なぞなぞ

な

ぞ

な

ぞ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

A playful question or statement with a hidden meaning, often used in word games or children's entertainment.

子こ供どもたちはなぞなぞを出だし合あって遊あそんだ。

The children played by asking each other riddles.

そのなぞなぞの答こたえがどうしてもわからない。

I just can't figure out the answer to that riddle.

〈人ひと〉になぞなぞを出だすto give someone a riddle
先せん生せいは生せい徒とたちになぞなぞを出だした。
The teacher gave the students a riddle.
なぞなぞを解とくto solve a riddle
弟おとうとはなぞなぞをすぐに解といた。
My little brother solved the riddle right away.
なぞなぞに答こたえるto answer a riddle
みんなでなぞなぞに答こたえて盛もり上あがった。
Everyone had fun answering the riddle together.

謎なぞN2
謎 is the broad word for a mystery or puzzle in general, while なぞなぞ refers specifically to a riddle played as a word game.
クイズN1
クイズ is a quiz made of factual or multiple-choice questions, while なぞなぞ is a riddle that hinges on wordplay or lateral thinking.

なぞなぞUsage71%
The word is usually written in kana. The kanji forms 謎々 and 謎謎 exist but are less common.
ナゾナゾUsage18%
謎なぞ々なぞUsage11%
Kanji spelling with the repetition mark 々. Recognizable but less common than kana.
謎なぞ謎なぞ
Full kanji repetition spelling. Rarely used in modern writing.

Reduplication of 謎 (なぞ, 'riddle, mystery'), with the repetition emphasizing the playful, question-like nature of the word.