TraceHanzi

謎 meaning and stroke order

mí

Riddle, puzzle, conundrum

16 strokesRadical 言Simplified 谜
Strokes16
Pinyinmí
ToneTone 2
Frequency#4,745
Printable worksheet

How to write 謎, stroke by stroke

16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.

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Meaning of 謎

Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.

mèifourth tone (falling)
  1. see 謎兒|谜儿[mei4 r5], riddle
mísecond tone (rising)
  1. riddle

How 謎 is built

Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Bewitching 迷 words 言; 迷 also provides the pronunciation.

yánwords+míto bewilder

Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.

How to remember 謎

謎 is made of 言 (yán, words) and 迷 (mí, to be lost or confused). Words 言 that leave you lost 迷 are a riddle, and 迷 also gives the sound mí.

謎 (simplified 谜) usually appears in compounds like 谜语 (míyǔ, riddle), 谜底 (mídǐ, the answer to a riddle) and 谜团 (mítuán, a mystery). Example: 我们来猜谜吧。(Wǒmen lái cāimí ba.) Let's guess riddles.

Common mistake: Learners often write 迷 (mí, confused, a fan of) when they mean 謎/谜 (riddle), since both sound the same. Remember that 谜语 (riddle) needs the speech radical, while 球迷 (qiúmí, sports fan) does not.

Common words with 謎

Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.

WordPinyinMeaningLevel
謎團mítuánriddle; enigmaHSK 7-9
謎語míyǔriddle; conundrumHSK 7-9
猜謎cāimíto answer a riddle; to guess (i.e. form an opinion without much evidence)HSK 7-9
謎底mídǐanswer to a riddleHSK 7-9
謎題mítípuzzle; riddle
字謎zìmíletter puzzle

Questions about 謎

How many strokes are in 謎?

謎 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.

What does 謎 mean?

謎 (mí) means riddle, puzzle, conundrum. A common word with it is 谜团 (mítuán), meaning "riddle; enigma".

How do you pronounce 謎?

謎 is pronounced mí, in the second tone (rising).

What is the radical of 謎?

The radical of 謎 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 謎 under this radical.

What is the simplified form of 謎?

謎 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 谜, used in mainland China and Singapore.

Is 謎 ever pronounced mèi?

Yes, in the colloquial word 謎兒/谜儿 (mèir), meaning a riddle. In standard everyday use and almost all compounds, it is read mí.

What is the difference between 谜语 and 谜团?

谜语 (míyǔ) is a riddle made as a game or puzzle to solve. 谜团 (mítuán) is a real-life mystery or enigma, such as an unexplained event.