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Speak of the devil meaning | English from movies

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第1句，共10句 0:00 Hana

I bet Marco in the . Oh, hi, Marco. ?

边听边读逐句跟读专心听

选择一句，就能再听一遍。点击任意单词查看意思。带下划线的是本视频的重点词。

Hana I bet Marco in the . Oh, hi, Marco. ?
Marco So I , and you a ?
Tutor and .
Noelle who it is.
Tutor , a bit .
A Feeling of Home of the .
Tutor and .
Punch-Drunk Love Hey. We you.
Hana of the . Is for me?
Marco Yes. the man in the .

每题先选一个答案，再点击“检查答案”。

第1题

Your friend walks in right after you mentioned her name. Which line fits best?

和老师聊聊
第2题

What is the tone of "Speak of the devil" between friends?

和老师聊聊
第3题

You were waiting for your brother at the station, and he finally arrives. What do you say?

和老师聊聊
第4题

Which line openly tells the person they were the topic of your conversation?

和老师聊聊
第5题

Which line is the safest with someone you don't know well at work?

和老师聊聊

先看简短解释

Speak of the devil: what to say when someone arrives

When someone walks in just as you're talking about them, say "Speak of the devil." It's playful and a little teasing. For a warmer greeting, say "Look who it is." To be open about it, say "We were just talking about you."

视频重点词汇

点击任意单词查看意思。带下划线的是本视频的重点词。

逐句讲解

Look who it is. 语气: Warm and friendly

Use it when a friend or someone you know appears, especially if you're happy to see them. It doesn't mean you were talking about the person, so it works for any friendly arrival.

“Look who it is.”

出自Noelle (2019)
Speak of the devil. 语气: Playful, a bit teasing

Say it as the person arrives, right after you've mentioned them. It's a joke between people who know each other. Avoid it with a new boss or in a formal meeting, because "devil" can sound rude to someone who doesn't know the idiom.

“Speak of the devil.”

出自A Feeling of Home (2019)
We were just talking about you. 语气: Honest and direct

Use it when you want to be open and tell the person they were the topic. It's best when you said something nice, because the next question will often be "What did you say?"

“Hey. We were just talking about you.”

出自Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
There you are. 语气: Relieved, friendly

Use it when you were waiting for or looking for someone and they finally appear. Don't use it for someone you weren't expecting.
Your ears must be burning. 语气: Light, teasing

Say it to someone who arrives after people were talking about them. It's a fun way to say "we mentioned you." It works best in relaxed, friendly groups.
Perfect timing. 语气: Cheerful, casual

Use it when someone arrives at exactly the right moment, for example just as you need them. You can use it whether or not you were talking about them.

常见错误

不太合适 ~~Speak about the devil.~~

更合适的说法 Speak of the devil.

An idiom has a fixed form. People say "speak of the devil," not "speak about." You can also say just the first part and leave out the rest.
不太合适 ~~Saying "Speak of the devil" to a new manager at work.~~

更合适的说法 Say "We were just saying your name" or "Perfect timing."

"Speak of the devil" is a friendly joke, but the word "devil" can sound rude to someone who doesn't know you well or doesn't know the idiom.
不太合适 ~~We just talked about you. (when the person walks in mid-conversation)~~

更合适的说法 We were just talking about you.

The past continuous "were talking" shows that the conversation was still going on when the person arrived. That's the natural form here.