时候确实是不早了
“Well, it's getting late.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
那我便等着看 谢大人究竟意欲何为
“I'll wait and see what exactly you are up to.”
时候 确实是 不早了
“Well, it's getting late.”
那在下告辞
“I'll take my leave.”
“This conversation is over; I am leaving before things get uglier.”
Using time or the late hour to end an uncomfortable encounter allows both parties to part ways while preserving mutual face.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
it is getting late
The standard polite formula across Chinese registers to initiate departure or conclude a meeting.
indeed / certainly is
Used to validate a previous observation before pivoting the conversational flow.
Marks a change of state, highlighting that the hour has now progressed to the point where staying is impractical.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“But it's getting late today.”
“It's already this hour. Why don't we have dinner together?”
“It's not a matter of timing.”
“But it's a bit too late, isn't it?”