Meaning:

    “好人” means “a good person,” and “卡” means “card.” This is similar to the “dear John letter.” First popular in Taiwan in the 1990s, this phrase originated from a scenario where a girl turned down an admirer by saying “You are a nice guy, but I’m sorry we are not suitable to be a couple. We’d better remain friends.” If a man says he’s been given a “nice guy card,” it means he’s been rejected. Some designers actually created “nice guy cards” that are sold online.

    Example:

    A: 你向暗恋的女生告白了没有？

    Nǐ xiàng ànliàn de nǚshēng gàobái le méiyǒu?

    Have you told that girl that you have a crush on her?

    B: 还没，我怕收到好人卡。

    Hái méi, wǒ pà shōudào hǎorénkǎ。

    Not yet, I fear she may give me the “nice guy card.”

    A: 可是你都不试一下怎么知道结果？

    Kěshì nǐ dōu bù shì yīxià zěnme zhīdào jiéguǒ?

    But how would you know if you don’t even give it a try?