媒妁 (méi shuò) is a classical Chinese compound noun referring to a marriage broker—traditionally a go-between who arranges marriages, especially in pre-modern China. The character 媒 (méi) means 'female matchmaker' and 妁 (shuò) specifically denotes a female intermediary who negotiates with the bride’s family; together, they form a fixed literary term emphasizing the formal, ritualized role of third-party facilitation in traditional marriage customs.

This term appears almost exclusively in historical texts, classical literature, or formal discussions of traditional social institutions. It carries strong connotations of Confucian social order, gendered division of labor (where women handled domestic negotiations), and the importance of proper ritual propriety (lǐ) in marital alliances. While modern matchmaking services exist, contemporary speakers use words like 红娘 (hóng niáng) or 婚介 (hūn jiè) instead; 媒妁 sounds archaic and scholarly, not conversational.