Pushing back gently
10 phrases
话是这么说，不过 - that's what's said, but - is the two-part frame for disagreeing after conceding, and the concession is not optional. 我倒觉得不一定 uses 倒 to mark a turn against expectation: on the contrary, I'm not so sure.
话是这么说，不过…… huà shì zhème shuō, búguò... — that's true, but...我倒觉得不一定。 wǒ dào juéde bù yídìng. — I'm not so sure, actually换个角度看呢？ huàn ge jiǎodù kàn ne? — what if we look at it differently?您说的有道理，只是…… nín shuō de yǒu dàolǐ, zhǐshì... — you have a point, only...这样是不是太急了？ zhèyàng shì bu shì tài jí le? — isn't this a bit hasty?我担心行不通。 wǒ dānxīn xíng bu tōng. — I worry it won't work能不能再商量？ néng bu néng zài shāngliang? — could we discuss it further?我提个不同意见。 wǒ tí ge bùtóng yìjiàn. — let me offer a different view恐怕事情没那么简单。 kǒngpà shìqing méi nàme jiǎndān. — I'm afraid it isn't that simple我们再看看数据。 wǒmen zài kànkan shùjù. — let's look at the numbers again
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