Chinese phrase
这次恐怕不行 zhè cì kǒng pà bù xíng
Meaning
I'm afraid it won't work this time
When to use it
Politely says that something cannot be done this time. It often gives a gentle refusal to a suggestion or request and leaves open another time.
Example dialogue
今晚一起打羽毛球吗？ jīn wǎn yì qǐ dǎ yǔ máo qiú ma
Would you like to play badminton together tonight?
这次恐怕不行，我得准备明天的考试。 zhè cì kǒng pà bù xíng wǒ děi zhǔn bèi míng tiān de kǎo shì
I'm afraid I can't this time. I have to prepare for tomorrow's exam.