- Cho-Cho San: Do not weep, Mama-san.
- Cho-Cho's mother: But you are so young and never have you been away from home before.
- Cho-Cho San: But consider Mama-san, soon I shall be very great geisha and then you and the august grandfather and the little brother will have much money.
- Cho-Cho's grandfather: This is no place for the daughter of my son, the daughter of a noble samurai. I should never have consented to your coming here.
- Cho-Cho San: But we must live and I'm the only one who can work and help.
- Cho-Cho's grandfather: Your father died with honour when he could no longer live with honour.
- Cho-Cho San: Is it then so shameful to make people happy? To sing for them, to make music, and dance? And I may make a fine marriage. Then I can buy you many gifts
- Madame Goro: So this is Cho-Cho-San; what distinction, what eyes, what teeth. And you speak also the English?
- Cho-Cho San: Yes, I learned from visiting scholar. She teach me very high class Brooklyn accent.
- Cho-Cho San: [Cho-Cho San has found Adelaide's photo in Pinkerton's trunk. She brings it to him with the pipe cleaners] I found them like this
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: Thank you very much, Cho-Cho San
- [he puts the photo aside]
- Cho-Cho San: She very beautiful, that American lady
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: Oh, I guess she'd pass in a crowd
- Cho-Cho San: She some lady you know very well?
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: Sure, sure. We've known each other for years
- Cho-Cho San: She love you very much, perhaps?
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: No, of course not
- Cho-Cho San: [she picks up the photo and points to the inscription that reads 'To Bin with all my love always'] What this writing say?
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: Oh, that. That just says 'lots of luck'
- Cho-Cho San: Oh. But maybe you very much in love with her?
- Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton: How can I have room in my heart for anyone but Madame Butterfly?