- 发明家 fāmíngjiā inventora person who creates new things or methods
- 发明人 fāmíngrén inventora person who creates or originates a new device, method, or process
- 发明者 fāmíngzhě inventorperson who invents or creates something new
- 发明权 fāmíngquán patent rightsthe legal rights enjoyed by an inventor over their invention; patent rights
- 三大发明 sāndàfāmíng Three Great InventionsThe three major Chinese inventions traditionally recognized as having a major impact on world history: gunpowder, printing, and the compass
- 非职务发明 fēizhíwùfāmíng non-service inventionAn invention made by an employee during their own time without using their employer's materials or facilities; the patent rights for such inventions belong to the inventor rather than the employer.
- 发明创造 fāmíngchuàngzào to invent and innovate; inventions and innovations
- 四大发明 sìdàfāmíng four great inventionsThe four great inventions of ancient China, which include the compass [[指南针|指南針|zhi3 nan2 zhen1]], paper [[造纸术|造紙術|zao4 zhi3 shu4]], gunpowder [[火药|火藥|huo3 yao4]], and printing [[印刷术|印刷術|yin4 shua1 shu4]].
- 职务发明 zhíwùfāmíng service inventionAn invention or creation made by an employee as part of their regular duties or by using their employer's resources.
- 需要是发明之母 xūyàoshìfāmíngzhīmǔ necessity is the mother of inventionA proverb meaning that difficult situations inspire people to come up with new ideas or solutions.