Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| enchères | /ɑ̃.ʃɛʁ/ | feminine, plural |
| vente aux enchères | /vɑ̃.t‿o.z‿ɑ̃.ʃɛʁ/ | feminine |
To refer to a public sales event, you can use vente aux enchères, which means 'sale by bidding'. In everyday conversation, the shortened version enchères is widely used. In specific legal or administrative contexts, the term adjudication may also be used to refer to an auction. If you want to say that something is being put up for auction, use the phrase mettre aux enchères.
What does it mean word for word?
The word enchères literally refers to the bids or the process of bidding itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the English phrase 'at auction', you use the preposition aux followed by the plural noun enchères, resulting in the phrase aux enchères.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃.ʃɛʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular form une enchère to mean 'an auction'. However, the concept of an auction event is almost always expressed using the plural les enchères or the phrase la vente aux enchères.
Did you know?
- If an auction is particularly fast-paced and intense, a French speaker might describe it as une vente à la criée. This refers to the historical method of shouting out prices to a crowd.
- In French, the person leading the auction is called le commissaire-priseur. While it sounds like 'commissioner', the name actually stems from the old role of an official who ensures the 'prise' or 'taking' of the price is fair.
- The word vente shares its lineage with the English word 'vend', as seen in 'vending machine', both originating from the Latin 'vendita'.
Examples in context
- La vente aux enchères se termine lundi.The auction ends Monday.This sentence shows how to indicate when the enchères ends.Tatoeba #6935817 by Aiji, translation #4498281 by CK
- Les objets non réclamés furent vendus aux enchères.The unclaimed items were sold off at auction.This sentence describes items being sold aux enchères.Tatoeba #755873 by U2FS, translation #752991 by darinmex
- Le tableau s'est vendu aux enchères à un prix record.The painting fetched a record price at auction.This sentence illustrates a painting being sold aux enchères for a record price.Tatoeba #9940270 by lbdx, translation #6765281 by Hybrid
- J'ai assisté à une vente aux enchères d'œuvres d'art hier soir.I attended an art auction last night.
- Le tableau a été adjugé à un collectionneur passionné.The painting was awarded to an enthusiastic collector.
- J'ai gagné une enchère en ligne sur un site spécialisé.I won an online auction on a specialized website.
- Les enchères publiques sont intéressantes pour dénicher des objets rares.Public auctions are great for finding rare items.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are discussing their weekend plans.
- NathanTu veux aller voir les enchères demain ?Do you want to go see the auctions tomorrow?
- LéaOui, j'adore participer à ces enchères.Yes, I love participating in these auctions.
- NathanLéa, tu penses qu'on peut trouver une perle rare ?Léa, do you think we can find a rare gem?
- LéaC'est possible, Nathan, essayons !It is possible, Nathan, let's try!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “auction” translations and entries enchères, vente aux enchères, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aux, vente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
