Chinese phrase
能给我〜时间吗？ néng gěi wǒ 〜 shí jiān ma
Meaning
Could you give me ___ time?
When to use it
This is a polite request for more time. It often appears when a speaker needs time to think, prepare, or respond, and sounds gentle in everyday conversation.
Example dialogue
客户刚才问了很多细节，能给我一点时间吗？ kè hù gāng cái wèn le hěn duō xì jié néng gěi wǒ yì diǎn shí jiān ma
The client just asked a lot of detailed questions. Could you give me a little time?
当然，可以。你需要多久？ dāng rán ké yǐ nǐ xū yào duō jiǔ
Of course. How much time do you need?