媒 (méi) — (bound form) matchmaker; go-between; intermediary; (bound form) medium; vehicle (for communication or transmission)
Definition
媒 (méi) is a bound form meaning 'matchmaker / go-between / medium' — it almost never stands alone, and combines with 体, 介, 人 to form common words. Use 介绍人 or 媒人 for a person who sets up a marriage.
bound form
matchmakergo-betweenintermediarymediumvehicle (for communication or transmission)
Easily confused
- 煤méilook-alikecoal
- 没méisound-alike(adverb) not; used to negate 有 ('to have') or to negate past/habitual actions
- 谋móulook-aliketo seek, to strive for
- 枚méisound-alike(classifier) for small, flat, or round objects (coins, rings, badges, medals, pearls, etc.)
- 梅méisound-alikeplum (the fruit or tree)
- 莓méisound-alikeberry; berries (used as a generic term for small, edible berries)
Examples
- 。méi Tǐ shì xiàn dài shè huì xìn xī chuán bō de zhòng yào qú dào.Media are important channels for information dissemination in modern society.
- ，。Péng you zhī jiān fā shēng le máo dùn, xū yào yí gè méi jiè lái bāng zhù gōu tōng.When conflict arises between friends, an intermediary is needed to help communication.
- 。Tā men qǐng le yí wèi méi ren lái jiè shào xīn niáng hé xīn láng rèn shi.They hired a matchmaker to introduce the bride and groom to each other.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
媒 combines 女, a woman, with 某, which gives it its sound.
Appears in
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