Undignified describes behaviour — or a situation, or a picture of someone — that makes a person look silly and takes away their dignity. Dignity is the calm, serious respect you carry in public, so undignified is what happens when that slips: an adult scrambling on the floor for dropped coins, a politician shouting over someone on television, an undignified rush for the last seats on the bus. It carries a small sting of embarrassment, usually mild and often affectionate — a friend saying "that was undignified" is teasing, not condemning.

Undignified describes behaviourUndignified用來形容一種行為—— or a situation, or a picture of someone或一種處境，或一個人給人的印象—— that makes a person look silly and takes away their dignity讓一個人看起來很蠢、失去了尊嚴。 Dignity is the calm, serious respect you carry in publicDignity（尊嚴）是你在公眾場合帶著的那種冷靜、莊重的自重， so undignified is what happens when that slips所以undignified就是這種自重滑掉的時候發生的事： an adult scrambling on the floor for dropped coins一個大人趴在地上撿掉落的硬幣、 a politician shouting over someone on television一個政治人物在電視上對別人大吼大叫、 an undignified rush for the last seats on the bus為了公車上最後幾個位子爭先恐後而顯得狼狽。 It carries a small sting of embarrassment它帶著一點小小的難為情， usually mild and often affectionate通常是輕微的、也常常是帶著感情的—— a friend saying "that was undignified" is teasing, not condemning朋友說『that was undignified（那樣子有點不成體統）』是在調侃你，不是在譴責你。

It is not the same as "wrong". An undignified act may be perfectly honest and harmless; the problem is only that it looks bad, that it costs you face. That is why it fits so naturally with Taiwanese 面子: the loss is in how you appear, not in what you did.

It is not the same as "wrong"它跟『wrong（錯的）』不是同一回事。 An undignified act may be perfectly honest and harmless一個undignified的行為可能完全誠實、也沒傷害任何人； the problem is only that it looks bad, that it costs you face問題只在於它看起來不好看，讓你丟了面子。 That is why it fits so naturally with Taiwanese 面子這就是為什麼它跟台灣講的『面子』這麼契合： the loss is in how you appear, not in what you did損失的是你看起來怎麼樣，不是你做了什麼。

It attaches most easily to people who are supposed to be composed — older people, bosses, officials, anyone in a suit — which is exactly why it stings there. Two common patterns: "undignified + noun" (an undignified scramble, an undignified exit, an undignified squabble over money) and "it is undignified to + verb" ("it's undignified to beg").

It attaches most easily to people who are supposed to be composed它最容易黏在那些『應該要沉穩』的人身上—— older people, bosses, officials, anyone in a suit年長者、老闆、官員、任何穿西裝的人—— which is exactly why it stings there這正是為什麼它刺在這些人身上特別痛。 Two common patterns有兩種常見的用法： "undignified + noun" (an undignified scramble, an undignified exit, an undignified squabble over money)『undignified + 名詞』（an undignified scramble一場狼狽的爭搶、an undignified exit一次難堪的退場、an undignified squabble over money一場為了錢而丟臉的爭吵） and "it is undignified to + verb" ("it's undignified to beg")跟『it is undignified to + 動詞』（『it's undignified to beg（乞討是很沒尊嚴的）』）。

There is also a gentler use about circumstances rather than choices: an undignified death, an undignified old age — meaning the person was not allowed to keep their dignity, and no one is blaming them.

There is also a gentler use about circumstances rather than choices還有一種比較溫和的用法，講的是處境而不是選擇： an undignified death, an undignified old agean undignified death（沒有尊嚴的死亡）、an undignified old age（沒有尊嚴的晚年）—— meaning the person was not allowed to keep their dignity意思是這個人沒有被允許保有自己的尊嚴， and no one is blaming them而這不是任何人的錯。