Chinese phrase
时间太紧，做不了 shí jiān tài jǐn zuò bù liǎo
Meaning
The timeline is too tight to get it done
When to use it
The timeline is too tight to finish the work. It gives a clear reason for requesting more time or a later deadline.
Example dialogue
这个项目能按时交付吗？ zhè ge xiàng mù néng àn shí jiāo fù ma
Can this project be delivered on time?
很抱歉，时间太紧，做不了。我们能把交付改到下周一吗？ hěn bào qiàn shí jiān tài jǐn zuò bù liǎo wǒ men néng bǎ jiāo fù gǎi dào xià zhōu yī ma
I am sorry, the timeline is too tight to get it done. Can we move delivery to next Monday?