matchmaker; marriage go-between
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
matchmaker; marriage broker
literaryA formal, literary term. In traditional Chinese society, marriage was often arranged through matchmakers, as expressed in the idiom 父母之命，媒妁之言 (a marriage arranged by parental order and the matchmaker's word).
Zài在
chuán传
tǒng统
shè社
huì会
zhōng中
，
hūn婚
jià嫁
duō多
lài赖
méi媒
shuò妁
zhī之
yán言
。
In traditional society, marriages often depended on the word of a matchmaker.
《
Mèng孟
zǐ子
》
yǒu有
yán言
：
“
bù不
dài待
fù父
mǔ母
zhī之
mìng命
，
méi媒
shuò妁
zhī之
yán言
。
”
Mencius said: 'Without waiting for parental order or the matchmaker's word.'
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Tā他
qǐng请
le了
yī一
wèi位
dé德
gāo高
wàng望
zhòng重
de的
zhǎng长
zhě者
zuò作
méi媒
shuò妁
。
He invited a highly respected elder to act as matchmaker.