媒 means “medium, go-between”

ばい · bai

Also: mediator

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

なこうど

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

バイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 12 strokes

The story

A woman (女) beside 某, a certain someone: 媒 once meant the matchmaker who knew just the person for you, the 媒酌人 of a traditional wedding. Now it is any go-between: 媒体 is the media, and 触媒 a catalyst.

Used in 媒体 (baitai, medium/media), 媒介 (baikai, mediation/carrying), and 触媒 (shokubai, catalyst)

More from Apart & Together

• 寡 few
• 附 attach
• 独 alone
• 離 separate
• 従 follow
• 伴 accompany
• 属 belong
• 併 combine
• 兼 double as
• 孤 solitary
• 唯 only
• 遇 meet

Learn 媒 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.