橋渡し
はしわたし · hashiwatashi · JLPT N1 · noun
building
🌉 橋 bridge + 渡し ferrying across: link two sides, like a mediator
橋渡し = 橋 (bridge) + 渡し from 渡す (to cross over). The sense extends from building a physical bridge to acting as a go-between for two parties.
渡 — water radical 氵 + 度 (measure/cross)
渡 combines the water radical 氵 with 度, which provides the sound and suggests measuring or passing across. Originally it meant to cross a body of water, like fording a river or ferrying across. Over time it broadened to mean 'to pass through' any transition, including time or stages of life.