不了 我所里还有点事 一起去吃点东西
“I'll pass. I still have work at the station. Come on, just a quick meal.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Let's grab lunch together. Yeah. -Why not join us? -Sure.”
不了 我所里 还有 点事 一起去 吃点东西
“I'll pass. I still have work at the station. Come on, just a quick meal.”
不不 我真有事
“No, really, I'm busy.”
“I really need to pass on this meal because of my duties, but please go ahead and enjoy yourselves without me.”
Citing institutional or workplace responsibilities is considered the most face-saving and incontestable excuse to decline informal social invitations in China.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
still have a few things to attend to
The universal standard Chinese formula for politely excusing oneself from social gatherings or invitations.
grab a bite to eat
A casual way to refer to eating a meal together without committing to a formal banquet.
Softens the refusal '不了', signaling a gentle turning down of the proposal rather than a harsh rejection.
