If you are self-deprecating, you make your own skills, wins, or importance sound smaller than they are — often with a little joke, so you do not look proud. “Oh, I just got lucky,” when you did the work: that is self-deprecating talk. The usual pairing is self-deprecating humour.

If you are self-deprecating如果你是self-deprecating的， you make your own skills, wins, or importance sound smaller than they are你會把自己的能力、成就、或重要性講得比實際上小， often with a little joke通常還會帶點玩笑， so you do not look proud好讓自己看起來不驕傲── “Oh, I just got lucky,” when you did the work明明是你做出來的成果，卻說「喔，我只是運氣好」， that is self-deprecating talk這就是self-deprecating的說話方式。 The usual pairing is self-deprecating humour最常見的搭配是self-deprecating humour（自嘲式幽默）。

English, especially British English, likes this as manners; American speech uses it too, but shrinking yourself in public is a famous British move. It is fairly grown-up vocabulary, common in interviews, profiles, and friendly conversation.

English, especially British English, likes this as manners英文，尤其是英式英文，把這個當成一種禮貌； American speech uses it too美式口語也會用這一招， but shrinking yourself in public is a famous British move不過在公開場合把自己講小，是英國人出了名的招數。 It is fairly grown-up vocabulary這是相當成熟、大人的詞彙， common in interviews, profiles, and friendly conversation常出現在訪談、人物介紹、和朋友間的聊天裡。

Though actually, it is often a performance as much as a feeling. Some people truly think little of themselves; some only play small so the room stays comfortable.

Though actually不過其實， it is often a performance as much as a feeling它常常既是一種表演，也是一種真實的感受。 Some people truly think little of themselves有些人是真的看輕自己； some only play small so the room stays comfortable有些人只是把自己演小，好讓現場氣氛舒服一點。

The word does not have to mean you are sad or broken. Soft, on purpose, is the idea — not tearing yourself up. Piled on too hard, the jokes can make listeners rush to comfort you, or stop believing your confidence.

The word does not have to mean you are sad or broken這個字不代表你很難過或很受傷。 Soft, on purpose, is the idea故意放軟身段，才是這個字的重點， not tearing yourself up而不是把自己貶得體無完膚。 Piled on too hard如果講得太過頭， the jokes can make listeners rush to comfort you這些玩笑會讓聽的人急著安慰你， or stop believing your confidence或是不再相信你真正的自信。

Watch the lookalike: this family is deprecate (talk down), not depreciate (lose money-value).

Watch the lookalike要小心一個長得很像的字： this family is deprecate (talk down)這個字家族是deprecate（貶低、看輕）， not depreciate (lose money-value)不是depreciate（貶值、失去金錢上的價值）。