ging3 ze6 bat1 man5敬謝不敏敬谢不敏

Jyutpingging3 ze6 bat1 man5

Yaleging jeh bāt máhn

語句

Definition

To politely decline an offer or request by humbly claiming a lack of ability.

writtencommunicationother

How it's used

Carries a formal and slightly literary tone, often used to maintain a polite distance when declining a request or an invitation. It implies that the speaker lacks the necessary ability or qualification to take on the task, serving as a face saving way to say no. While it sounds sophisticated, using it in overly casual settings can make the speaker sound sarcastic or pretentious.

Examples

ni1呢go3個gai3計waak6劃taai2太fuk1複zaap6雜，ngo5我zan1真hai6係ging3敬ze6謝bat1不man5敏laa3喇。

This plan is too complicated, I must politely decline.

nei5你wan2搵ngo5我zou6做nei4呢joeng6樣je5嘢，ngo5我zi2只ho2可ji5以ging3敬ze6謝bat1不man5敏。

You are asking me to do this, but I can only politely decline.

Common phrases

deoi3對ci2此ging3敬ze6謝bat1不man5敏

politely decline this

Common mistake

Often misused by learners as a generic way to say no, but it specifically functions as a humble refusal based on a lack of capability. It is not appropriate for declining simple offers like food or drinks, where a simple 唔使喇 is much more natural.