<p>The short answer is NO, because this is essentially a riddle based on puns, and puns, famously, don't work across languages.</p>
<p>The longer answer is if the languages are close enough, some speakers might be able to make some intelligent guesses. But regardless, they can only be guesses, and not logical means to arrive at the answer.</p>
<p>So, to answer your question: No, this is not a valid riddle in Mandarin.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-26T18:27:19.227Z
So, in order to make it valid in Mandarin, the pinyin must be the same in Mandarin too.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-30T06:46:44.540Z
would 'infamously' a better word choice than 'famously'?
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-30T18:14:39.227Z
There is nothing wrong with not being able to be translated across languages. It's just a property of puns that is well-known. So, I stand by my choice of "famously", not "infamously".
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-26T18:07:27.353Z
2020-06-26T18:07:27.353Z
monalisa
<p>If he elaborates, the whole point of asking the question would be gone.</p>
<p>I suppose only Cantonese speakers would see the point as it is a play on  魚 and 如 which in Cantonese sounds exactly the same, but pronounced in Mandarin as 魚, (Yú), and 如, ( Rú)</p>
<p>The poem's correct title is 美人如玉劍如虹. The riddle is substituting 魚, for 如 as they sound exactly the same in Cantonese.</p>
<p>Will it work in Mandarin? A Mandarin speaker with no knowledge of Cantonese would not get it. I hope I got that right?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:18:54.467Z
So, it doesn't work in Mandarin? Would  a Mandarin speaker consider Yú  and Rú are close enough to be qualified as sound-alike? like 炒雞--> 超級; 神馬 --> 什麽; 魂淡 -->混蛋
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:23:49.157Z
Also 玉 and 肉 sound the same in Cantonese, but not in Mandarin (玉 /Yù/ ; 肉 /Ròu/ )
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:25:49.393Z
@TangHo it doesn't work in Mandarin. 魚 and 如 do not rhyme in Mandarin; even though their Pinyin ends in the same vowel, if you look at the IPA: 魚 = /y/, 如 = /ʐu/, so their pronunciations are too far apart. Out of the ones you mentioned, `神馬 --> 什麽` do not rhyme either, and the tones of `炒雞--> 超級` are too different.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:27:21.800Z
玉 /Yù/  and肉 /Ròu/ sound even further apart, aren't they?
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:33:16.357Z
I suppose in these examples and given the proper context of the whole sentence, a Mandarin speaker could make an educated guess. But in your riddle where all you see is a mermaid, 美人魚, (thinking in Mandarin), and a red sword fish, it'll be quite a linguistic stretch for a pure Mandarin speaker to guess  美人魚, (Měi rén yú) is actually 美人如, (Měi rén rú), unless of course he knows the poem very well and with the help of 玉劍如虹 from the red sword fish clue.
Wayne Cheah
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2020-06-25T12:37:25.007Z
So, this riddle can only be solved by Cantonese speaker or a Mandarin speaker who have some knowledge of Cantonese and/or knows the poem itself very well
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:44:47.053Z
I guess I have to add " Cantonese jyutping"  in the clue to give Mandarin speakers a chance
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-27T15:00:30.297Z
Somehow I got it though I'm not sure exactly how. I think if you have 美人and 劍，the first and only thing that'd come up would be 美人如玉劍如虹．I can't come up with any other thing.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:14:04.183Z
2020-06-25T12:14:04.183Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>Base on the answers I've got so far, in order to make it a valid riddle in Mandarin, the pinyin must be the same in Mandarin for the puns to work</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/v0IYw.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/v0IYw.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>This one works in Cantonese only</p>
<p>Because:</p>
<blockquote class="spoiler">
<p>薯桃銅龜 and 殊途同歸 sound the same in Cantonese but not in Mandarin</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7tC3k.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7tC3k.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>This one works in both Cantonese and Mandarin</p>
<p>Because:</p>
<blockquote class="spoiler">
<p>薯露銅龜 and 殊路同歸 sound the same in both Cantonese and Mandarin. 路 = 途. 殊途同歸 is also a correct answer</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since 美人魚肉劍魚紅 and 美人如玉劍如虹 only sound the same in Cantonese, it is not a valid riddle in Mandarin</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-27T04:38:59.017Z
薯露銅龜, -- quite funny this one. I suppose not easy doing one that applies semantically to both Cantonese and Mandarin and inject some measure of creative humor.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-27T04:50:04.707Z
馬鈴薯露體，銅製的烏龜. I was  a graphic designer after all
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-26T18:55:24.013Z
2020-06-26T21:55:42.170Z
2020-06-26T21:55:42.170Z
Tang Ho
<p>I came up with this 看图猜謎 based on Cantonese jyutping. Is it a valid riddle in Mandarin?
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SCW7t.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SCW7t.jpg" alt="猜謎圖" /></a></p>
<p>猜一句詩 (guess a verse in a poem)</p>
<p>Answer:</p>
<blockquote class="spoiler">
<p>美人如玉劍如虹</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T11:34:28.483Z
Can you elaborate a bit as to why you think it might not work?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T12:12:10.223Z
Although 紅 and 虹 sound the same in Cantonese and Mandarin, 如 and 魚 sound the same in Cantonese only. Not in Mandarin;
Tang Ho
<mandarin><cantonese><poetry><puzzle>
Is this a valid riddle in Mandarin?
# Is this a valid riddle in Mandarin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-25)

I came up with this 看图猜謎 based on Cantonese jyutping. Is it a valid riddle in Mandarin?
[![猜謎圖](https://i.sstatic.net/SCW7t.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/SCW7t.jpg)

猜一句詩 (guess a verse in a poem)

Answer:

> 美人如玉劍如虹

**Tags:** mandarin, cantonese, poetry, puzzle

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you elaborate a bit as to why you think it might not work?  
> **username_0**: Although 紅 and 虹 sound the same in Cantonese and Mandarin, 如 and 魚 sound the same in Cantonese only. Not in Mandarin;  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-26. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The short answer is NO, because this is essentially a riddle based on puns, and puns, famously, don't work across languages.

The longer answer is if the languages are close enough, some speakers might be able to make some intelligent guesses. But regardless, they can only be guesses, and not logical means to arrive at the answer.

So, to answer your question: No, this is not a valid riddle in Mandarin.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, in order to make it valid in Mandarin, the pinyin must be the same in Mandarin too.  
> **username_0**: would 'infamously' a better word choice than 'famously'?  
> **username_2**: There is nothing wrong with not being able to be translated across languages. It's just a property of puns that is well-known. So, I stand by my choice of "famously", not "infamously".  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-25. Score: 1

If he elaborates, the whole point of asking the question would be gone.

I suppose only Cantonese speakers would see the point as it is a play on 魚 and 如 which in Cantonese sounds exactly the same, but pronounced in Mandarin as 魚, (Yú), and 如, ( Rú)

The poem's correct title is 美人如玉劍如虹. The riddle is substituting 魚, for 如 as they sound exactly the same in Cantonese.

Will it work in Mandarin? A Mandarin speaker with no knowledge of Cantonese would not get it. I hope I got that right?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, it doesn't work in Mandarin? Would  a Mandarin speaker consider Yú  and Rú are close enough to be qualified as sound-alike? like 炒雞--> 超級; 神馬 --> 什麽; 魂淡 -->混蛋  
> **username_0**: Also 玉 and 肉 sound the same in Cantonese, but not in Mandarin (玉 /Yù/ ; 肉 /Ròu/ )  
> **username_4**: @TangHo it doesn't work in Mandarin. 魚 and 如 do not rhyme in Mandarin; even though their Pinyin ends in the same vowel, if you look at the IPA: 魚 = /y/, 如 = /ʐu/, so their pronunciations are too far apart. Out of the ones you mentioned, `神馬 --> 什麽` do not rhyme either, and the tones of `炒雞--> 超級` are too different.  
> **username_0**: 玉 /Yù/  and肉 /Ròu/ sound even further apart, aren't they?  
> **username_3**: I suppose in these examples and given the proper context of the whole sentence, a Mandarin speaker could make an educated guess. But in your riddle where all you see is a mermaid, 美人魚, (thinking in Mandarin), and a red sword fish, it'll be quite a linguistic stretch for a pure Mandarin speaker to guess  美人魚, (Měi rén yú) is actually 美人如, (Měi rén rú), unless of course he knows the poem very well and with the help of 玉劍如虹 from the red sword fish clue.  
> **username_0**: So, this riddle can only be solved by Cantonese speaker or a Mandarin speaker who have some knowledge of Cantonese and/or knows the poem itself very well  
> **username_0**: I guess I have to add " Cantonese jyutping"  in the clue to give Mandarin speakers a chance  
> **username_5**: Somehow I got it though I'm not sure exactly how. I think if you have 美人and 劍，the first and only thing that'd come up would be 美人如玉劍如虹．I can't come up with any other thing.  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-06-26. Score: 0

Base on the answers I've got so far, in order to make it a valid riddle in Mandarin, the pinyin must be the same in Mandarin for the puns to work

Example:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/v0IYw.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/v0IYw.jpg)

This one works in Cantonese only

Because:

> 薯桃銅龜 and 殊途同歸 sound the same in Cantonese but not in Mandarin

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7tC3k.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/7tC3k.jpg)

This one works in both Cantonese and Mandarin

Because:

> 薯露銅龜 and 殊路同歸 sound the same in both Cantonese and Mandarin. 路 = 途. 殊途同歸 is also a correct answer

Since 美人魚肉劍魚紅 and 美人如玉劍如虹 only sound the same in Cantonese, it is not a valid riddle in Mandarin

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 薯露銅龜, -- quite funny this one. I suppose not easy doing one that applies semantically to both Cantonese and Mandarin and inject some measure of creative humor.  
> **username_0**: 馬鈴薯露體，銅製的烏龜. I was  a graphic designer after all  

---

