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 he comes now. Speak of the devil! I was just about to call you.

Speak of the devil

Q: What does "Speak of the devil" mean?

Said when someone you were just talking about appears An exclamation used when the person you were discussing arrives unexpectedly. The full phrase is 'speak of the devil and he shall appear,' suggesting merely mentioning someone conjures them.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Said when someone you were just talking about appears

说曹操曹操到

Se dice cuando aparece alguien de quien se estaba hablando

噂をすれば影

호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다

An exclamation used when the person you were discussing arrives unexpectedly. The full phrase is 'speak of the devil and he shall appear,' suggesting merely mentioning someone conjures them.

当你正在谈论的人突然出现时使用的感叹。完整的说法是'speak of the devil and he shall appear（说到魔鬼，魔鬼就会出现）'，暗示仅仅提到某人就能把他召唤来。

Una exclamación que se usa cuando la persona de la que se hablaba aparece inesperadamente. La frase completa es 'speak of the devil and he shall appear' (habla del diablo y aparecerá), sugiriendo que con solo mencionar a alguien se le invoca.

話題にしていた人が突然現れたときに使う感嘆表現。完全なフレーズは「speak of the devil and he shall appear（悪魔の話をすれば悪魔が現れる）」で、ただ名前を口にするだけでその人を呼び寄せてしまうことを示唆する。

이야기하던 사람이 예상치 못하게 나타났을 때 쓰는 감탄사. 전체 표현은 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'로, 누군가를 언급하기만 해도 그 사람이 나타난다는 뜻이다.

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
ちょうどあなたの話をしていたところ！噂をすれば影だ
방금 네 얘기를 하고 있었어! 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다더니.
Speak of the devil—here he comes now.
说曹操曹操到——他来了
Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma
噂をすれば——ほら来た
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다더니—저기 온다.
Speak of the devil! I was just about to call you.
说曹操曹操到！我刚想给你打电话
¡Hablando del rey de Roma! Justo iba a llamarte
噂をすれば！ちょうど電話しようとしてたところ
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다더니! 막 전화하려던 참이었어.

Pronunciation

/spiːk əv ðə ˈdevəl/

Usage Guide

Context: coincidence, arrivals, conversation

Tone: humorous, surprised

✓ Do Say

Speak of the devil!
说曹操曹操到！
¡Hablando del rey de Roma!
噂をすれば影！
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다!
Speaking of the devil
说曹操曹操到
Hablando del rey de Roma
噂をすれば
호랑이도 제 말 하면

✗ Don't Say

Lighthearted, not actually devilish
语气轻松，并非真的在说魔鬼
Es una expresión desenfadada, no tiene connotación diabólica real
軽い冗談であり、実際に悪魔的という意味ではない
가벼운 표현이며 실제로 악마와는 관련 없음

Common Mistakes

None—universally understood

Origin & History

From a superstition that speaking the devil's name would summon him. The full proverb 'speak of the devil and he shall appear' dates from the 17th century. Now used humorously for coincidental arrivals.

Etymology: From superstition about summoning the devil

First recorded: 17th century

Cultural Context

Era: 17th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Very common expression

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

Speak of the devilSpeaking of the devilSpeak of the devil and he shall appear