Decifriamo l'indovinello.

The base form is decifrare, which means to decipher, to decode, or sometimes to figure out depending on context.

Decifriamo is the first-person plural form, so it literally corresponds to we decipher in its basic grammatical form.

In Italian, the first-person plural present tense can also be used to make a suggestion or invitation, just like English let's ....

So decifriamo l'indovinello can mean:

• we decipher the riddle if it is a simple statement
• let's decipher the riddle if it is an invitation or proposal

Without more context, both are grammatically possible, but in a sentence like this on its own, the most natural interpretation is often let's decipher the riddle.

The ending -iamo here marks we.

For many Italian verbs, -iamo is the ending used with noi in the present tense. So:

• io decifro = I decipher
• tu decifri = you decipher
• noi decifriamo = we decipher / let's decipher

So even without the subject pronoun, the verb ending already tells you that the subject is we.

Italian usually leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

So instead of saying Noi decifriamo l'indovinello, Italian normally just says Decifriamo l'indovinello.

Including noi is possible, but it usually adds emphasis, such as:

• Noi decifriamo l'indovinello = We are the ones deciphering the riddle

L' is the definite article the.

It is the shortened form used before a word that begins with a vowel. So:

• il libro = the book
• l'indovinello = the riddle

The full article is shortened with an apostrophe to make pronunciation smoother.

Because in Italian, il becomes l' before a vowel.

So:

• il ragazzo = the boy
• l'amico = the friend
• l'indovinello = the riddle

Saying il indovinello would sound unnatural and incorrect in standard Italian.

Indovinello is a masculine singular noun.

You can tell it is singular because it refers to one riddle, and the article l' here is singular. Its plural is:

• l'indovinello = the riddle
• gli indovinelli = the riddles

It is masculine, which is why its singular article is il / l', and its plural article is gli.

Its most direct meaning is riddle: a question or puzzle with a clever answer.

Depending on context, it can sometimes feel like little puzzle or brain teaser, but riddle is the clearest and most standard meaning.

Also, the ending -ello is a common Italian suffix that can give a word a smaller or lighter feel, so indovinello has a slightly compact, playful quality compared with a broader word like enigma.

Yes, risolvere is often the most natural verb for solving a riddle or puzzle:

• Risolviamo l'indovinello = Let's solve the riddle

But decifrare also works, especially if you want the sense of figuring out, decoding, or unraveling something mysterious.

So the difference is roughly:

• risolvere = solve
• decifrare = decipher, decode, work out

With indovinello, decifrare gives a slightly more interpretive or puzzle-solving flavor.

It is not a command in the same way as telling someone Do this! It is more of an inclusive suggestion: let's decipher the riddle.

That is why this form is often called an exhortation or proposal. It includes the speaker and the listener together.

So it is closer to:

• Let's start
• Let's go
• Let's figure it out

than to a direct order aimed only at someone else.

A rough English-style pronunciation is:

deh-chee-FRYAH-mo leen-doh-vee-NEL-lo

A few helpful points:

• ci in decifriamo sounds like chee
• gli does not appear here; it is just l'
• ll in Italian is pronounced clearly, unlike in some English words
• the doubled ll in indovinello should be held a little longer than a single l

If you want to sound natural, keep the vowels clear and pure, without reducing them the way English often does.

Yes. Both are possible:

• Decifriamo l'indovinello.
• Decifriamo l'indovinello!

With a period, it sounds more neutral. With an exclamation mark, it sounds more enthusiastic or encouraging.

So the punctuation changes the tone, not the grammar.