Apart from exercising your brain and foster your critical thinking, riddles can help you learn new vocabulary and retain it longer in your mind. They also make you think in Spanish, which is key in the language acquisition process.

In my previous post, you learned very common sayings to impart wisdom everywhere. Now, I bring you some funny riddles only an avid Spanish speaker will understand.

Are you ready to put your reading skills to the test? Try to guess the answers before looking at them at the bottom of the page!

1- Desde el lunes hasta el viernes soy la última en llegar. El sábado soy la primera y el domingo a descansar.

Literal translation: From Monday through Friday I am the last one to arrive. On Saturday I’m the first one and on Sunday I rest.

Want a hint? The names of the first five days of the week end the same way in Spanish, except for the last two, where the same letter appears at the beginning or doesn’t appear at all.

 

2- ¿Qué tiene principio, pero no tiene fin?

Literal translation: What has a beginning but no end?

Want a hint? There is a sequence of things that can be counted indefinitely.

 

3- Si me nombras, desaparezco. ¿Quién soy?

Literal translation: You say my name, I disappear. Who am I?

Want a hint? Just think of the one thing that goes away every time you say something.

 

4- Dentro de una vaina estoy y ni espada ni sable soy.

Literal translation: Inside a sheath I lie, but I am neither a sword nor a sable.

Want a hint? In Spanish, vaina (sheath) could also be a tight container, be it man-made or natural.

 

5- Si yo te miro, tú me ves y todo lo que te digo, te lo digo al revés.

Literal translation: If I see you, you see me, and everything I tell you, I do it backwards.

Want a hint? A useful thing found in many restrooms.

 

6- En el campo me crié cubierta de verdes lazos y la que llora por mí es la que me hace pedazos.

Literal translation: I was raised on the field, covered of green bows, and whoever cries for me is the one that tears me apart.

Want a hint? Interestingly, tear apart ends up being a very fitting clue for solving this riddle.

 

7- Soy blanco como el papel y frágil como el cristal; todos me pueden abrir, pero ninguno me puede cerrar.

Literal translation: I am as white as paper and as fragile as glass; everyone may open me up, but no one can close me.

Want a hint? Think of a special container with a gold-like, delicate content.

 

8- ¿Cuál es la mitad de uno?

Want a hint: What is the half of one?

Want a hint? Take into account that the word uno in Spanish could be translated into one as well as oneself.

 

9- Blanca por dentro, verde por fuera. Si quieres que te lo diga, espera.

Literal translation: White on the inside, green on the outside. If you want me to tell you, just wait.

Want a hint? If you know how to correctly separate Spanish words in syllables, try to do that with this riddle.

 

10- Redondito y rojo es. Nunca toma café, pero siempre toma té.

Literal translation: It is round and red. It never drinks coffee, it always drinks tea.

Want a hint? The clue for answering this is the opposite of the previous riddle. Join syllables together to discover the answer!

 

How did you do? Find out whether your guesses were correct.

 

1- La letra s (the letter s)

2- Los números (the numbers)

3- El silencio (the silence)

4- El guisante (the pea)

5- El espejo (the mirror)

6- La cebolla (the onion)

7- El huevo (the egg)

8- El ombligo (the navel)

9- La pera (the pear)

10- El tomate (the tomato)

 

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