What it means
چانه زدن (châne zadan) means to haggle, to bargain, to negotiate a price by pushing back and forth. چانه (châne) is the native Persian word for chin, and زدن (zadan) is the light verb “to strike.” The image behind the phrase is of two people literally working their chins, talking back and forth insistently. Both elements are native Persian. A close synonym in more neutral register is مذاکره کردن (mozâkare kardan, “to negotiate”), but چانه زدن is warmer, more colloquial, and carries the sense of informal back-and-forth rather than formal negotiation.
How to use it
- تو بازار همیشه باید چانه بزنی. (Tu bâzâr hamishe bâyad châne bezani.) “In the bazaar you always have to haggle.”
- یه کم چانه زدم و ارزونتر خریدم. (Ye kam châne zadam va arzun-tar kharidam.) “I haggled a bit and bought it cheaper.”
- اون آدم سر هر چیزی چانه میزنه. (Oon âdam sar-e har chizi châne mizane.) “That person haggles over everything.”
- بیا چانه نزن، قیمتش ثابته. (Biâ châne nazan, qimatash sâbete.) “Come on, don’t haggle, the price is fixed.”
Cultural note
Haggling is deeply embedded in Iranian commercial culture, particularly in traditional bazaars (bâzâr). In many shops, especially those selling carpets, antiques, clothing, or produce, a fixed price displayed is understood as an opening offer. Declining to چانه زدن in such a setting can signal unfamiliarity with local custom. At the same time, modern chain stores and supermarkets carry fixed prices, so younger Iranians in urban areas increasingly distinguish between contexts where haggling is expected and where it is not.