Kurovedza Uropi · Traditional Shona Riddles

Shona Riddles (Zvirahwe)

Fireside guessing games passed down through generations. Test your wit with metaphors of African wildlife, nature, village utensils, and human wisdom. Can you guess the answer before flipping the card?

🧩 54 Traditional Riddles 🌿 Nature & Animals 🏡 Home & Food 🧠 Body & Wisdom 🔊 Spoken Audio on Tap

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Tsika yeKutanga Chirahwe · Traditional Protocol

Maitiro eChirahwe Padare

Kana watadza mhinduro: Guesser must forfeit a town or kraal to "buy" the answer (e.g. "Ndinokupa guta reMutare!").

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🦅

"Sekuru vangu vatema-tema, asi huro yavo yakachena."

My grandfather is pitch black, but his neck is snow white.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🥚

"Imba yangu haina musuo."

My house has no door at all.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🌊

"Baba vangu vanotamba vachifamba vasingamboneti."

My father dances and journeys without ever growing weary.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 👤

"Ndikaenda kure, anonditevera pasina ruzha."

Wherever I travel, it follows me without making a single sound.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🐢

"Ndiani anofamba akatakura imba yake pamusana?"

Who walks carrying their entire house upon their back?

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🍯

"Kandiro kanozipa kanobva mupako remuti."

A sweet little delicacy harvested from a deep tree hollow.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🦉

"Shiri yangu inorira usiku ichiviga chiso masikati."

My bird cries in the night and hides its face by daylight.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🍲

"Gomo rekwedu rinopfungaira mhute chena."

The mountain at our home puffs out white mist.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪨

"Amai ngwee kuchena, mwana ngwee kuchena."

Mother is brilliant white, child is brilliant white.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🎃

"Amai vangu vanozvara asi havafukidze vana."

My mother gives birth but leaves her babies bare on the dirt.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🔥

"Kambu kamupedzazvose."

The tiny little one that consumes everything in its path.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪘

"Mupfanha anoti akatukwa ochema nemuridzo."

The fellow who cries aloud with a ringing voice whenever he is struck.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 📦

"Vana vangu vanorwa vakarara mudura rimwe chete vane ngowani tsvuku."

My children sleep packed in a single granary wearing little red caps.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🥣

"Mbuya anoti akapinda mumvura ochena mukati."

Grandmother turns snowy white when immersed in water.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 👁️

"Chiri pano asi chinosvika kure."

It sits right here, yet it reaches far across the world.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 👅

"Kunakirwa kwaVaSadzi mumba umu."

The sweet feast enjoyed by Mr. Sadzi inside the chamber.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 😴

"Kakomana kakariga ishe padare guru."

The tiny fellow that toppled the great chief off his throne.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 💡

"Muchengeti wangu mukuru anogara mumusoro asingaonekwi."

My greatest guardian who lives invisibly inside my head.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🍿

"Vasikana vangu vanotamba mudariro vakapfeka nguwani chena."

My maidens dance in a circle wearing bright white hats.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka ⛰️

"Chikomo chekwedu chinoera, chunovakwa nevarwi vadiki vasina mapadza."

Our sacred hillock is built by tiny warriors without a single hoe.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🛖

"Ndakwira gomo ndikadzika gomo ndakasungwa mbabvu dzose."

I climbed up and down the hill with all my ribs bound together.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪒

"Mombe yaBaba vangu inofura sora dema ichisiya bani rachena."

My father's ox grazes dark grass and leaves the meadow bare and smooth.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🥁

"Mwana wangu anochema zvikuru kana wamubata, akanyarara kana wamusiya."

My child cries out loudly when touched, and stays silent when left alone.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪓

"Zino rangu rimwe chete rinopedza miti yesango rose."

My single tooth clears the trees of the entire forest.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 👂🏾

"Varindi vaviri vakamira kumativi egomo rimwe chete asi havaonani."

Two sentries stand on opposite sides of the same mountain yet never see each other.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🐝

"Amai vangu vanobika chikafu chinotapira zvikuru pasina moto kana huni."

My mother cooks the sweetest feast without any fire or firewood.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🕳️

"Chinhu chipi chinokura chichidzika pasi, kwete kukwira mudenga?"

What grows larger by going deeper down instead of rising upward?

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 📖

"Ndakarima munda muchena ndikadyara mbeu nhema, ndikakohwa nemaziso."

I ploughed a white field, planted black seeds, and harvested the crop with my eyes.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri ❤️

"Ngoma yaMambo inorira usiku nemasikati isingambomiri."

The King's drum beats night and day without ever pausing.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 🦷

"Bako dzvuku rizere mauto akapfeka nhumbi chena akamira mudungwe."

A red cavern filled with soldiers in white uniforms standing in rows.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🛤️

"Tambo yaSekuru vangu yakareba zvikuru asi haigoni kumonerwa kana kupetwa."

My grandfather's rope stretches for miles, yet it can never be coiled or folded.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🌟

"Munda waMambo uzere maruva machena anongotumbuka usiku chete, mangwanani onyangarika."

The King's field is full of white flowers that bloom only at night and vanish at dawn.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 📅

"Muti mukuru waSekuru une mapazi makumi matatu nemashizha gumi nemaviri."

Grandfather's great tree has twelve branches and thirty leaves on each branch.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪷

" Ndaenda kutsime ndikawana mukombe wakarara pamusoro pemvura."

I went to the spring and found a gourd floating flat upon the water.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪨

"Chembere nhatu dzakagara mudenderedzwa dzakabata hari inopisa."

Three old women sit in a circle holding up a steaming clay pot.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka ☁️

"Shiri chena yaMambo inobhururuka ichiyambuka makomo isina mapapiro kana makumbo."

The King's white bird flies across mountains without wings or legs.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🦗

"Mukomana mudiki unoridza mbira usiku hwose akavanda muhuswa."

A tiny musician plays his instrument all night long hidden in the grass.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🥚

"Imba yaAmai vangu yakapendwa chena kwese, haina hwindo kana gonhi asi mukati mune mwana mupenyu!"

My mother's white house has neither window nor door, yet inside lives a little child!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🏞️

"Mufambi mukuru anomhanya mazuva ose achidzika kuenda kugungwa asi haambofi akacheuka shure."

A tireless traveler runs every day toward the sea and never once turns back.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🐍

"Mudonzvo waSekuru uri mumvura; ukaubata unokuruma!"

Grandfather's walking stick lies in the grass; if you grab it, it bites!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🌾

"Matombo maviri anokwizana zuva rose achibudisa upfu huchena."

Two stones rub together all afternoon and bring forth snow-white flour.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 🖐🏾

"Hama shanu dzinogara pamwe chete asi hadzienzani kureba."

Five brothers live side by side on the same hill, yet none are the same height.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🐁

"Kana wasvika iro rinotiza richipinda mumwena, kana warara iro rinodya chibage mudura."

When you arrive it darts into a hole; when you sleep it feasts in the granary.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🌌

"Jira guru raMwari rinofukidza nyika yose pasina panosara."

God's vast blanket covers the entire earth without leaving a single corner bare.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 💨

"Ndakaona muti murefu musango usina bazi nerimwe chete rekubata."

I saw a tall shaft rising in the yard without a single branch to hold onto.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🌽

"Vasikana vana vanotamba mudenderedzwa mukati mehari inopisa."

Little dancers bubble and leap in a circle inside a hot clay pot.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🌈

"Zambuko raMambo rine mavara manomwe akanaka asi hapana munhu anogona kufamba pamusoro paro."

The King's arched bridge has seven radiant colours, yet no foot can ever walk across it.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🔥

"Kana ichidya huni inokura nekupenya, asi kana ikamwa mvura inofa pakarepo!"

When you feed it wood it grows bright and tall, but if you give it water it dies at once!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri ❤️

"Ngoma duku inorira mukati mechipfuva chako usiku nemasikati isingambomiri."

A tireless little drum beats inside your chest day and night without ever resting.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🧠 Muviri neUchenjeri 👅

"Mombe tsvuku inogara mudanga rakakomberedzwa nemapango machena."

A red calf lives inside a kraal fenced all around by white posts.

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🏡 Pamba neZvidyo 🪨

"Vanakomana vatatu vanobata hari imwe chete pachoto; kana mumwe akabva, hari inowa!"

Three brothers hold up a single cooking pot over the fire; if one leaves, the pot tumbles down!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🏞️

" nzira refu inoyambuka makomo nemapani asi haina kana guruva!"

A long winding road crosses hills and valleys, yet it never raises a speck of dust!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🪺

"Mhizha diki inoruka imba yayo yakatsiga pamusoro pemuti isina maoko kana tsono!"

A tiny master weaver builds a snug hanging house high in the tree without hands or a needle!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

🌿 Zvisikwa neMhuka 🐛

"Chitima chidiki chitsvuku chinofamba musango chine mavhiri mazana asi hachina injini!"

A little reddish-brown train glides along the forest floor on a hundred tiny wheels without an engine!

💡 Chindurisa (Need a hint?)

Shona Riddles (Zvirahwe)

Maitiro eChirahwe Padare

Gunguwo

Zai

Rwizi

Mumvuri

Kamba

Uchi

Zizi

Sadza richangoburitswa

Guyo nehuyo

Muboora / Nhanga

Moto

Ngoma

Machisi

Upfu hwechibage

Ziso

Rurimi

Hope

Pfungwa

Maputi

Churu

Mbariro dzeimba

Chisvo

Ngoma

Demo

Nzeve

Nyuchi

Gomba kana Tsime

Bhuku rakanyorwa

Mwoyo

Muromo neMeno

Nzira kana Mugwagwa

Nyeredzi mudenga

Gore, Mwedzi neMazuva

Shizha remuuyu kana jecha

Mapfihwa echoto

Gore remvura

Chikokolanhanga kana Gurwe

Zai rehuku

Rwizi runoyerera

Nyoka

Guyo neHuyo

Minwe yeruoko

Gonzo kana Mbeva

Denga

Utsi hwemoto

Tsanga dzechibage kana mangai anofashaira

Muraraungu

Moto

Mwoyo

Rurimi nemeno

Mapfihwa matatu epachoto

Rwizi runoyerera mvura

Shiri inovaka dendere (Chechekunye)

Zongororo

Hapana chirahwe chawanikwa

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