Chinese phrase
恐怕不行 kǒng pà bù xíng
Meaning
I'm afraid not
When to use it
A polite way to say that something cannot be done. It often softens a refusal or negative answer.
Example dialogue
这个周末你能帮我搬家吗？ zhè ge zhōu mò nǐ néng bāng wǒ bān jiā ma
Can you help me move this weekend?
对不起，恐怕不行。 duì bù qǐ kǒng pà bù xíng
Sorry, I'm afraid not.