Business Chinese for Beginners Lesson 15 – Missing a Deadline in China

Missing a deadline is a common business situation in China. When that happens, it’s essential to apologize and explain the reason as soon as possible. Apologizing is a key part of repairing the damage and avoiding further problems.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to apologize for missing a deadline in a business setting. First, we’ll go over the vocabulary related to the topic. Then, we’ll listen to a conversation between two coworkers, Linda and Mark, where they discuss a missing deadline. Finally, we’ll break down the conversation and look at key phrases and expressions that you can use in your own business interactions.

Here are some key phrases that you can use to apologize and explain the reason for missing a deadline:

* 非常抱歉 (fēicháng bàoqiàn) or 十分抱歉 (shífēn bàoqiàn) – To express great regret or apology

* 不好意思 (bùhǎoyìsi) – A polite way to apologize for causing trouble or inconvenience

* (yī gè) (xīngqī) (zhī) (nèi) or (liǎng gè) (xīngqī) (zhī) (nèi) or (sān gè) (xīngqī) (zhī) (nèi) – To express that something is done within a certain timeframe, such as one week, two weeks, or three weeks

* 內 (nèi) or 之內 (zhī nèi) – To express that something is done within

* 我理解 (wǒ míxīlǐ) – to express that you understandthe reason or situation

This lesson will help you to improve your business Chinese by teaching you how to apologize and explain the reason for missing a deadline in a business setting. You’ll also learn key phrases and expressions that you can use in your own business interactions. So, let’s get started!