Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma.»
Word for word
Speaking of the king of Rome, he appears through the door.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Speak of the devil.
Said, usually with a laugh, when the person you were just talking about suddenly shows up.
Also said as
- Hablando del rey de Roma, y él que se asoma.
Hear it in a sentence
Justo cuando contábamos su historia llegó Marta: hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma.
Just as we were telling her story, Marta walked in — speak of the devil.
More Spanish sayings
- Cuando menos te lo esperas, salta la liebre. — Opportunity comes when you least expect it.
- El que ríe último, ríe mejor. — He who laughs last laughs best.
- No es tan fiero el león como lo pintan. — The devil is not as black as he is painted.
- Vivir para ver. — You live and learn.
- Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer. — Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your level.