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La Palabra del Día : el acertijo

La Palabra del Día : el acertijo

13
votes

el acertijo - (noun) riddle, puzzle

Post your sentences in Spanish and English, then vote for the ones you like. The best answer will be chosen tomorrow on the basis of the greatest number of votes and language correctness.

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And don't forget to correct your posts as suggested. Do NOT use subject pronouns!

Me gusta resolver acertijos.

I like to solve riddles.

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9447 views
updated Dec 26, 2010
posted by Vaanz
Please correct my English and Spanish - Vaanz, Nov 26, 2010
Very interesting Vaanz , thank you. - ray76, Nov 26, 2010

18 Answers

8
votes

Se la ha descrito como un acertijo envuelto en un enigma.

She was described as a riddle wrapped up in an enigma.

Sphinx Pictures, Images and Photos

updated Dec 26, 2010
edited by ray76
posted by ray76
'Se la ha descrito como..' or 'Ha sido descrita como..' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Thanks Bill. I guess either way she was ! - ray76, Nov 26, 2010
8
votes

A mí me gusta tanto aprender español porque es como un acertijo grande que nunca termina. I like learning Spanish so much because it is like a big riddle that never ends.

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by pescador1
posted by pescador1
Unless there are several people saying what they like one after another, there is no need to say 'A mí'. Also, it's preferable to say 'tanto' right after gusta: 'me gusta tanto'. - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
When to use and when not to use 'A mí' has got me sooooo baffled!! I definitely would have used it there too... - 001a2987, Nov 26, 2010
People from different countries tell me different things. My teacher from Colombia told me it is completely normal to construct a sentence like this, and that it is actually less common to not use A mí. - pescador1, Nov 26, 2010
Well, I said it wasn't necessary, I didn't say it was uncommon. Here it wasn't needed, but you can say it. I like pointing that out because it could quickly become weird/grating if you repeat 'a mí' every time you say 'I like' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
A 'good' use of 'a mí' when you need to say more than one 'I like' could be like this: 'A mí me gusta mucho la comida italiana. También me gusta la china, pero menos'. - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Thanks for the help. I really wasn't sure of where to place tanto in the sentence, but I figured I was wrong. - pescador1, Nov 26, 2010
Yes, thank you Billstpor - this does help me understand, a little... - 001a2987, Nov 26, 2010
5
votes

El Acertijo: Soy un número de tres dígitos. Mi dígito de las decenas es de cinco más que mi dígito de las unidades. Mi dígito de las centenas es de ocho menos que mi dígito de las decenas. ¿Qué número soy?

Riddle

I am a three digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?

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Answer:194

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by Echoline
posted by Echoline
You need to provide more criteria. 3 unknowns and two equations will not have a unique answer. 083 and -172, etc. meet the criteria. You must exclude leading zero's and negative numbers. - 0074b507, Nov 26, 2010
'Soy un número..', 'es cinco más', 'es ocho menos', '¿Qué número soy? - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Quentin, riddles don't need unique answers. For ex: Knock knock......or, What's black and white and red all over? - Echoline, Nov 26, 2010
4
votes

Un escritor es alguien que puede hacer un acertijo de una respuesta.

( A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer. )

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updated Nov 26, 2010
posted by sv2qp
Wouldn't it be subjunctive after "que" since you're talking about a hypothetical person? - benweck, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

Acertijos en la oscuridad... ¿Qué tiene en sus bolsillitos?

Riddles in the dark... What has it got in its pocketses?

(Gollum, from The Hobbit)

updated Nov 27, 2010
edited by galsally
posted by galsally
'Acertijos en la oscuridad' (this was the actual translation, and besides 'a oscuras' has a lot less menacing nuance) - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Gracias, Bill, es uno de mis libros preferidos, pero no lo he leído en español. :D - galsally, Nov 27, 2010
3
votes

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Un acertijo es un enigma cuyo enunciado es una situación paradójica o un juego de palabras.

Por ejemplo:

Un pastor tiene que pasar un lobo, una cabra y una lechuga a la otra orilla de un río, dispone de una barca en la que solo caben el y una de las otras tres cosas. Si el lobo se queda solo con la cabra se la come, si la cabra se queda sola con la lechuga se la come, ¿cómo debe hacerlo?.

Solución

El pastor pasa primero la cabra, la deja en la otra orilla y regresa a por el lobo, al cruzar deja al lobo y vuelve con la cabra, deja la cabra y cruza con la lechuga, deja la lechuga con el lobo y regresa a por la cabra.

A riddle is a word puzzle which describes a paradoxical situation or a play on words.

For example:

A shepherd has to transport a wolf, a goat and a head of lettuce to the other side of a river. He has one boat into which can fit only one of these three things. If he leaves the wolf alone with the goat, the wolf will eat the goat. If he leaves the goat alone with the lettuce, the goat will eat the lettuce. How should he do it?

Solution:

The shepherd takes the goat first. He leaves it on the other side and returns to pick up the wolf. He crosses the river with the wolf, leaving the wolf but returning with the goat. He leaves the goat and crosses with the lettuce, leaving the lettuce with the wolf and returning for the goat.

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by JoyceM
posted by JoyceM
They are called plain 'acertijos' in Spanish, no need for the 'lógico' there. That's usually added when you say 'riddle' with other words, like 'problema de lógica' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Very clever…Great job! - Rolest, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

Este caso es un verdadero acertijo. Tengo que usar mis facultades mas profundos para resolverlo!.

This case is a real puzzle. I will have to use my most profound abilities to resolve it!

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updated Nov 26, 2010
posted by 002262dd
'facultades más profundas' isn't too idiomatic. Normally we say 'usar todas mis facultades' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

La esfinge de la Antigua Grecia guardaba las puertas de Tebas mediante un acertijo.

The Sphinx of ancient Greece guarded the gates of Thebes with a riddle.

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updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by revmaf
posted by revmaf
Should Esfinge be capitalized or not? Thanks - other corrections also very welcome! - revmaf, Nov 26, 2010
I don't see any reason to capitalize 'esfinge', but I could be wrong. Anyhow, it would be 'La esfinge de la Antigua Grecia guardaba las puertas de Tebas mediante un acertijo' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Thank you, Billstpor! - revmaf, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

Un acertijo de números:

¿Cuál es el significado del orden de estos números?

1 - 3- 7- 6 - 8 - 9 - 2 - 10 - 4 - 5


A riddle with numbers:

What is the significance of the order of these numbers?

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by 001a2987
posted by 001a2987
Label 10 pieces of paper with digits 1,2,3,,.,10, put in hat and draw 1 at a time and lay them in a line. If draws were unbiased (equally likely) you have a "random" number arrangement. - Don-Linton, Nov 26, 2010
'del orden', 'estos', and of course the typo: 'acertijo' - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Ha ha - close Don...the correct answer is that they are in reverse alphabetical order (En Español, por supuesto...) - 001a2987, Nov 26, 2010
Gracias Billstpor!! - 001a2987, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

I like the riddle song very much.

Me gusta mucho la canción acertijo.

The Riddle Song Pictures, Images and Photos

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by Brynleigh
posted by Brynleigh
Gracias, gfreed - Brynleigh, Nov 26, 2010
Maybe not? Is the Riddle Song a compound noun in English? Compound nouns are usually masculine. - 0074b507, Nov 26, 2010
No, it is not a compound word. - Brynleigh, Nov 26, 2010
'Me gusta mucho la canción acertijo' ('mucho' is an adverb there, so it doesn't match the gender of anything) - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
Gracias, Billstpor. - Brynleigh, Nov 26, 2010
3
votes

Un acertijo de los animales:

¿Qué animal tiene en su nombre las cinco vocales?

An animal riddle:

Which animal has in it's name all five vowels? (this only works in Spanish)

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El murciélago.

The bat.

updated Nov 26, 2010
posted by Kiwi-Girl
Ewww! I am really an animal lover but this is uuuuuuugly! - Brynleigh, Nov 26, 2010
One of my favourite words. :) - galsally, Nov 26, 2010
'acertijo de animales', 'its', without apostrophe - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
2
votes

La vida es un acertijo.

Life is a riddle.

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updated Nov 26, 2010
posted by amykay
2
votes

Young kids love riddles and knock-knock jokes.

Los niños quiere acertijos y chiste toc-toc.

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by Leatha
posted by Leatha
I didn't think "knock-knock jokes really translated into other languages. Are there Spanish versions of these? - Leatha, Nov 26, 2010
I looked up knock knock in the translator and it had "toc toc." And then I did a search for toc toc on the interenet and there were some results that had "chistes de toc toc." I think broma is more for physical pranks. - benweck, Nov 26, 2010
¡Toc toc! ¿Quién es? Juan. ¿Juan qué? Juan, two, three. jaja - benweck, Nov 26, 2010
Gracias, Ben. It's always good to know more knock-knock jokes. - Leatha, Nov 26, 2010
2
votes

La vida es como un acertijo. Siempre hay piezas que hay que poner en su lugar.


Life is like a riddle. There are always pieces that need to be put into place.

updated Nov 26, 2010
edited by Rolest
posted by Rolest
In that case it isn't right :x . Puzzle -the jigsaw type- is translated as 'puzle' or 'rompecabezas'. 'Acertijo' is a riddle, or a logic game (which can involve numbers, colors, forms, etc..). - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
You are right again Billstpor. I was confused since the picture for the word was a "picture of a puzzle", thereby implicitly implying the word equates to the object puzzle. - Rolest, Nov 26, 2010
I have changed my word “puzzle” to “riddle” to correct the misinterpretation. Thanks for your help. - Rolest, Nov 26, 2010
1
vote

Los problemas económicos son un rompecabezas (en lugar de acertijo) muy complejo, y la señora Palin no los va a solucionar con dichos graciosos y anécdotas.

The economic problems are a very complicated puzzle, and Mrs. Palin is not going to solve them with cute sayings and anecdotes.

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updated Nov 27, 2010
edited by benweck
posted by benweck
The words that fit best in there are 'puzle' or 'rompecabezas', not 'acertijo'. In any case, it would be: 'Los problemas económicos son un rompecabezas muy complejo, y la señora Palin no los va a solucionar con dichos graciosos y anécdotas. - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
'Mono' is a good translation of 'cute' when you talk about appearances (of people or things), but not about abstract things like words, behaviors, etc.. - bill1111, Nov 26, 2010
That picture is just plain weird. - JoyceM, Nov 26, 2010
Eh, it's just some lady wearing a really tacky Palin shirt. lol - benweck, Nov 26, 2010
¿Cómo se dice "tacky" en español, hortera? Es una camisa muy hortera.... - benweck, Nov 27, 2010
Exacto benweck, hortera, o 'de mal gusto'. - bill1111, Nov 27, 2010