Chinese phrase
抱歉时间紧 bào qiàn shí jiān jǐn
Meaning
Sorry I'm short on time
When to use it
This phrase politely says that there is not enough time. It often gives a reason for postponing a plan or changing a meeting.
Example dialogue
我们计划周五见面讨论进度，可以吗？ wǒ men jì huà zhōu wǔ jiàn miàn tǎo lùn jìn dù ké yǐ ma
We plan to meet on Friday to discuss our progress. Would that be okay?
抱歉时间紧，周五我已经有会议了，能改到下周吗？ bào qiàn shí jiān jǐn zhōu wǔ wǒ yǐ jīng yǒu huì yì le néng gǎi dào xià zhōu ma
Sorry, I'm short on time. I already have a meeting on Friday. Could we change it to next week?