Self-deprecation is when you talk about your own skills or successes as if they were small or not worth much. You do it on purpose.

Self-deprecation is when you talk about your own skills or successes as if they were small or not worth muchSelf-deprecation指的是你把自己的能力或成就講得好像很小、不值一提。You do it on purpose而且是故意這樣講的。

Often it is a joke: someone who did well says, “Oh, I just got lucky,” or “I’m terrible at this,” when that is not really true. People do it to seem not too proud, to make others feel easy, or to get a laugh.

Often it is a joke通常這是一種玩笑話: someone who did well says, "Oh, I just got lucky,"表現很好的人會說「喔，我只是運氣好」, or "I'm terrible at this,"或「我這方面很爛」, when that is not really true但事實根本不是這樣。People do it to seem not too proud人們這樣說是為了不顯得太自滿, to make others feel easy讓別人比較自在, or to get a laugh或是想博君一笑。

Though actually it is not always light. Sometimes it is a habit, and the person has been putting themselves down for so long that it no longer sounds like a joke. The tidy idea is “being modest.” The messy truth is that the same words can be humour, manners, or a quiet kind of unhappiness — you have to hear the tone.

Though actually不過其實, it is not always light這並不總是輕鬆的。Sometimes it is a habit有時候這是一種習慣, and the person has been putting themselves down for so long that it no longer sounds like a joke這個人已經貶低自己太久，久到聽起來已經不像玩笑了。The tidy idea is "being modest."簡單的說法是「謙虛」. The messy truth is that the same words can be humour, manners, or a quiet kind of unhappiness但複雜的真相是，同樣的話可能是幽默、禮貌，也可能是一種安靜的不快樂——you have to hear the tone你得聽語氣才知道。

The noun is a little formal; in speech people more often say someone is being self-deprecating.

The noun is a little formal這個名詞有點正式; in speech people more often say someone is being self-deprecating口語裡大家更常說某人「being self-deprecating（在自我調侃）」。