曾经有一份真诚的爱情放在我面前 (céng jīng yǒu yī fèn zhēn chéng de ài qíng fàng zài wǒ miàn qián) — Once

Once, there was a sincere love placed right before me — the opening line of the most iconic romantic monologue in Chinese cinema, from A Chinese Odyssey. Used online whenever someone dramatically laments a missed opportunity, a chance they did not take, or a love they let slip away.

Example Usage

曾经有一份真诚的爱情放在我面前，我没有珍惜……结果错过了双十一满减。

Once a sincere love was placed before me and I did not cherish it... I missed the Double 11 shopping discount.

Cultural Context

At the final moment in A Chinese Odyssey Part Two, Stephen Chow delivers this monologue about a love he failed to cherish. It is considered the most emotionally devastating scene in Chinese comedy cinema. Online it is applied to anything valuable that was missed, from romantic opportunities to sale prices.

Category: love-friends