Sentence #351252 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters
How 发明 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
发fāto send out
发 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
明míngbright
日sun · rì
月moon · yuè
Memory aidThe light of the sun 日 and the moon 月 together: bright.
How to write 发明
发 5 strokes · 明 8 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 发明 (fāmíng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
发明 (fāmíng) means “to invent” or “an invention”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it fāmíng: fā with a 1st tone, then míng with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 发明 is written 發明. The pronunciation is the same.
Use 个 (gè). For example, one to invent is 一个发明 (yí ge fāmíng).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type faming with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 发明 from the suggestions. Typing faming into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
发明 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Turn words into conversations
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.