French word

chiner

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃine/

Meaning

  • verbhunt for bargains

Example

On va chiner dimanche au marché aux puces.

We are going to hunt for bargains at the flea market on Sunday.

Illustration for chiner (hunt for bargains)

More examples

Elle aime chiner des livres anciens le week-end.

She likes hunting for old books on the weekend.

Core concept

Moving from stall to stall and examining used goods until an appealing bargain appears.

Common phrases

  • chiner au marché aux puces

    hunt for bargains at the flea market

  • chiner des bonnes affaires

    hunt for good deals

  • chiner des livres anciens

    hunt for old books

Similar words

chercher: To look for a desired item.
trouver: To locate a sought item or come across one unexpectedly.
dénicher: To uncover a worthwhile item that is hard to find.

Definition in French

Parcourir des stands ou des rayons d'occasion pour repérer des objets intéressants ou des bonnes affaires à bas prix.

Word origin

Chiner comes from chine, a French word connected with used goods, plus the common -er ending used to form verbs.

Usage tips

  • The final -er in chiner has the French vowel sound heard in parler, not the sound of the ending in the English word 'her'.

Other meanings

  • shop secondhandverb
  • hunt for antiquesverb

Related words

  • chineurbargain hunternoun
  • chineriejunk shopnoun
  • chinéheatheredadjective

Word lists with this word