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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "invent" in Chinese?
发明
fā míng
In Chinese, "invent" is 发明 (fā míng).
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Pronunciation
Say fā míng with "fā" held flat and high (first tone), then "míng" pushed upward like a question (second tone).
Writing and usage
发明 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他想发明一台新机器。
tā xiǎng fā míng yī tái xīn jī qì 。
He wants to invent a new machine.
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How to remember 发明
Link the syllable "fah meeng" to a quick mental flash of invent, and "fā míng" will stick as invent.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 发明
How do you pronounce 发明?
Say fā míng with "fā" held flat and high (first tone), then "míng" pushed upward like a question (second tone).
Is 发明 formal or casual?
发明 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 发明 used in Chinese?
发明 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 他想发明一台新机器。 (He wants to invent a new machine.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Invent" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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