仲介

• Reading: ちゅうかい
• Romaji: chukai
• Kanji breakdown: 仲 (chu/naka) — between, relationship; 介 (kai/suke) — mediate, intervene
• Pronunciation: /tɕɯː.kai/

Meaning

Mediation; intermediation; brokerage. Acting as a go-between to facilitate a deal, negotiation, or agreement between two parties.

A noun used with する to form 仲介する (to mediate, to broker). Appears in business, legal, and diplomatic contexts. 仲介者 or 仲介人 refers to the middleman or broker. Unlike 調停 (formal arbitration), 仲介 does not necessarily carry legal authority — it simply describes the role of facilitating contact or agreement between parties.

Examples

1. 不動産会社が売主と買主の仲介をして、取引がまとまった。 A real estate company mediated between the seller and buyer, and the transaction was concluded.
2. 両国間の交渉に第三国が仲介に入ることになった。 A third country stepped in to mediate negotiations between the two nations.
3. 仲介手数料が高すぎて、直接取引を選ぶ人も増えている。 With brokerage fees being too high, more people are choosing to deal directly.

Usage Guide

Context: business, real estate, diplomacy, legal

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 仲 (chu — between, relationship) and 介 (kai — to mediate, to insert between). Together they literally convey the idea of inserting oneself into the middle of a relationship to facilitate communication.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional