Japanese phrase
あいにく、___は外出しております。 a i ni ku ___ wa gai shutsu shi te o ri ma su
Meaning
Unfortunately ___ is out of the office.
When to use it
Politely says that someone is away. This formal expression is common in business calls and gently explains why someone cannot come to the phone.
Example dialogue
鈴木さんをお願いします。 suzu ki sa n o o nega i shi ma su
Could I speak with Suzuki, please?
お電話ありがとうございます。あいにく、鈴木さんは外出しております。 o den wa a ri ga tō go za i ma su a i ni ku suzu ki sa n wa gai shutsu shi te o ri ma su
Thank you for calling. Unfortunately, Suzuki is out of the office.