Chinese phrase
我只能〜 wǒ zhǐ néng 〜
Meaning
I can only ___
When to use it
Shows that the speaker has only one possible choice. It often marks a limit set by a rule, situation, or authority and can sound firm but polite.
Example dialogue
我只能按照合同办。 wǒ zhǐ néng àn zhào hé tóng bàn
I can only process it according to the contract.
明白，那我们再确认一下合同细节。 míng bái nà wǒ men zài què rèn yí xià hé tóng xì jié
Understood. Then let's review the contract details again.