謎 (なぞ, nazo) Japanese meaning: riddle

謎 (なぞ, nazo) Japanese meaning: riddle | Kotomora

Kanji

謎riddle, puzzle, enigma

Related words· 8

不ふ思し議ぎN4sense 1
不思議 highlights a sense of wonder or strangeness, while 謎 focuses on something puzzling that has not been solved.
神しん秘ぴN1sense 1
神秘 suggests a deep, often spiritual or profound mystery, whereas 謎 is more about an intellectual puzzle or unexplained fact.
疑ぎ問もんN3sense 1
疑問 is a specific question or doubt one has, while 謎 is a broader unsolved puzzle or enigma.
ミステリー sense 1
ミステリー is a loanword often used for mystery fiction or dramatic mysteries, while 謎 is the native word used for any kind of puzzle or unsolved question.

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なぞなぞ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.
パズル
パズル refers to a game or puzzle designed to be solved, while 謎 is a mystery or riddle that may or may not be a deliberate game.
不ふ可か解かいN1
謎 is a noun meaning 'riddle' or 'mystery', whereas 不可解 is an adjectival noun that describes something as inexplicable.
怪かい
謎 refers to a puzzle or riddle that could in principle be solved, whereas 怪 emphasizes the uncanny, inexplicable quality of a thing.

Opposites

答こたえN5sense 1
答え is the solution or answer, the opposite of 謎, which is the unsolved question itself.

Don't confuse with

秘ひ密みつN3sense 1
秘密 is information deliberately hidden from others, while 謎 is something inherently unclear or unexplained, not necessarily hidden on purpose.

Word family· 8

なぞなぞN2
riddle; puzzle; enigma
謎なぞい
mystifying; puzzling; baffling
なぞかけ
riddle-telling; posing a riddle
謎なぞめく
be enigmatic; be puzzling; be wrapped in mystery

Written forms

謎なぞUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
なぞUsage5%
Kana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing, but kanji is preferred.
ナゾUsage3%

Etymology

The kanji 謎 combines 言 (speech) and 迷 (astray, perplex), suggesting a verbal puzzle that leads one astray. The reading なぞ is of native Japanese origin, with uncertain further derivation.

謎なぞ

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions