jat6 tau2 m4 hou2 gong2 jan4, je6 maan5 m4 hou2 gong2 gwai2日頭唔好講人，夜晚唔好講鬼日头唔好讲人，夜晚唔好讲鬼
Jyutpingjat6 tau2 m4 hou2 gong2 jan4, je6 maan5 m4 hou2 gong2 gwai2
Yaleyaht táu m̀h hóu góng yan4, yeh máahn m̀h hóu góng gwái
Definition
Speak of the devil; used when the person one is gossiping about suddenly appears.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Superstition often dictates that talking about people or spirits invites their presence, hence the warning to avoid gossip. People frequently shorten this to just the first half, 日頭唔好講人, when someone appears unexpectedly during the day. It serves as a lighthearted way to acknowledge the coincidence of someone showing up right as they are being discussed.
Examples
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase to refer to someone who is actually a ghost or a supernatural entity, as it is strictly a social idiom for human coincidence. Using the full phrase in a serious context can sound overly dramatic or superstitious rather than conversational.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
