Chinese phrase
很抱歉，我不能〜 hěn bào qiàn wǒ bù néng 〜
Meaning
I'm sorry but I can't ___
When to use it
This phrase politely says that someone cannot do something. It softens a refusal, often when declining a request or explaining a limit.
Example dialogue
你这个周末能帮我搬家吗？ nǐ zhè ge zhōu mò néng bāng wǒ bān jiā ma
Can you help me move this weekend?
很抱歉，我不能帮你搬家，这个周末要出差。 hěn bào qiàn wǒ bù néng bāng nǐ bān jiā zhè ge zhōu mò yào chū chāi
I'm sorry, I can't help you move. I have to go on a business trip this weekend.