Graphs and charts are story machines. In Traditional Chinese, a few precise words let you narrate rises, dips, peaks, and “uh-oh” moments like a pro. This guide gives essential vocabulary for chart types, axes, units, trend verbs, comparison frames, and ready-to-speak sentence patterns. Traditional Chinese appears first, followed by pinyin, then a clear English gloss.
Core Vocabulary: Chart Types
| English | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| chart/graph | 圖表 | tú biǎo | Generic term |
| line chart | 折線圖 | zhé xiàn tú | For trends over time |
| bar chart | 長條圖／柱狀圖 | cháng tiáo tú / zhù zhuàng tú | Vertical bars are common |
| stacked bar | 堆疊長條圖 | duī dié cháng tiáo tú | Shows composition + total |
| pie chart | 圓餅圖 | yuán bǐng tú | Share of a whole |
| scatter plot | 散佈圖 | sàn bù tú | Correlations/outliers |
| area chart | 區域圖 | qū yù tú | Filled line chart |
| histogram | 直方圖 | zhí fāng tú | Distribution bins |
| box plot | 盒鬚圖 | hé xū tú | Median/IQR/outliers |
| heatmap | 熱度圖 | rè dù tú | Color-based intensity |
| radar chart | 雷達圖 | léi dá tú | Multi-dimension comparison |
| waterfall chart | 瀑布圖 | pù bù tú | Stepwise changes |
| combo chart | 複合圖 | fù hé tú | Bars + lines, etc. |
Example
這張折線圖顯示過去十二個月的營收變化。
zhè zhāng zhé xiàn tú xiǎn shì guò qù shí’èr gè yuè de yíng shōu biàn huà
This line chart shows revenue changes over the past 12 months.
Axes, Units, And Labels
| Concept | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Example |
| x-axis | X 軸 | X zhóu | X 軸是月份 X zhóu shì yuè fèn the x-axis is months |
| y-axis | Y 軸 | Y zhóu | Y 軸是金額 Y zhóu shì jīn’é the y-axis is amount |
| axis label | 軸標籤 | zhóu biāo qiān | |
| legend | 圖例 | tú lì | |
| unit | 單位 | dān wèi | 單位為新台幣千元 dān wèi wéi xīn tái bì qiān yuán |
| percentage | 百分比 | bǎi fēn bǐ | 佔比 zhàn bǐ share/proportion |
| sample size | 樣本數 | yàng běn shù | N 值 N zhí |
Pattern
Y 軸單位為百分比，X 軸為季度。
Y zhóu dān wèi wéi bǎi fēn bǐ, X zhóu wéi jì dù
The Y-axis unit is percent, and the X-axis is quarters.
Trend Verbs And Nouns
| Meaning | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| increase | 上升／增加 | shàng shēng / zēng jiā | neutral “go up” / “add” |
| rise sharply | 暴增／大幅上升 | bào zēng / dà fú shàng shēng | big jump |
| decrease | 下降／減少 | xià jiàng / jiǎn shǎo | go down |
| drop sharply | 暴跌／大幅下滑 | bào diē / dà fú xià huá | big drop |
| peak | 高峰 | gāo fēng | hit a peak 達到高峰 |
| bottom/trough | 低點／谷底 | dī diǎn / gǔ dǐ | |
| fluctuate | 波動 | bō dòng | small ups and downs |
| remain stable | 持平／維持穩定 | chí píng / wéi chí wěn dìng | |
| rebound | 反彈 | fǎn tán | fall then rise |
| surpass | 超過／超越 | chāo guò / chāo yuè | exceed |
| account for | 佔／佔據 | zhàn / zhàn jù | share of total |
| growth rate | 成長率 | chéng zhǎng lǜ | |
| year-on-year | 年增率 | nián zēng lǜ | YoY |
| month-on-month | 月增率 | yuè zēng lǜ | MoM |
Example
第二季營收大幅上升，第三季持平，第四季小幅下滑。
dì èr jì yíng shōu dà fú shàng shēng, dì sān jì chí píng, dì sì jì xiǎo fú xià huá
Revenue jumped in Q2, stabilized in Q3, and dipped slightly in Q4.
Adverbs And Modifiers For Magnitude
| Degree | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| slightly | 小幅／略微 | xiǎo fú / lüè wēi | slightly |
| moderately | 中幅 | zhōng fú | moderately |
| significantly | 大幅 | dà fú | significantly |
| steadily | 穩健地／穩定地 | wěn jiàn de / wěn dìng de | steadily |
| rapidly | 快速地 | kuài sù de | rapidly |
| gradually | 逐步地／逐漸地 | zhú bù de / zhú jiàn de | gradually |
Sentence plug-in
指標逐步地回升，現在接近去年同期水準。
zhǐ biāo zhú bù de huí shēng, xiàn zài jiē jìn qù nián tóng qī shuǐ zhǔn
The metric is recovering gradually, now near last year’s level.
Comparing Series And Categories
| Frame | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| A is higher than B | A 高於 B | A gāo yú B | |
| A is lower than B | A 低於 B | A dī yú B | |
| A exceeds B by X% | A 比 B 高 X% | A bǐ B gāo X bǎi fēn bǐ | |
| similar/close | 相近／接近 | xiāng jìn / jiē jìn | |
| gap | 差距 | chā jù | the difference |
| lead | 領先 | lǐng xiān | ahead |
| lag | 落後 | luò hòu | behind |
Example
A 品牌的市佔率領先，其次是 B，兩者差距約五個百分點。
A pǐn pái de shì zhàn lǜ lǐng xiān, qí cì shì B, liǎng zhě chā jù yuē wǔ gè bǎi fēn diǎn
Brand A leads in market share, followed by B, with a gap of about five percentage points.
Describing Pie Charts: Parts Of A Whole
| Concept | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| the largest slice | 最大占比 | zuì dà zhàn bǐ | largest share |
| the smallest slice | 最小占比 | zuì xiǎo zhàn bǐ | smallest share |
| accounts for X% | 佔 X% | zhàn X bǎi fēn bǐ |
Template
在圓餅圖中，行動裝置的流量佔 62%，桌機佔 28%，其餘為平板。
zài yuán bǐng tú zhōng, xíng dòng zhuāng zhì de liú liàng zhàn liù shí’èr bǎi fēn bǐ, zhuō jī zhàn èr shí bā bǎi fēn bǐ, qí yú wéi píng bǎn
In the pie chart, mobile traffic accounts for 62%, desktop 28%, and the rest tablets.
Describing Line Charts: Time And Turning Points
| Element | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Use |
| trend | 趨勢 | qū shì | overall direction |
| turning point | 轉折點 | zhuǎn zhé diǎn | where direction changes |
| seasonality | 季節性 | jì jié xìng | recurring patterns |
| spike | 尖峰 | jiān fēng | sharp peak |
| dip | 低谷 | dī gǔ | trough |
Example
四月出現明顯轉折點，此後趨勢穩健上行。
sì yuè chū xiàn míng xiǎn zhuǎn zhé diǎn, cǐ hòu qū shì wěn jiàn shàng xíng
A clear turning point appears in April; the trend climbs steadily afterward.
Describing Scatter Plots: Correlation And Outliers
| Concept | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| positive correlation | 正相關 | zhèng xiāng guān | |
| negative correlation | 負相關 | fù xiāng guān | |
| weak/strong | 弱／強 | ruò / qiáng | |
| outlier | 例外值／離群點 | lì wài zhí / lí qún diǎn | |
| cluster | 聚落／群集 | jù luò / qún jí |
Sentence
整體呈現弱正相關，但右上角有數個離群點。
zhěng tǐ chéng xiàn ruò zhèng xiāng guān, dàn yòu shàng jiǎo yǒu shù gè lí qún diǎn
Overall there’s a weak positive correlation, but several outliers appear in the upper right.
Numbers, Fractions, And Percentages You’ll Say Out Loud
| Form | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 0.5% | 百分之零點五 | bǎi fēn zhī líng diǎn wǔ | 0.5 percent |
| 12.3% | 百分之十二點三 | bǎi fēn zhī shí’èr diǎn sān | 12.3 percent |
| one-third | 三分之一 | sān fēn zhī yī | 1/3 |
| two-thirds | 三分之二 | sān fēn zhī èr | 2/3 |
| double | 兩倍 | liǎng bèi | 2× |
| triple | 三倍 | sān bèi | 3× |
Example
B 區的轉換率是 A 區的兩倍。
B qū de zhuǎn huàn lǜ shì A qū de liǎng bèi
Region B’s conversion rate is twice that of Region A.
Sentence Patterns For Describing Any Chart
Pattern 1: What + When + How Much
指標名稱＋在＋時間＋上升／下降＋數值（或百分比）。
zhǐ biāo míng chēng + zài + shí jiān + shàng shēng / xià jiàng + shù zhí (huò bǎi fēn bǐ)
KPI increased/decreased by X during Y.
Pattern 2: Compare Categories
在＋時間／情境＋，A 高於 B（差＋數值）。
zài + shí jiān / qíng jìng +, A gāo yú B (chā + shù zhí)
In Y, A is higher than B by X.
Pattern 3: Explain Shape
先／接著／最後＋動詞短語（上升、持平、回落）。
xiān / jiē zhe / zuì hòu + dòng cí duǎn yǔ
First… then… finally…
Pattern 4: Share Of Whole
A 佔總量的 X%，為所有項目之首。
A zhàn zǒng liàng de X bǎi fēn bǐ, wéi suǒ yǒu xiàng mù zhī shǒu
A accounts for X% of the total, ranking first.
Qualitative Language: Tone Without Numbers
| Vibe | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| steady climb | 緩步上行 | huǎn bù shàng xíng | slow climb |
| sudden surge | 突然拉升 | tú rán lā shēng | sudden lift |
| soft landing | 溫和回落 | wēn hé huí luò | gentle decline |
| volatile | 震盪加劇 | zhèn dàng jiā jù | volatility intensified |
| plateau | 進入平台期 | jìn rù píng tái qī | entered plateau |
Example
第三季需求回溫，但整體仍處於平台期。
dì sān jì xū qiú huí wēn, dàn zhěng tǐ réng chǔ yú píng tái qī
Demand warmed up in Q3, but overall we’re still on a plateau.
Cautious Phrases For Honest Analysis
| Purpose | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| limited data | 受樣本數限制 | shòu yàng běn shù xiàn zhì | limited by sample size |
| likely caused by | 可能由…所致 | kě néng yóu … suǒ zhì | likely caused by… |
| seasonality effect | 受季節性影響 | shòu jì jié xìng yǐng xiǎng | affected by seasonality |
| needs more data | 仍需更多證據 | réng xū gèng duō zhèng jù | needs more evidence |
| correlation ≠ causation | 相關不等於因果 | xiāng guān bù děng yú yīn guǒ | correlation ≠ causation |
Sentence
目前結果受樣本數限制，解讀時需保留彈性。
mù qián jié guǒ shòu yàng běn shù xiàn zhì, jiě dú shí xū bǎo liú tán xìng
Current results are sample-size limited; keep interpretations flexible.
Mini Descriptions You Can Copy
一月到三月，網站流量逐步上升，四月達到高峰，之後小幅回落並持平。
yī yuè dào sān yuè, wǎng zhàn liú liàng zhú bù shàng shēng, sì yuè dá dào gāo fēng, zhī hòu xiǎo fú huí luò bìng chí píng
From January to March, site traffic rose gradually, peaked in April, then eased and stabilized.
在產品別長條圖中，A 占 40%，B 占 35%，C 占 25%，A 以小幅領先。
zài chǎn pǐn bié cháng tiáo tú zhōng, A zhàn sì shí bǎi fēn bǐ, B zhàn sān shí wǔ bǎi fēn bǐ, C zhàn èr shí wǔ bǎi fēn bǐ, A yǐ xiǎo fú lǐng xiān
In the product bar chart, A is 40%, B 35%, C 25%; A leads slightly.
散佈圖顯示價格與滿意度呈弱正相關，但 3 個高價低滿意的離群點值得關注。
sàn bù tú xiǎn shì jià gé yǔ mǎn yì dù chéng ruò zhèng xiāng guān, dàn sān gè gāo jià dī mǎn yì de lí qún diǎn zhí dé guān zhù
The scatter plot shows a weak positive relation between price and satisfaction, with three high-price, low-satisfaction outliers to watch.
Dialogue Snippets For Meetings
A：這張圖的重點是什麼
A: zhè zhāng tú de zhòng diǎn shì shén me
What’s the key point of this chart
B：三月是轉折點，之後月增率維持在五到八趴。
B: sān yuè shì zhuǎn zhé diǎn, zhī hòu yuè zēng lǜ wéi chí zài wǔ dào bā pā
March is the turning point; after that, monthly growth stays between 5% and 8%.
A：為什麼 Q4 會下滑
A: wèi shén me Q4 huì xià huá
Why did Q4 decline
B：主要受季節性影響，再來是庫存調整。
B: zhǔ yào shòu jì jié xìng yǐng xiǎng, zài lái shì kù cún tiáo zhěng
Mostly seasonality, then inventory adjustments.
Pronunciation Tips For Numbers On Charts
百分之 bǎi fēn zhī links smoothly before numbers.
兩倍 liǎng bèi uses liǎng, not èr.
零點 líng diǎn makes decimals clean; keep 點 short.
占比 zhàn bǐ is fourth + third tones; drop the fourth crisply.
Five-Minute Practice Plan
Pick one chart you care about. In one sentence, label the axes and unit. In a second sentence, state the trend with one degree adverb（小幅／大幅／逐步）. In a third sentence, compare two categories with 差距 or 領先. Read your three sentences aloud once with pinyin, once without.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
A chart is a comic strip for numbers: set the scene with axes, introduce the hero trend, and land a punchline that actually helps someone decide. With 上升、下降、佔比、轉折點 in your pocket, your Traditional Chinese can narrate any graph—clean, confident, and delightfully readable.