To misconstrue something is to take someone’s words or actions the wrong way — to give them a meaning the person did not mean. You did not fail to hear them; you heard them, then built the wrong picture.

To misconstrue something isMisconstrue某件事是 to take someone's words or actions the wrong way把某人的話或行為理解錯了方向 — to give them a meaning the person did not mean賦予它一個那個人本來沒有的意思。You did not fail to hear them你不是沒聽到； you heard them, then built the wrong picture你聽到了，卻建構出錯誤的畫面。

It is a fairly formal verb: you will see it in writing, in arguments, and when someone is defending themselves (“Please do not misconstrue what I said”). Friends in daily talk more often say you misunderstood me.

It is a fairly formal verb這是個相當正式的動詞： you will see it in writing, in arguments, and when someone is defending themselves你會在寫作裡、在爭論裡，或有人在為自己辯解的時候看到它（"Please do not misconstrue what I said"『請不要misconstrue我說的話』）。Friends in daily talk more often say朋友之間平常說話比較常說 you misunderstood meyou misunderstood me。

You can misconstrue a silence or a smile, not only a sentence.

You can misconstrue a silence or a smile你可以misconstrue一個沉默或一個微笑， not only a sentence不只是一句話。

Though actually, people sometimes reach for it when they feel accused: the word lets them say the other person twisted the meaning, not just missed it. That extra hint of “you bent my words” is why it sounds sharper than misunderstand.

Though actually不過其實， people sometimes reach for it when they feel accused人們有時候會在覺得被指責的時候用上這個字： the word lets them say the other person twisted the meaning, not just missed it這個字能讓他們說對方扭曲了意思，而不只是聽錯了。That extra hint of "you bent my words"那股『你曲解了我的話』的暗示 is why it sounds sharper than misunderstand就是為什麼它聽起來比misunderstand更尖銳。