谜底

• Pinyin: mí dǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 谜 = 讠(speech radical) + 迷 (lost, puzzled) — riddle; 底 = 广 (cover/shelter) + 氏 (clan, phonetic) — bottom, base, the hidden foundation

Meaning

The answer to a riddle; the solution to a mystery; the truth behind something. Literally 'the bottom of the riddle' — the hidden answer that resolves a puzzle or enigma.

Used both for literal riddles (猜谜的谜底) and figuratively for the truth behind a confusing situation, the resolution of a mystery, or the explanation of a surprising turn of events. Common in journalistic writing (事件谜底终于揭晓) and narrative contexts.

Examples

1. 调查历时三年，谜底终于在一份尘封已久的内部档案中得以揭晓，令所有人震惊不已。 After a three-year investigation, the truth finally came to light in a long-sealed internal file, shocking everyone.
2. 他保持神秘笑容整整一个下午，直到晚饭后才向家人揭晓了那个令人惊喜的谜底。 He kept a mysterious smile all afternoon and didn’t reveal the delightful answer until after dinner.
3. 这道脑筋急转弯的谜底出人意料，孩子们在听到答案后先是愣了一下，随即哄堂大笑。 The answer to this brain teaser is completely unexpected; the kids froze for a moment when they heard it, then burst into laughter.

Usage Guide

Context: investigation, narrative, games, journalism, literature

Tone: revelatory

Do Say

• 随着最后一位证人的证词出现，困扰侦探多年的这桩悬案谜底终于水落石出，真凶的身份也随之大白于天下。(With the appearance of the final witness's testimony, the answer to this long-unsolved case that had puzzled the detective for years was finally revealed, and the true culprit's identity came to light.)
• 这家企业突然崛起的谜底，在于其创始人十年前就开始悄悄布局的一项关键技术专利。(The secret behind this company's sudden rise lay in a key technology patent that its founder had quietly been laying the groundwork for ten years earlier.)

Don't Say

• 将'谜底'用于仍未解开的谜 — 谜底特指已经揭晓的答案，尚未揭晓时应用'答案''真相'或'内情'等表达 (Do not use 谜底 for a mystery that is still unsolved — 谜底 specifically refers to an answer that has already been revealed; use 答案, 真相, or 内情 for undisclosed explanations)

Origin & History

谜 (riddle, mystery) + 底 = 广 (shelter/cover) + 氏 (clan, phonetic) — bottom, base, foundation. Together: the foundation or base of a riddle — its answer.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal