都合 — this word shows up constantly in scheduling emails, what's the actual nuance?

Question

ご都合はいかがですか、都合が悪い. I get the gist ('convenience/circumstances') but is there a more precise sense I'm missing? Feels broader than just 'schedule'.

Accepted Answer

It's broader than 'schedule' — 都合 covers your general circumstances/situation that make something possible or not, which often includes schedule but also money, personal reasons, logistics, anything. 都合が悪い doesn't just mean 'I'm busy', it can politely gesture at 'for [unspecified] reasons this doesn't work for me', which is why it's so useful in polite refusals — it stays vague on purpose.