shú liàn HSK 4
skilled; proficient; practiced
她的操作已经很熟练了。tā de cāo zuò yǐ jīng hěn shú liàn leHer operation is already very proficient.
辛苦 xīn kǔ HSK 5
hard; toilsome; to work hard; to go to trouble
你辛苦了，先休息一下吧。nǐ xīn kǔ le xiān xiū xi yí xià baYou've worked hard, take a rest first.
艰难 jiān nán HSK 5
difficult; hard; arduous
那段艰难的日子已经过去了。nà duàn jiān nán de rì zi yǐ jīng guò qù leThose difficult days are already behind us.
艰苦 jiān kǔ HSK 5
hard; arduous; tough (conditions, struggle)
他在艰苦的环境里坚持学习。tā zài jiān kǔ de huán jìng lǐ jiān chí xué xíHe keeps studying in a hard environment.
胜负 shèng fù HSK 5
victory or defeat; outcome
这场比赛的胜负还很难说。zhè chǎng bǐ sài de shèng fù hái hěn nán shuōThe outcome of this match is still hard to predict.
吃力 chī lì HSK 5
strenuous; laborious; to be a strain
这活儿干起来真吃力。zhè huór gàn qǐ lai zhēn chī lìThis work is really strenuous to do.
不易 bú yì HSK 5
not easy; difficult
创业成功真的很不易。chuàng yè chéng gōng zhēn de hěn bú yìSucceeding in starting a business is really not easy.
智慧 zhì huì HSK 6
wisdom; intelligence
解决这个问题需要极大的智慧。jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí xū yào jí dà de zhì huìSolving this problem requires great wisdom.
潜力 qián lì HSK 6
potential; capacity
这个孩子的学习潜力很大。zhè ge hái zi de xué xí qián lì hěn dàThis child has great learning potential.
缺陷 quē xiàn HSK 6
defect; flaw
这个产品有个明显的缺陷。zhè ge chǎn pǐn yǒu ge míng xiǎn de quē xiànThis product has an obvious defect.
素质 sù zhì HSK 6
inner quality; caliber; competence
这位运动员的素质非常高。zhè wèi yùn dòng yuán de sù zhì fēi cháng gāoThis athlete's caliber is very high.
承受 chéng shòu HSK 4
to bear; to endure
他无法承受这么大的压力。tā wú fǎ chéng shòu zhè me dà de yā lìHe can't bear such great pressure.
轻易 qīng yì HSK 4
easily; rashly; lightly
这么好的机会别轻易放弃。zhè me hǎo de jī huì bié qīng yì fàng qìDon't easily give up such a good opportunity.
尽力 jìn lì HSK 4
to do one's best; to spare no effort
我会尽力帮你解决问题。wǒ huì jìn lì bāng nǐ jiě jué wèn tíI'll do my best to help you solve the problem.
没法儿 méi fǎr HSK 4
no way (to do sth); can't be helped
这么大的雨，没法儿出门。zhè me dà de yǔ méi fǎr chū ménIt's raining so hard, there's no way to go out.
尽可能 jǐn kě néng HSK 5
as far as possible; to the best of one's ability
请尽可能早点来。qǐng jǐn kě néng zǎo diǎn láiPlease come as early as possible.
难以 nán yǐ HSK 5
hard to; difficult to (do sth)
这件事让人难以相信。zhè jiàn shì ràng rén nán yǐ xiāng xìnThis matter is hard to believe.
全力 quán lì HSK 6
with all one's strength; all-out; full effort
我们会全力支持你的决定。wǒ men huì quán lì zhī chí nǐ de jué dìngWe will support your decision with all our strength.
好不容易 hǎo bù róng yì HSK 6
with great difficulty
我好不容易才买到这张演唱会的票。wǒ hǎo bù róng yì cái mǎi dào zhè zhāng yǎn chàng huì de piàoIt was only with great difficulty that I managed to buy this concert ticket.
好容易 hǎo róng yì HSK 6
with great difficulty (same as 好不容易)
我好容易才把他说服。wǒ hǎo róng yì cái bǎ tā shuō fúIt was only with great difficulty that I managed to persuade him.

FAQ

How many Chinese ability & success words are in this list?

90 words, including HSK 1: 1, HSK 2: 7, HSK 3: 35, HSK 4: 20, HSK 5: 18, HSK 6: 9. Every word has playable native audio and example sentences.

Are these words useful for the HSK?

Yes — every word is tagged with its HSK level (HSK 1–6 or 7+), so you can prioritise words for your target level.

What is the best way to memorise them?

Learn them as a scene group with spaced repetition: listen and repeat, study the example sentence, review the next day. The companion app has built-in SRS and four quiz types.

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