Chinese phrase
这次我恐怕没法答应 zhè cì wǒ kǒng pà méi fǎ dā yìng
Meaning
I'm afraid I can't do that this time
When to use it
It politely says a request cannot be accepted this time. The wording shows regret and softens the refusal.
Example dialogue
你能帮我把这份报告打印出来吗？ nǐ néng bāng wǒ bǎ zhè fèn bào gào dǎ yìn chū lái ma
Could you help me print this report?
这次我恐怕没法答应，家里的打印机坏了。 zhè cì wǒ kǒng pà méi fǎ dā yìng jiā lǐ de dǎ yìn jī huài le
I'm afraid I can't do that this time; the printer at home is broken.