Chinese phrase
我临时有事 wǒ lín shí yǒu shì
Meaning
Something came up at the last minute
When to use it
Says that something unexpected has come up. It often gives a brief, polite reason for changing plans or being unavailable.
Example dialogue
对不起，经理，我我临时有事，可能赶不上今天的会议。 duì bù qǐ jīng lǐ wǒ wǒ lín shí yǒu shì kě néng gǎn bú shàng jīn tiān de huì yì
Sorry, something came up, so I may not make today's meeting.
你看能不能远程参加，或者把材料发给我们。 nǐ kàn néng bù néng yuǎn chéng cān jiā huò zhě bǎ cái liào fā gěi wǒ men
Please see if you can join remotely or send us the materials.