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媒人 (méi rén) — matchmaker (person who arranges marriages)

Definition

A person who arranges marriages between others — traditionally central in Chinese matchmaking, now mostly seen in rural areas. Closely related to the role of 介绍人, who introduces people for any purpose (jobs, business, etc.), not just marriage.

noun
matchmaker (person who arranges marriages)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，媒人。
    Zài gǔ dài, méi rén shì hūn yīn zhōng fēi cháng zhòng yào de rén wù.
    In ancient times, matchmakers were very important figures in marriage.
  • 媒人。
    Tā qǐng le yí wèi méi rén lái bāng ér zi zhǎo duì xiàng.
    He hired a matchmaker to help his son find a partner.
  • ，媒人。
    Xiàn zài suī rán zì yóu liàn ài duō le, dàn méi rén réng rán zài yì xiē dì fāng cún zài.
    Although free love is more common now, matchmakers still exist in some places.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

媒méimatchmaker
人rénperson

媒 points to matchmaking and 人 to a person, together meaning a person who arranges marriages.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
某
某mǒu媒méi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

媒 combines 女, a woman, with 某, which gives it its sound.

Open 媒 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Professions & JobsRomance & Marriage

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