The word 中间人 is formed by sequentially combining the character 中, meaning "middle" or "center", with 间, meaning "between" or "interval", to create the compound 中间, which conveys the sense of "middle" or "between". Adding the character 人, meaning "person", specifies an individual who exists or acts in that middle position, resulting in the literal meaning "middle person" and the functional meaning of "intermediary" or "mediator".