How do you say “Speak of the devil” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, which literally means “When one speaks of the devil”. English speakers use speak of the devil to mean this phrase is said when a person unexpectedly arrives right as others are talking about them. This is the exact idiomatic equivalent in German. It is instantly understood and universally used across all German-speaking regions. Register: informal, humorous. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
Wenn man vom Teufel spricht
vɛn man fɔm ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩ ʃpʁɪçt
- Literal meaning
- “When one speaks of the devil”
- Register
- informal, humorous
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Both English and German share the same folk belief dating back centuries: speaking of the devil summons him. While English truncates the proverb into an imperative-sounding phrase ("Speak of the devil"), German keeps the start of the conditional clause ("Wenn man vom Teufel spricht..."). Both are almost always left as incomplete sentences punctuated by the arrival of the person in question.
In everyday German, the phrase carries no negative theological weight and is purely lighthearted and conversational. It is typically exclaimed with a smile right as the person walks into the room or answers a phone call.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, kommt er gelaufen
Literally: “When one speaks of the devil, he comes running”
The full traditional proverb, occasionally cited in full for emphasis.
Wenn man von der Sonne spricht
Literally: “When one speaks of the sun”
An older, gentler variation used when speakers want to avoid calling someone a 'devil'.
Common translation traps
Sprich vom Teufel
This is a literal translation of the English imperative and sounds unnatural to a German speaker.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in German.
In context
English
Speak of the devil! We were just talking about your new job.
German
Wenn man vom Teufel spricht! Wir haben gerade über deinen neuen Job geredet.
English
Look who just walked in, speak of the devil!
German
Schau mal, wer da reinkommt – wenn man vom Teufel spricht!
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-11