Japanese phrase
___は控えさせていただきます。 ___ wa hika e sa se te i ta da ki ma su
Meaning
I will refrain from ___.
When to use it
Politely declines an action or request. It is formal and indirect, often used in business or public statements when a direct refusal may sound too strong.
Example dialogue
この件についてコメントをいただけますか？ ko no ken ni tsu i te ko me n to o i ta da ke ma su ka
Could you comment on this matter?
コメントは控えさせていただきます。 ko me n to wa hika e sa se te i ta da ki ma su
I will refrain from commenting.