仲人なこうど

also: ちゅうにん

な

こ

う

ど

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

matchmaker

Specifically a person who arranges marriages, traditionally a formal role in Japanese omiai. The reading is almost always なこうど.

彼かの女じょの両りょう親しんは仲人なこうどに紹しょう介かいを頼たのんだ。
Her parents asked a matchmaker to introduce someone.
結けっ婚こん式しきで仲人なこうどがスピーチをした。
The matchmaker gave a speech at the wedding.

noun

go-between; intermediary; middleman

A person who acts as an intermediary in negotiations, business, or disputes, not limited to marriage. The reading ちゅうにん is sometimes used for this broader sense, but なこうど is also possible.

商しょう談だんでは仲人なこうどが間あいだに入はいって話はなしをまとめた。
In the business negotiation, a go-between stepped in and brought the deal together.
彼かれは労ろう使し間かんの仲人なこうどとして信しん頼らいされている。
He is trusted as a mediator between labor and management.

See all 28 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉〉に仲人なこうどを頼たのむto ask someone to be one's matchmaker
上じょう司しに仲人なこうどを頼たのんだ。
I asked my boss to be my matchmaker.
仲人なこうどを務つとめるto serve as matchmaker
叔父おじが私わたしたちの仲人なこうどを務つとめてくれた。
My uncle served as our matchmaker.
仲人なこうどに立たつto act as an intermediary or go-between
彼かれが二人ふたりの仲人なこうどに立たった。
He acted as a go-between for the two of them.

Expressions

仲人なこうどを介かいしてthrough a matchmaker
仲人なこうどを通とおしてthrough a go-between

Kanji

仲go-between, relationship
人person
媒mediator, go-between

Related words

媒ばい酌しゃく sense 1
媒酌 is a formal, ceremonial term for the act of matchmaking, while 仲人 is the more common word for the person who performs it.
仲ちゅう介かいN1sense 2
仲介 refers to the act of mediating or the agency doing so, whereas 仲人 refers to the individual person who mediates, especially in marriage.
世せ話わ人にん
仲人 specifically means a matchmaker who arranges marriages, whereas 世話人 can act as a go-between in any kind of negotiation or introduction.
紹しょう介かい者しゃ
紹介者 is a general term for anyone who introduces people, whereas 仲人 specifically refers to a traditional matchmaker who arranges marriages.

Don't confuse with

仲なか買がい人にん sense 2
仲買人 is a commercial broker or trading middleman, while 仲人 specifically means a matchmaker or personal go-between, not a business intermediary.
仲なか居い
仲人 shares the kanji 仲 with 仲居 but means a matchmaker who arranges marriages, not a hospitality worker.

Word family

仲人なこうど口ぐち
matchmaker's story; saying nice things about a person

Written forms

仲人Usage99%
- なこうど
  Standard kanji spelling for the matchmaker/go-between sense, usually read なこうど.
- ちゅうにん
  Alternate reading for the go-between sense, less common than なこうど.
媒人なこうどUsage1%
Alternate kanji spelling, less common than 仲人.
媒なこうど
Single-character abbreviation, mainly seen in compounds or formal contexts.
ちゅうにん

Etymology

仲人 is composed of 仲 (relationship, go-between) and 人 (person). The reading なこうど is a native Japanese word, while ちゅうにん is the on'yomi reading. The exact historical derivation of なこうど is uncertain.