To understate something is to describe it as smaller, less serious, or less important than it truly is. It is a verb about the size of your words compared with the size of the facts. It works two very different ways, and students should feel the difference.

To understate something is to describe it understate某件事就是把它形容成，as smaller, less serious, or less important than it truly is比實際上更小、更不嚴重，或更不重要。It is a verb about the size of your words這是一個關於你用的字有多大的動詞，compared with the size of the facts跟事實本身有多大相比。It works two very different ways它有兩種很不一樣的用法，and students should feel the difference學生應該要能感覺出這個差別。

First, as a fault or a dodge: a company understates its losses, a government understates the number of deaths, a report understates the risk. Here it shades toward hiding the truth, though it is gentler than 'lie' — it suggests shrinking rather than inventing.

First, as a fault or a dodge第一種，是當作一種缺失或閃躲：a company understates its losses一間公司understate它的虧損，a government understates the number of deaths一個政府understate死亡人數，a report understates the risk一份報告understate風險。Here it shades toward hiding the truth這裡它帶點隱藏真相的意味，though it is gentler than 'lie'雖然比lie說謊溫和——it suggests shrinking rather than inventing它暗示的是把事情縮小，而不是憑空捏造。

Second, as a skill: a writer or speaker deliberately says less than the case deserves, and the smallness of the words makes the point land harder. British English is famous for this — calling a terrible storm 'a bit of weather'.

Second, as a skill第二種，是當作一種技巧：a writer or speaker deliberately says less than the case deserves作者或講者故意講得比事情本身該有的份量少，and the smallness of the words makes the point land harder而字句上的小反而讓重點打得更重。British English is famous for this英式英文以這一點出名——calling a terrible storm 'a bit of weather'把一場可怕的暴風雨叫做a bit of weather只是一點天氣。

Two set phrases are worth memorising because they are very common. 'To say the least' and, above all, 'it would be an understatement to say...' — and the near-formulaic 'To say he was angry would be an understatement', meaning he was furious.

Two set phrases are worth memorising有兩個固定片語值得背起來，because they are very common因為它們很常見：'To say the least'像to say the least說得保守一點，and, above all, 'it would be an understatement to say...'還有最重要的it would be an understatement to say...說...都還算是輕描淡寫——and the near-formulaic 'To say he was angry would be an understatement'以及幾乎是公式化的說法to say he was angry would be an understatement說他生氣了都還算輕描淡寫，meaning he was furious意思是他其實是暴怒了。

The related noun is understatement; the adjective is understated. You can also understate your own case, your qualifications, or your feelings, which can be modesty or can be a tactic.

The related noun is understatement相關的名詞是understatement；the adjective is understated形容詞是understated。You can also understate your own case, your qualifications, or your feelings你也可以understate自己的立場、資格，或感受，which can be modesty or can be a tactic這可能是謙虛，也可能是一種策略。