"Don't compare yourself with others, I didn't know I was poor before, 'till I found out I didn't have a new uniform every year, but all my classmates had."

"I always thought one minute flies by. But sometimes it really lingers on. Once, a person pointed at his watch and said to me, that because of that minute, he'd always remember me. It was so charming listening to that. But now I look at my watch and tell myself that I have to forget this man starting this very minute."

"I used to think there was a kind of bird that, once born, would keep flying until death. The fact is that the bird hasn't gone anywhere. It was dead from the beginning."

"I've heard that there's a kind of bird without legs that can only fly and fly, and sleep in the wind when it is tired. The bird only lands once in its life... that's when it dies."

"Our cabin attendants are superbly designed... But there's only one problem : when they've served on so many long journeys, fatigue begins to set it. For example, they might want to laugh, but the smile would be slow to come. They might want to cry, but the tear wouldn't well up till the next day..."

"Do you know what people did in the old days when they had secrets they didn't want to share? They'd climb a mountain, find a tree, carve a hole in it, whisper the secret into the hole and cover it up with mud. That way, nobody else would ever learn the secret..."

"Let's see each other again. Then, if you think we shouldn't be together, tell me so frankly... That day, six years ago, a rainbow appeared in my heart. It's still there, like a flame burning inside me. But what are your real feelings for me? Are they like a rainbow after the rain? Or did that rainbow fade away long ago?..."

"I want to know how you feel. I'm scared to hear your answer but, I need to know. Do you like me? Or not. Leave with me."

"I once fell in love with someone. After a while she was gone. I couldn't stop wondering if she loved me or not. I went to 2046 hoping to find her there. But I never found her."

"Why can't it be like before? Please don't go. Stay with me tonight. Let me borrow you."

"I slowly began to doubt myself."

"Love is all a matter of timing."

"Do you remember you asked me if there was anything I wouldn't lend? I've given it a lot of thought and now I know there is one thing I'll never lend to anyone."

"When the Peony blooms, she stands tall. Does she mean no or yes?"

"In love you can't bring on a substitute."

"As I recall, that's the very last time we saw each other."

"Take care. Maybe one day you'll escape your past. If you do, look for me."

"Everyone who goes to 2046 has the same intention, they want to recapture lost memories. Because in 2046 nothing ever changes. But, nobody knows if that is true or not because no-one has ever come back."

"He didn't turn back. It's as if he boarded a very long train headed for a drowsy future through the unfathomable night."

"I once fell in love with someone. I couldn't stop wondering if she loved me back. I found an android which looked just like her. I hoped she would give me the answer."

"Whenever someone asked why I left 2046, I always gave them some vague answer. It was easier."

"I have a secret to tell you. Will you leave with me?"

"When you don't take "no" for an answer, there is still a chance you'll get what you want."

"Choh Chung-Sing – Man"

"Leung Sun – The 2nd May, who works at the 'Midnight Express'"

"Wong Chi-Ming – Man"

"Kwan Lee-na – Richard"

"Chan Kam-Chuen – Manager of the takeaway restaurant 'Midnight Express'"

"Thom Baker – Double-crossing drug dealer"

"Valerie Chow – Flight attendant who breaks up with Cop 663"

"Takeshi Kaneshiro – He Qiwu, nicknamed Ah Wu, Cop 223"

"Faye Wong – Faye"

"Tony Leung Chiu-Wai – Cop 663"

"Brigitte Lin – Woman in blonde wig"

"If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years.."

"[in a letter to Cop 663] Change of flight. Your place cancelled. Here's your key. Bye."

"Actually, really knowing someone doesn't mean anything. People change. A person may like pineapple today and something else tomorrow."

"[after his date failed to meet him in "California" restaurant] Actually she did go to California that evening. But it was the other one."

"[to new soap's bar] You mustn't let yourself go. You've gained weight so fast. She may have gone but life goes on. You must stop indulging yourself. [to new towel] You're a real disappointment to me. You've changed so much. You can't just switch personality like this. Her walking out is no excuse. [as it drips] It was such a relief when I saw it crying. It may look different, but it's still true to itself. It's still an emotionally charged towel."

"[after he finds out his apartment was flooded] Did I leave the tap running, or is the apartment getting more tearful? I always thought it would cope okay. Didn't expect it to cry so much. When people cry, they can dry their eyes with tissues. But when an apartment cries, it takes a lot to mop it up."

"I thought we'd stay together for the long haul, flying like a jumbo jet on a full tank. But we changed course."

"Since she left, everything in the flat is sad. Everything needed lulling to sleep. [to soap bar] You've lost a lot of weight, you know. You used to be so chubby. Have more confidence in yourself. [to washcloth] You have to stop crying, you know. Where's your strength and absorbency? You're so shabby these days."