蔡局长 这事我做不了主
“Mr. Cai, I can't decide.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
这事就过去吧
“let's just let this go.”
蔡局长 这事我 做不了主
“Mr. Cai, I can't decide.”
你来做决定吧
“You make the decision.”
“This is above my pay grade and too risky for me to decide; you must take the responsibility.”
In Chinese bureaucratic and corporate culture, subordinates are careful not to overstep authority (越权), ensuring decisions that carry political or financial risk are formally approved by the designated leader.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
unable to make the final call; lack the authority to decide
A vital phrase in Chinese professional and family contexts used to politely decline responsibility due to hierarchy.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Mr. Cai, what do you mean by that? Watch your words.”
“I can't make the decision. I have to report it to the leader.”
“Thank you. But there's really no need to worry about this for me.”
“Was it you who did that to Mr. Tan?”
“If you don't need anything else, I'll attend to other matters.”
“Has Section Chief Zhan mentioned our station's situation to you beforehand?”