Chinese phrase
对不起，他或她现在不在？ duì bù qǐ tā huò tā xiàn zài bú zài
Meaning
Sorry, is he or she absent now?
When to use it
This asks if a person is currently absent. The wording can appear in written examples, but everyday conversation usually uses a simpler question about whether the person is there.
Example dialogue
这样写可以吗：对不起，他或她现在不在？ zhè yàng xiě ké yǐ ma duì bù qǐ tā huò tā xiàn zài bú zài
Is it okay to write: Excuse me, is he or she absent now?
书面上可以，但口语听起来别扭，电话里说“请问他现在在吗？”更自然。 shū miàn shàng ké yǐ dàn kóu yǔ tīng qǐ lái biè niǔ diàn huà lǐ shuō qǐng wèn tā xiàn zài zài ma gèng zì rán
It is acceptable in writing, but sounds awkward in speech. On the phone, Excuse me, is he there now? sounds more natural.