پہیلی
pahelī/pə.ɦeː.liː/feminine
The English phrase 'riddle' is translated into Urdu as پہیلی (pahelī) or معما.
Meaning: verbal puzzle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| پہیلی | pahelī | /pə.ɦeː.liː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
| معما | mu'ammā | masculine |
A riddle is a verbal puzzle. In everyday Urdu conversation, the word پہیلی is the most common way to refer to a riddle or puzzle. You might use the phrase Ab ek paheli suniye to say 'Now, listen to a riddle'.
Which one should you use?
پہیلی is a feminine noun, whereas معما is a masculine noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using postpositions, the plural form of the feminine noun پہیلی is پہیلیوں. The plural form of the masculine noun معما is معمے.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pə.ɦeː.liː/. The syllables are pa-he-li.
Did you know?
- The term پہیلی is often used in Urdu poetry and song lyrics to describe an unsolvable romantic longing or a person's enigmatic nature.
- The word معما is borrowed from Arabic, where it shares a root with words meaning 'to hide' or 'to conceal'.
- In many South Asian cultures, riddles are not just games but a traditional form of folk wisdom used to sharpen the wit of children during social gatherings.
Examples in context
- کیا تم اس پہیلی کا جواب دے سکتے ہو؟Can you answer this riddle?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can answer a specific پہیلی.Tatoeba #1491153 by nabeel_tahir, translation #60750 by CK
- یہ ایک بہت مشکل پہیلی ہے۔yeh ek bohat mushkil paheli hai.This is a very difficult riddle.
- بچے پہیلی بوجھ رہے ہیں۔bachay paheli boojh rahay hain.The children are solving a riddle.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmed are playing a game together at home.
- سارہ Saraاحمد، کیا تم میری پہیلی بوجھ سکتے ہو؟Ahmed, kya tum meri paheli boojh saktay ho?Ahmed, can you solve my riddle?
- احمد Ahmedہاں سارہ، مجھے پہیلی بہت پسند ہے۔haan Sarah, mujhay paheli bohat pasand hai.Yes Sarah, I like riddles very much.
- سارہ Saraٹھیک ہے، تو یہ رہی تمہاری پہیلی۔theek hai, toh yeh rahi tumhari paheli.Okay, so here is your riddle.
- احمد Ahmedمیں اسے حل کرنے کی کوشش کروں گا۔mein isay hal karnay ki koshish karoon ga.I will try to solve it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “riddle” translations and entries پہیلی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
