What it means
چانه زدن (chune zadan) is a compound verb meaning to haggle, bargain, or negotiate a price. It is pure Persian, formed from چانه (chune, chin or jaw) and زدن (zadan, to strike or work). The literal image is of moving the jaw back and forth, which captures the verbal to-and-fro of price negotiation. The noun form is چانهزنی (chune-zani), meaning the act of haggling. A synonym in more formal contexts is مذاکره کردن (mozakere kardan), though that word carries a heavier diplomatic weight.
How to use it
- بازار که میری باید چانه بزنی. (Bazar ke miri bayad chune bezani.) “When you go to the bazaar, you have to haggle.”
- خیلی چانه زد تا قیمت رو آورد پایین. (Kheyli chune zad ta qeymat ro avard payin.) “He haggled a lot to bring the price down.”
- این مغازهدار سر قیمت چانه نمیزنه. (In maghaze-dar sar-e qeymat chune nemizane.) “This shopkeeper doesn’t negotiate on price.”
- بیا یه کم چانه بزنیم، شاید تخفیف بده. (Bia ye kam chune bezanim, shayad takhfif bede.) “Come on, let’s haggle a bit, maybe he’ll give a discount.”
Cultural note
Chune zadan is a deeply embedded social practice in Iranian bazaar culture. In traditional markets, carpets, antiques, and handcraft shops, haggling is not just accepted but expected. Paying the first price asked can even signal to a seller that more could have been charged. However, in modern supermarkets, pharmacies, and fixed-price retail chains, chune zadan is out of place and may cause awkwardness. Knowing when to haggle and when not to is a mark of cultural fluency in Iran.