adivina adivinanza

Question

What is an english equivalent for this because the literal translation doesn't make much sense. Or at least not to me! I see it in my spanish exercise book.

Answer 1

What is the literal translation that is confusing you? What does your book say?

Our dictionary lists both nouns (adivina could also be a verb conjugation or command from the verb adivinar)

adivinanza

adivina (I think that the verb label above adivinanza is an error)

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adivino, na.

1. m. y f. Persona que adivina (? predice el futuro).

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Answer 2

Yup, we can make it even longer,

Adivina adivininanza, que tiene el gato en la panza

How did they get from the literal meaning to the figurative one? - 0074b507, Mar 17, 2010

Answer 3

....and it rhymes in Spanish

The most important reason I suppose. - 0074b507, Mar 17, 2010

Answer 4

Adivina adivinanza. relaciona cada columna

Of course, it is really saying match col. A with the appropriate entry in Col. B.

Guess the riddle, figure out the puzzle, divine the correct answer, I agree that they could have worded it more precisely, but I think it fits the context. And advina is a verb here, then (informal command actually).

Divine can mean to know by intuition, inspiration, or other means than factual knowledge. Here, I think they are using it to mean make the best match-up as some may seem subjective or possibly fit one or more clues. You have to make your best guess and then readjust when you get down to an entry where there isn't one that fits unless you use one that you had already assigned and then find another that might fit the original.

Answer 5

The translation that I got was 'guess the riddle' which would make sense if there was a riddle in my exercise book, but there isn't, it is two columns, one with food, the other with 'una lata de', 'una botella de', 'un paquete de' etc... 'Adivina adivinanza. relaciona cada columna.