diable

devil

noun DYAH-bluh Less Common

Usage Note

Diable appears in many French idioms: tirer le diable par la queue ('to be broke', literally 'to pull the devil by the tail') and au diable ('in the middle of nowhere'). As an interjection, diable ! expresses surprise or emphasis. Un pauvre diable is a common expression of pity meaning 'a poor wretch'.

Examples

"Il parle du diable !"

Natural Translation

Speak of the devil!

Literal Translation

He speaks of the devil!

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