To ask how would you pronounce this word?

[Pearlsofmadness]

Went to a snobby posh department store in London yesterday and bought a candle called Verveine. Now, as the brand is French, when I asked the assistant to smell it, I pronounced it 'VER-VAYN'. I took French at Uni dropped after a year so was quite confident with the pronunciation.
The assistant looked me up and down, smirked and said 'Oh... You mean VER-VEE-ERN' (as if it had three syllables). He made me feel very silly and small and continued to smirk as though I was stupid. It's only a little thing, I know, but I never go into posh shops and it was such a treat to buy something nice but it feels like it was spoilt a bit now- as if I wasn't 'good enough' to be there.
I just can't see how it's pronounced the way he said it though. AIBU to ask how the hell do you pronounce this word?

I would have said 'ver veen' but I'm rubbish at this stuff

I'd have said Ver-vayne, coz "-eine" is like "Seine" innit?

I'm with your pronunciation but can't claim any particular authority. But this is Mumsnet: a native French speaker will be along soon.

I have soap from L'Occitane with this fragrance.

I say 'Ver-vayn' the same as you (and I think it would be the correct French way).

Google has lots of audio pronunciation thingies, but I found one that was written and it looks like you're right :)

How do you pronounce it? Ver (rhymes with Bear) - veine (rhymes with Ben)

I would have pronounced it the same as you!

If it's French, I would say ver-ven to rhyme with the river Seine. Not sure if that's correct. I'm not French, but I have a degree in it.

Veer ven ee

But I'm a commoner and have a tendency to say in an odd way things regardless of how they are spelt.

I would have said it how you said it and then when he smugly corrected me I would I have said, "yes, ver- vayne" and looked confused about why he was saying exactly as I was saying

Agree with Mrs Mozart, sounds like Ben.

Vampire Diaries says it's pronounced Ver vayn. They're extremely nice to look at so I say they're right.

I pronounce it Ver-vayne.
Mostly cos that's how you say it

Vair-venn

Vervan

forvo.com/word/verveine/

I don't know if this link will work (stupid phone) but here are some French speakers saying it!

I'd probably say it like you did.

I hate it when shop staff try to pretend they're better than you. I know this makes me sound snobby, but I just think: 'You're a fucking sales assistant. Just stop it.'

Starry I also thought of Vampire Diaries when I saw it so that definitely influenced the way I said it.

If Damon Salvatore pronounces it like that then surely he's right!?!

The way you said it, OP.

My claim to fame is that I live in a French speaking country.

I'd have pronounced it Can-Dull. As in:
"Eee are mate, 'ave a sniff of this candle"

I drank a lot of verveine tea when I lived in France so I said it a lot and heard it said a lot! The second syllable is quite soft. Sort of like ver-vehn.

Ver veen

Thanks toffee and euro!

I thought it wasn't ver-vee-ern. Wish I could go back and correct him, smug bastard.

"Sorry, my mistake. I thought I wanted to buy this expensive candle, but your rudeness has convinced me that I don't want to give you my custom. I'd like to speak to your manager please."

I'd say it Ver-ven. Seine is pronounced Sen and Reine as Ren so I'd assume the rule held.

Regardless of how you pronounce it, the assistant was rude and snobby to speak to you like that! And wrong besides!

I'd have said something like oh I assumed it was pronounced the French way as a French brand