A friend of mine asked me once what he could say if he was asked about a colleague or a friend not being able to attend a meeting or a party because of, for example, confidential health or family problems, or any private matters. What he wants to say -without being specific or giving any reasons-is something like
He has some personal circumstances"
It's unlikely that the phrase "personal circumstances" sound natural. So what would native speakers "vaguely" say in a situation like this. I hope it is clear that the question is not about how to give any suitable answer but rather about giving an idiomatic one that is as close in meaning as possible to the matter at hand.
You could ask for more clarification in the comments if I was not clear enough.
Answer
'Personal circumstances' does sound natural. Native speakers do use this phrase. Due to 'personal circumstances' I cannot attend. 'Personal reasons' is also good.
In the USA saying 'health reasons', 'health issues', 'family reasons', 'family matters', is common, because just about everyone has these things and they can mean just about anything, thus people won't think twice when you say it, and your privacy is protected. These phrases are used as excuses so often that the person you are telling this to might realize you are using these phrases as a way of saying 'I am not willing to tell you the real reason, and it is none of your business. If you find that you are saying 'personal reasons', or 'personal circumstances' too often (more than once) you can always, at least in American culture, resort to 'health issues' or 'family issues' and still retain your privacy.
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