说曹操，曹操到

Word by word

speak · Cao Cao · Cao Cao · arrives

Idiomatic sense

Said when a person walks in, or writes, or calls, at the moment they are being discussed. The name inside the phrase is Cao Cao, the historical figure. Using the phrase takes no position on him. He is the fixed content of the saying, the way a nail is fixed inside dar en el clavo.

The tone is surprise at the timing. It does not require that the person was unwelcome. English speak of the devil often does carry that shade. The Chinese saying is happier as a plain coincidence.

Examples

1. 正说你呢。说曹操，曹操到。

   We were just talking about you, and here you are.

2. 我想给他打电话，结果说曹操，曹操到，他自己来了。

   I was about to call him, and up he turned on his own.

Equivalents

Marks say how far the other phrase travels with this one. How to read them.

1. near

   English

   speak of the devil

   The same timing. English often implies the person is a nuisance, or plays on the devil for fun. The Chinese phrase does not. The first example's English leaves the devil out so it does not add an insult the Chinese did not make.

2. near

   German

   wenn man vom Teufel spricht

   When one speaks of the devil. Same timing, and the same devilish shade the English has and the Chinese lacks.

3. near

   French

   quand on parle du loup

   When one speaks of the wolf. Often completed with on en voit la queue. Same entrance. The wolf is not a moral judgment in ordinary use.

4. near

   Japanese

   噂をすれば影がさす

   Speak of someone and their shadow appears. Very close, and neutral about whether one wanted the visit.

Notes

Cao Cao's name is pronounced Cáo Cāo, both syllables rising. The phrase is a 俗语, a popular saying, not a classical 成语 of the 画蛇添足 type.

No story is told here about when the saying attached itself to that name. The living use does not need one.

Sources

• Standard colloquial saying. Wording is original. Cao Cao is identified because the name is inside the phrase, not as a historical essay.