谜 meaning and stroke order
Riddle
How to write 谜, stroke by stroke
11 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 谜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- riddle
- see 謎兒|谜儿[mei4 r5], riddle
How 谜 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Bewitching 迷 words 讠; 迷 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 谜
谜 combines speech 讠 with 迷 (mí, to be confused or lost), so a riddle is words that leave you lost. 迷 also gives the sound, so 谜 is read mí just like it.
谜 rarely stands alone and usually appears in words like 谜语 (míyǔ, riddle), 谜底 (mídǐ, the answer), 猜谜 (cāimí, guess a riddle) and 谜团 (mítuán, a mystery). It covers both playful word riddles and real unsolved mysteries. Example: 这件事至今还是个谜。(Zhè jiàn shì zhìjīn háishi ge mí.) This matter is still a mystery today.
Common mistake: Learners often write 迷 (mí) when they mean 谜, since they sound identical. Remember that 迷 means confused or a fan (球迷 qiúmí), while 谜 with the speech radical 讠 means riddle or mystery.
Common words with 谜
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
谜 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 谜
How many strokes are in 谜?
谜 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 谜 mean?
谜 (mí) means riddle. A common word with it is 谜团 (mítuán), meaning "riddle; enigma".
How do you pronounce 谜?
谜 is pronounced mí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 谜?
The radical of 谜 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 谜 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 谜?
The traditional form of 谜 is 謎. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 谜 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 谜 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 谜 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 谜 ever pronounced mèi?
Yes, but only in the colloquial word 谜儿 (mèir), meaning riddle, heard in some northern speech. In standard use, read it mí.
What is the difference between 谜语 and 谜团?
谜语 (míyǔ) is a riddle someone poses as a game, with a set answer. 谜团 (mítuán) is a real-life mystery or puzzling situation, like an unsolved case.