谜语
mí yǔ · HSK 7
riddle
❓ 谜 = riddle/puzzle + 语 = speech/words = a puzzle made of words: a riddle
谜 means riddle or enigma; 语 means language or speech (as in 语言). Put together, 谜语 is literally riddle-speech: the spoken or written puzzle itself. The 言 speech radical on the left of both characters flags the language theme.
谜 — speech radical 讠 + 迷 mí (lost/confused)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The speech radical 讠 signals meaning related to words, while 迷 supplies the sound mí and the sense of being lost or puzzled. Together they form 谜, 'riddle' — words designed to bewilder the listener.