French · At the Bar
Tchin-tchin !
chin CHIN · /tʃin tʃin/
Cheers! / Clink!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"(onomatopoeia of clinking glasses)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The casual French "cheers," said as you clink. Etiquette that locals take surprisingly seriously: make eye contact as you clink, and don't cross arms with another pair of clinkers — folklore promises bad luck (and, jokingly, bad sex). "Santé !" is the equally common, slightly more proper alternative.
Heard in the wild
Tchin-tchin, à ton nouveau boulot !
Cheers, to your new job!
Where it lands
France (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Tchin-tchin !" mean?
- In French, "Tchin-tchin !" means "Cheers! / Clink!". Literally it's "(onomatopoeia of clinking glasses)". The casual French "cheers," said as you clink. Etiquette that locals take surprisingly seriously: make eye contact as you clink, and don't cross arms with another pair of clinkers — folklore promises bad luck (and, jokingly, bad sex). "Santé !" is the equally common, slightly more proper alternative.
- Is "Tchin-tchin !" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Tchin-tchin !"?
- Say it "chin CHIN" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: tʃin tʃin.
Related in French
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "A rude toast".
- German Prost! Cheers!
- Greek γεια μας Cheers! — the standard toast.
- Italian Cin cin! Cheers!
- Japanese 一気 Chug! Chug! / down it in one!
- Korean 짠! Cheers! — the toast is the sound effect itself.
- Polish na zdrowie! Cheers! — the standard toast (and also 'bless you' after a sneeze).
- Portuguese Cachaça Cachaça — Brazilian sugarcane liquor; slang for booze/a drinking habit
- Russian На посошок! One for the road!
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