riddle / mystery
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riddle / puzzle
A task or question, often in figurative language, that has to be solved by thinking and putting clues together.
Das Kreuzworträtsel in der Zeitung war heute besonders schwierig.
The crossword puzzle in the newspaper was especially difficult today.
mystery
A person, thing, or circumstance that is hard to understand, mysterious, or inexplicable.
Es ist mir ein Rätsel, wie er die Prüfung ohne Lernen bestehen konnte.
It is a mystery to me how he could pass the exam without studying.
to pose a mystery
To present someone with a difficult, unclear, or confusing situation that requires an explanation.
Sein plötzliches Verschwinden hat der Polizei ein großes Rätsel aufgegeben.
His sudden disappearance posed a great mystery to the police.
'Das Rätsel' (riddle / mystery) is closely related to the verb 'raten' (to guess). A riddle is a task where you have to guess the correct answer.
Kannst du raten, was die Lösung für dieses Rätsel ist?
Can you guess what the solution to this riddle is?
You can do different things with a riddle or puzzle. Typical verbs are 'ein Rätsel lösen' (to solve a riddle), 'ein Rätsel knacken' (to crack a riddle), or 'jemandem ein Rätsel stellen' (to ask someone a riddle).
Er hat stundenlang versucht, das schwierige Rätsel zu lösen.
He spent hours trying to solve the difficult riddle.
In the figurative meaning, the fixed structure 'Es ist mir ein Rätsel, ...' (It is a mystery to me ...) is often used. It is followed by a subordinate clause beginning with 'wie' (how), 'warum' (why), 'wo' (where), or 'ob' (whether), which describes the inexplicable thing.
Es ist mir ein Rätsel, warum er den Job gekündigt hat.
It is a mystery to me why he quit the job.
The fixed expression 'ein Rätsel aufgeben' (to pose a mystery) is used with a dative object. The person faced with the mystery is in the dative: 'jemandem ein Rätsel aufgeben' (to pose a mystery to someone).
Ihr seltsames Verhalten gab ihren Freunden ein großes Rätsel auf.
Her strange behavior posed a great mystery to her friends.
secret
Here, Geheimnis refers to a hidden cause or decisive factor that someone may know. Rätsel, by contrast, emphasizes that something is difficult to understand or has not yet been explained. Geheimnis is suitable for hidden knowledge; Rätsel is more appropriate for an unexplained process.
Der niedrige Stromverbrauch der Maschine bleibt selbst den Entwicklern ein Rätsel.
Even the developers cannot explain the machine’s low power consumption.
Nur die Entwicklerin kennt das Geheimnis hinter dem niedrigen Stromverbrauch der Maschine.
Only the developer knows the secret behind the machine’s low power consumption.
