Chinese phrase
那不行 nà bù xíng
Meaning
That won't work
When to use it
It says that a plan or request is not possible. It gives a direct refusal, often with a brief reason or a softer phrase such as an apology.
Example dialogue
今天下午可以去见客户吗？ jīn tiān xià wǔ ké yǐ qù jiàn kè hù ma
Can you go meet the client this afternoon?
抱歉，那不行，我下午有别的会议。 bào qiàn nà bù xíng wǒ xià wǔ yǒu bié de huì yì
Sorry, that won't work. I have another meeting this afternoon.