15 Examples of Riddles in Nahuatl (with their translation)

Riddles in Nahuatl

The nahuatl It is a Yuto-Nahua or Yuto-Aztec language –name of the language of the most important Mexica empire in pre-Hispanic North America–, spoken in Mexico by a million and a half people.

It is the native language with the most speakers in the country, distributed in five main states: Guerrero, Puebla, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí and Veracruz.

There are three dialect variants of Nahuatl: Central Nahuatl, Western Periphery, and Eastern Nahuatl. each one with an important number of different achievements, transmitted to the new generations in a way familiar to him.

Currently it is considered cultural heritage of the Mexican pre-Hispanic peoples and its preservation is intended to give a place tradition and the aboriginal philosophy that it contains, as well as a way to understand the Mexican nation as a state in which diverse cultures.

Nahuatl characteristics

Nahuatl is a syllabic language of the agglutinating type, that is, it builds its words from mono or two-syllable roots. It presents similarities with the other Uto-Aztec languages, such as the predominance of the form

subject–verb–object, although in classical Nahuatl the order of the words is absolutely free.

Unlike Indo-European languages, Nahuatl does not distinguish words between nouns, adjectives, and verbs, and instead of prepositions, has postpositions.

Examples of riddles in Nahuatl

1. Na´at le baola paalen: Ken xi iken si yaan jun tul joy kep K´eenken tu beelili.

Answer: Xuux.

Don't you guess, kid! If you are going to cut firewood, a very lazy pig will look for you on the way.

Answer: Honeycomb.

1. Za zan tleino Tepetozcatl quitoca momamatlaxcalotiuh

Answer: Papalotl.

Through the valley, colorful, she flutters clapping her hands like someone who throws tortillas

Answer: The butterfly.

1. See tosaasanil, see tosaasaanil See ichpokatsin iitlakeen melaak pistik

Answer: Tomatl.

You haven't guessed it: who is the girl with the tight huipil?

Answer: Tomato.

1. Wi’ij your jalk’esa’al, na’aj your jáala’al

Answer: Ch'óoy

They are taking her hungry. Full they bring it loading

Answer: The bucket

1. Chak u paach, sak u ts’u ’.

Answer: Radish wa lis.

Of red skin. Inside bleached.

Answer: The radish.

1. Wa na’atun na’ateche ’na’at le ba’ala’: Jump’éel ts’ool wukp’éel u jool

Answer: Pool.

Guess the riddle: Seven holes, a single pumpkin

Answer: Head.

1. Nochita kwak kiawi, Notlakeenpatla

Answer: Tepeetl.

An old man very alive, every time it rains, he changes clothes

Answer: The hill.

1. San tlapa: nas tepatetl

wa: lki: sah michpe: petla: mih

Answer: á: yutlí.

This is one of your riddles

Only by breaking a flint

The templates are coming out

Answer: The pumpkin.

1. Se: tosa: sa: ne: l, se: tosa: sa: ne: l

ma: s san ka: non niwa: le: wa,

wan xpapalo tli: n nikpia

Answer: ma: ngoh.

Come where I come,

Lower my pants

And lick what I have

Answer: The handle.

1. Sa: sa: ni: l!

-te: ntetl!

Ipan se: tlakomohle miakeh michpe: petla: meh

Answer: a: yohyo: hle

-Smouth!

On a plain

There are many templates

Answer: The pumpkin seed.

Riddles with the built-in answer

1. Zazan tleino, cuatzocoltzin mictlan ommati. Aca quittaz tozazaniltzin, tla ca nenca apilolli, ic atlacuihua

What is a cantarillo de palo that the region of the dead knows? It is the pitcher to draw the water.

1. Zazan tleino, chalchiuhteponaztli, nacatica cuitlalpitoc. Aca quittaz tozazaniltzin, tla ca nenca nacochtli.

What is a teponaztli of a precious stone and girded with raw flesh? It is the earmuff made of precious stone, which is tucked into the ear.

1. Zazan tleino, icuitlaxcol quihuilana, tepetozcatl quitoca. Aca quittaz tozazaniltzin, tla ca nenca huitzmalot.

What is it that goes through a valley, and has its guts dragging? This is the needle when you sew with it, which carries the drawn thread.

1. Zazan tleino, xoxouhqui xicaltzintli, momochitl ontemi. Aca qittaz tozazaniltzin, tla ca nenca ilhuicatl.

What is a blue gourd, planted with roasted corn, called momochtli? This is the sky, which is strewn with stars.