Traditional Chinese - Cancelling Plans

Lesson 131 of 152

A friendly phone chat about cancelling plans, shown with Traditional Chinese messages and Taiwan Mandarin phrases on screen. The scene feels like a realistic Taipei scheduling mix-up.

Goal: Change plans kindly without disappearing into the group chat fog.

Free traditional Chinese lessons with Taiwan Mandarin audio and speaking practice.

Plans change — buses run late, meetings pop up, and sometimes your calendar just betrays you.

Level A2: In this lesson, you’ll practice warm, practical Taiwan Mandarin for cancelling, delaying, and rescheduling plans. You’ll learn how to say you can’t make it, ask what day works better, warn someone you may be late, and promise to update them soon. Very useful for real life — and for keeping your friendships yak-proof.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask what day works best with 哪一天對你比較方便？ (Nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?)
  • Suggest a better option using ___會不會比較好？ (___ huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?)
  • Explain schedule problems with phrases like 今天我臨時沒辦法了。 (Jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le.) and 我把時間搞錯了。 (Wǒ bǎ shíjiān gǎo cuò le.)
  • At A2, speak more politely when plans change, including 不用等我沒關係。 (Bú yòng děng wǒ méi guānxi.)
Two friends checking their calendars in a café while practicing Traditional Chinese for cancelling plans in Taiwan Mandarin. One looks apologetic but relaxed, ready to reschedule politely.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

哪一天對你比較方便？

Nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?

What day works best for you?

Meaning: 哪一天對你比較方便？ — What day works best for you?

When to use: Use this polite question when you want the other person to choose a better day.

Tip: Don’t translate word-for-word as “which day is convenient to you” in English; the natural meaning is “what day works best for you?”

如果今天不行，哪一天對你比較方便？

Rúguǒ jīntiān bù xíng, nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?

If today doesn’t work, what day works best for you?
我們改時間好了，哪一天對你比較方便？

Wǒmen gǎi shíjiān hǎo le, nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?

Let’s change the time. What day works best for you?

___會不會比較好？

___ huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?

Would ___ be better?

Meaning: ___會不會比較好？ — Would ___ be better?

When to use: Use this frame to gently suggest another time, day, or option.

Tip: Remember to put your suggested option before 會不會比較好 (huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo).

明天會不會比較好？

Míngtiān huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?

Would tomorrow be better?
晚上七點會不會比較好？

Wǎnshàng qī diǎn huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?

Would 7 p.m. be better?

那時候我有別的約。

Nà shíhòu wǒ yǒu bié de yuē.

I have another appointment then.

Meaning: 那時候我有別的約。 — I have another appointment then.

When to use: Use this when you are unavailable at the suggested time and want to give a simple reason.

抱歉，那時候我有別的約。

Bàoqiàn, nà shíhòu wǒ yǒu bié de yuē.

Sorry, I have another appointment then.
三點不太行，那時候我有別的約。

Sān diǎn bù tài xíng, nà shíhòu wǒ yǒu bié de yuē.

Three doesn’t really work. I have another appointment then.

我可能會晚一點到。

Wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn dào.

I may be a little late.

Meaning: 我可能會晚一點到。 — I may be a little late.

When to use: Use this to warn someone you might arrive late.

路上有點塞，我可能會晚一點到。

Lùshàng yǒudiǎn sāi, wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn dào.

Traffic is a bit bad. I may be a little late.
不好意思，我可能會晚一點到。

Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn dào.

Sorry, I may be a little late.

不用等我沒關係。

Bú yòng děng wǒ méi guānxi.

Please don't wait for me.

Meaning: 不用等我沒關係。 — Please don’t wait for me.

When to use: Use this politely when you don’t want others to wait because your arrival is uncertain.

Tip: This sounds softer than a direct command. 沒關係 (méi guānxi) helps it feel reassuring.

我可能會晚一點到，不用等我沒關係。

Wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn dào, bú yòng děng wǒ méi guānxi.

I may be a little late, so please don’t wait for me.
你們先進去，不用等我沒關係。

Nǐmen xiān jìnqù, bú yòng děng wǒ méi guānxi.

You all go in first. Please don’t wait for me.

我會盡快跟你說。

Wǒ huì jǐnkuài gēn nǐ shuō.

I'll let you know soon.

Meaning: 我會盡快跟你說。 — I’ll let you know soon.

When to use: Use this when you need to check something and promise to update the other person.

我先看一下行程，我會盡快跟你說。

Wǒ xiān kàn yíxià xíngchéng, wǒ huì jǐnkuài gēn nǐ shuō.

I’ll check my schedule first. I’ll let you know soon.
我還不確定，我會盡快跟你說。

Wǒ hái bù quèdìng, wǒ huì jǐnkuài gēn nǐ shuō.

I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know soon.

今天我臨時沒辦法了。

Jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le.

Today doesn't work for me anymore.

Meaning: 今天我臨時沒辦法了。 — Today doesn’t work for me anymore.

When to use: Use this when a same-day plan suddenly no longer works.

真的不好意思，今天我臨時沒辦法了。

Zhēn de bù hǎoyìsi, jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le.

I’m really sorry, today doesn’t work for me anymore.
今天我臨時沒辦法了，我們可以改天嗎？

Jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le, wǒmen kěyǐ gǎi tiān ma?

Today doesn’t work for me anymore. Can we do another day?

我們可以延後一點嗎？

Wǒmen kěyǐ yánhòu yìdiǎn ma?

Can we push it back a little?

Meaning: 我們可以延後一點嗎？ — Can we push it back a little?

When to use: Use this to ask whether a plan can start a little later.

我還在路上，我們可以延後一點嗎？

Wǒ hái zài lùshàng, wǒmen kěyǐ yánhòu yìdiǎn ma?

I’m still on the way. Can we push it back a little?
六點有點趕，我們可以延後一點嗎？

Liù diǎn yǒudiǎn gǎn, wǒmen kěyǐ yánhòu yìdiǎn ma?

Six is a little rushed. Can we push it back a little?

我把時間搞錯了。

Wǒ bǎ shíjiān gǎo cuò le.

I got the time wrong.

Meaning: 我把時間搞錯了。 — I got the time wrong.

When to use: Use this to explain that you made a scheduling mistake.

糟糕，我把時間搞錯了。

Zāogāo, wǒ bǎ shíjiān gǎo cuò le.

Oh no, I got the time wrong.
不好意思，我把時間搞錯了，我以為是七點。

Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ bǎ shíjiān gǎo cuò le, wǒ yǐwéi shì qī diǎn.

Sorry, I got the time wrong. I thought it was seven.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David are texting about meeting for dinner, but the plan needs to change.

Anna and David exchange messages about changing plans, using Traditional Chinese and Taiwan Mandarin expressions for being late, pushing back time, and choosing another day.

What are Anna and David trying to do with their dinner plan?

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

David，不好意思，今天我臨時沒辦法了。

David, bù hǎoyìsi, jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le.

David, sorry, today doesn’t work for me anymore.

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

沒關係。哪一天對你比較方便？

Méi guānxi. Nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?

No problem. What day works best for you?

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

星期五會不會比較好？

Xīngqíwǔ huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?

Would Friday be better?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

星期五可以，可是六點那時候我有別的約。

Xīngqíwǔ kěyǐ, kěshì liù diǎn nà shíhòu wǒ yǒu bié de yuē.

Friday works, but at six I have another appointment.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

那我們可以延後一點嗎？

Nà wǒmen kěyǐ yánhòu yìdiǎn ma?

Then can we push it back a little?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

可以，我會盡快跟你說。

Kěyǐ, wǒ huì jǐnkuài gēn nǐ shuō.

Sure, I’ll let you know soon.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase asks, “What day works best for you?”

You want to say, “I may be a little late.” Which phrase fits?

Which phrase means “Can we push it back a little?”

Which phrase explains a scheduling mistake?

Sorry, today doesn’t work for me anymore.

不好意思，原本今天要見面，可是剛剛老闆說要加班，今天我 ___。

Would seven o’clock be better?

你六點有事，那七點 ___？

I’m still on the way. Can we push it back a little?

我還在路上，可能會晚到；我們 ___？

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

哪一天對你比較方便？

Nǎ yì tiān duì nǐ bǐjiào fāngbiàn?

What day works best for you?

Say this phrase out loud:

___會不會比較好？

___ huì bú huì bǐjiào hǎo?

Would ___ be better?

Say this phrase out loud:

那時候我有別的約。

Nà shíhòu wǒ yǒu bié de yuē.

I have another appointment then.

Say this phrase out loud:

我可能會晚一點到。

Wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn dào.

I may be a little late.

Say this phrase out loud:

不用等我沒關係。

Bú yòng děng wǒ méi guānxi.

Please don't wait for me.

Say this phrase out loud:

我會盡快跟你說。

Wǒ huì jǐnkuài gēn nǐ shuō.

I'll let you know soon.

Say this phrase out loud:

今天我臨時沒辦法了。

Jīntiān wǒ línshí méi bànfǎ le.

Today doesn't work for me anymore.

Say this phrase out loud:

我們可以延後一點嗎？

Wǒmen kěyǐ yánhòu yìdiǎn ma?

Can we push it back a little?

Say this phrase out loud:

我把時間搞錯了。

Wǒ bǎ shíjiān gǎo cuò le.

I got the time wrong.