Definitions

méi (noun) matchmaker; go-between
méi (noun) medium; intermediary
méi (noun) media (esp. news media)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "媒" derives from its early use denoting a matchmaker, a role traditionally associated with women as indicated by the female radical (女), while the component 某 originally functioned as a phonetic element but also carried connotations of an indefinite or mediating entity. Its primary meaning centered on the person who arranged marriages, serving as a social intermediary, yet over centuries this specificity broadened to encompass the general concept of any intervening medium or agent. This semantic extension is evident in its application within terms for catalysts in chemical processes or in modern compounds referring to mass communication, reflecting a shift from a human role to an abstract function of connection and transmission.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

社交体很流行。

Shè jiāo méi tǐ hěn liú xíng.

Social media is very popular.

传统体正在变革。

Chuán tǒng méi tǐ zhèng zài biàn gé.

Traditional media is changing.

互联网是重要介。

Hù lián wǎng shì zhòng yào méi jiè.

The internet is an important medium.

人促成了这段婚姻。

Méi rén cù chéng le zhè duàn hūn yīn.

The matchmaker facilitated this marriage.

体对事件进行了报道。

Méi tǐ duì shì jiàn jìn xíng le bào dào.

The media reported on the event.

体教学越来越普遍。

Duō méi tǐ jiào xué yuè lái yuè pǔ biàn.

Multimedia teaching is becoming more and more common.

社交体影响了年轻人的价值观。

Shè jiāo méi tǐ yǐng xiǎng le nián qīng rén de jià zhí guān.

Social media has influenced the values of young people.

介融合是传业的发展趋势。

Méi jiè róng hé shì chuán méi yè de fā zhǎn qū shì.

Media convergence is the development trend of the media industry.