How do you use "Speak of the devil" in a sentence?

We were just talking about you! Speak of the devil. Speak of the devil — here comes Sarah now. I was telling them about your cooking and speak of the devil, you walked in.

Speak of the devil

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common informal

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Meaning: Said when the person you were just talking about unexpectedly shows up.

说曹操曹操到——刚提到的人突然出现了。

Se dice cuando la persona de la que estabas hablando aparece de repente.

ちょうど話題にしていた人が不意に現れたときに言う表現。

마침 이야기하고 있던 사람이 불쑥 나타났을 때 하는 말.

A lighthearted exclamation used when someone appears right after being mentioned in conversation. Always used in a surprised, amused tone. The full form 'speak of the devil and he shall appear' is rarely used — Americans almost always shorten it.

当刚被谈论的人恰好出现时，一种轻松的感叹。语气总是惊喜和好笑的。完整形式'speak of the devil and he shall appear'很少使用——美国人几乎总是用缩略版。

Una exclamación desenfadada que se usa cuando alguien aparece justo después de haber sido mencionado en la conversación. Siempre se usa con un tono de sorpresa y diversión. La forma completa 'speak of the devil and he shall appear' rara vez se usa — los americanos casi siempre la acortan.

話題にしていた人がちょうどそのタイミングで現れたときに使う、軽い驚きの感嘆表現。常に驚きと面白がるようなトーンで使う。完全な形「speak of the devil and he shall appear」はほとんど使われず、アメリカ人はほぼ必ず短縮形を使う。

대화 중 언급된 사람이 바로 나타났을 때 쓰는 가벼운 감탄사. 항상 놀라움과 재미있다는 톤으로 사용된다. 전체 표현 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'는 거의 쓰이지 않고, 미국인들은 거의 항상 줄여서 말한다.

Examples

We were just talking about you! Speak of the devil.
我们刚才正说你呢！说曹操曹操到。
¡Justo estábamos hablando de ti! Hablando del rey de Roma (Speak of the devil).
ちょうどあなたの話をしてたんだよ！噂をすれば（Speak of the devil）。
마침 네 이야기를 하고 있었어! 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다더니.
Speak of the devil — here comes Sarah now.
说曹操曹操到——萨拉来了。
Hablando del rey de Roma (Speak of the devil) — ahí viene Sara.
噂をすれば（Speak of the devil）——ほら、サラが来たよ。
소문 내니까 온다——저기 사라가 오네.
I was telling them about your cooking and speak of the devil, you walked in.
我正跟他们说你做的菜呢，说曹操曹操到，你就进来了。
Les estaba contando lo bien que cocinas y, hablando del rey de Roma (speak of the devil), entraste por la puerta.
あなたの料理の話をしてたら、噂をすれば（speak of the devil）、本人が入ってきた。
네 요리 이야기를 하고 있었는데 소문 내니까, 본인이 들어왔어.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: casual, social, surprised

Tone: amused, surprised

✓ Do Say

Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.
Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.（说曹操曹操到！我们刚才正说你呢。）
¡Hablando del rey de Roma! Justo estábamos hablando de ti. (Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.)
Speak of the devil！ちょうどあなたの話をしてたんだよ。
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다! 마침 네 이야기 하고 있었어.
Well, speak of the devil.
Well, speak of the devil.（哎呀，说曹操曹操到。）
Vaya, hablando del rey de Roma. (Well, speak of the devil.)
おや、噂をすれば（Well, speak of the devil）。
이야, 소문 내니까 온다.

✗ Don't Say

Don't use it negatively — it's always lighthearted in American usage.
不要用于负面场合——在美国的用法中始终是轻松愉快的。
No lo uses de forma negativa — en el uso americano siempre es desenfadado.
否定的な意味で使わないこと——アメリカでは常に軽い冗談として使われる。
부정적으로 쓰지 않는다——미국에서는 항상 가벼운 뉘앙스로 쓰인다.

Origin & History

From the old English proverb 'speak of the devil and he shall appear,' dating back to the 17th century. The American usage is always lighthearted and never superstitious.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used nationwide