Chinese phrase
能不能先说一下情况？ néng bù néng xiān shuō yí xià qíng kuàng
Meaning
Could you explain the situation first?
When to use it
This politely asks for an explanation of the situation first. It fits meetings, inquiries, and other orderly discussions.
Example dialogue
请问，能不能先说一下情况？ qǐng wèn néng bù néng xiān shuō yí xià qíng kuàng
Excuse me, could you explain the situation first?
可以，我先说一下，客户对新功能反馈不佳，导致进度需要调整。 ké yǐ wǒ xiān shuō yí xià kè hù duì xīn gōng néng fǎn kuì bù jiā dǎo zhì jìn dù xū yào tiáo zhěng
Sure, I'll explain first. The client response to the new feature has been poor, so the schedule needs to be adjusted.