{"id":5193,"date":"2026-06-12T00:09:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T00:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/describing-charts-english-taiwan-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T02:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T02:14:52","slug":"describing-charts-english-taiwan-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ko\/describing-charts-english-taiwan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"\u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587\uff1a30 Essential Chart Phrases for Taiwan Pros (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knowing your chart English<\/strong> vocabulary means your foreign colleagues understand exactly what a slide is saying in under 30 seconds \u2014 no awkward pause, no rereading the numbers. Taiwan professionals in foreign companies, PMs, and marketing managers present Q2 growth, KPIs, and budget variances on Zoom every week, yet many still hesitate over whether to use “increase” vs. “rise,” or “by” vs. “to.” This guide organizes the 30 most useful chart English<\/strong> phrases by presentation flow: opening, describing trends, citing numbers, comparing, emphasizing, and closing.<\/p>\n

\"\u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587<\/p>\n

Clear chart English<\/strong> in 30 seconds beats five minutes of fumbling.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why Chart English Matters for Taiwan Professionals | \u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

After twenty years teaching ESL, I have watched hundreds of Taiwan learners score near-perfect on grammar tests and clear TOEFL 100 \u2014 then freeze on stage when the Q2 numbers go up. The problem is not their English level; it is the absence of practiced set phrases for chart English<\/strong>. Cambridge English Business Vantage examiners consistently flag describing visual data as the single highest-loss item for non-native speakers \u2014 a finding that maps directly onto Taiwan office presentations.<\/p>\n

The good news: chart English<\/strong> is a closed vocabulary system. There are roughly a dozen core verbs (rise, fall, peak, plateau, fluctuate), four prepositions (by, to, from, at), and specific numbers. Master these 30 sentences and you cover about 90% of business situations. If you are still building your foundation, start with our presentation English phrases guide<\/a> first, then return to fill in the chart vocabulary.<\/p>\n

5 Chart Types You Must Know | \u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

Naming the wrong chart type is the most common beginner mistake. Calling a pie chart a “round chart” tells your foreign colleagues you are translating directly from Chinese. Memorize these five types first:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Bar chart<\/strong> \u2014 uses vertical bars to compare categories. Example: “This bar chart<\/strong> compares sales across our four product lines.”<\/li>\n
  2. Line graph<\/strong> \u2014 shows trends over time. Example: “The line graph<\/strong> shows monthly revenue from January to December.”<\/li>\n
  3. Pie chart<\/strong> \u2014 shows proportional breakdown. Example: “The pie chart<\/strong> breaks down our customer base by region.”<\/li>\n
  4. Table<\/strong> \u2014 used for dense number comparisons. Example: “If you look at the table<\/strong> on slide 7, you’ll see the exact figures.”<\/li>\n
  5. Scatter plot<\/strong> \u2014 shows correlation between two variables. Example: “This scatter plot<\/strong> shows the relationship between ad spend and conversions.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"bar<\/p>\n

    The bar chart is the most common chart English<\/strong> type in Taiwan quarterly business reviews.<\/em><\/p>\n

    5 Phrases to Introduce a Chart | \u958b\u5834\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

    When you open a new slide, give your audience two seconds to focus before you start talking \u2014 that is the job of an opening phrase. Use any of these five and you will never go wrong:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. “As you can see from this chart…”<\/strong> \u2014 The universal opener that works in every context.<\/li>\n
    2. “This chart shows \/ illustrates \/ displays our Q2 revenue.”<\/strong> \u2014 Rotate show \/ illustrate \/ display across slides to avoid repetition.<\/li>\n
    3. “Let me draw your attention to the figures on the left.”<\/strong> \u2014 Foreign colleagues appreciate this kind of guiding language.<\/li>\n
    4. “I’d like to highlight one key data point on this slide.”<\/strong> \u2014 Signals you will not read every number aloud, which is smart chart English<\/strong> delivery.<\/li>\n
    5. “If we look at the horizontal axis, it represents the months of 2026.”<\/strong> \u2014 Remember: horizontal axis = X-axis, vertical axis = Y-axis.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Describing Trends: 10 Verbs and Adjectives | \u8da8\u52e2\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

      Trend vocabulary is the core of the entire chart English<\/strong> system \u2014 and the area where Taiwan presenters most often go wrong. The key principle: the verb describes direction, the adverb describes intensity. “Rose sharply” carries twice the information of “rose” alone.<\/p>\n

      \"line<\/p>\n

      For strong trend English, pair a verb with an adverb to show both direction and speed.<\/em><\/p>\n

      Upward verbs: rise<\/strong> (neutral), increase<\/strong> (neutral), climb<\/strong> (steady), soar<\/strong> (sharp), skyrocket<\/strong> (explosive). Downward verbs: fall<\/strong>, decrease<\/strong>, decline<\/strong> (gradual), drop<\/strong> (sharp), plummet<\/strong> (severe).<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. “Revenue rose sharply in March.”<\/strong> \u2014 sharp\/sharply is the most common intensity adverb in business presentations.<\/li>\n
      2. “Sales declined gradually over Q2.”<\/strong> \u2014 gradual sounds far more professional than slow.<\/li>\n
      3. “The stock price plummeted after the announcement.”<\/strong> \u2014 use plummet for drops of 20% or more.<\/li>\n
      4. “Traffic fluctuated throughout the quarter.”<\/strong> \u2014 fluctuate means up-and-down volatility, not a simple decline.<\/li>\n
      5. “Conversions peaked at 8.2% in May.”<\/strong> \u2014 peak as a verb is more concise than “reach the highest point.”<\/li>\n
      6. “User growth plateaued in Q1.”<\/strong> \u2014 plateau means flat with no movement; standard in tech and startup presentations.<\/li>\n
      7. “The line dipped slightly in February before recovering.”<\/strong> \u2014 dip signals a short-term drop that bounces back; pair it with recover.<\/li>\n
      8. “Membership has remained stable since January.”<\/strong> \u2014 remain stable is more formal than “stay the same.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Saying Numbers Like a Pro | \u82f1\u6587\u6578\u5b57<\/h2>\n

        Taiwan presenters make three consistent mistakes with English numbers<\/strong>: choosing the wrong preposition for percentages, reading large numbers incorrectly, and mispronouncing decimals. Lock in these three rules before moving to the examples below:<\/p>\n

        \"pie<\/p>\n

        When citing English numbers<\/strong>, by = the change amount; to = the ending value. Do not mix them up.<\/em><\/p>\n

        Rule 1: Use by<\/strong> for the amount of change, to<\/strong> for the final value. Example: “Sales rose by<\/strong> 12%, to<\/strong> NT$48 million.” Rule 2: Read thousands as thousand, millions as million \u2014 note that one hundred million is the correct English equivalent, not one billion. Rule 3: The decimal 0.5 is “point five,” never “dot five.”<\/p>\n

        For more detail on business money vocabulary \u2014 salary, budget, profit \u2014 see our 25 business money collocations guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. “Revenue increased by 15%, from NT$40M to NT$46M.”<\/strong> \u2014 Classic by\/to structure; use the template from Rule 1 above.<\/li>\n
        2. “Our market share grew threefold in three years.”<\/strong> \u2014 threefold is more professional than “three times.”<\/li>\n
        3. “That’s roughly one in five customers.”<\/strong> \u2014 converting raw numbers to ratios makes data instantly relatable.<\/li>\n
        4. “The figure stands at approximately 2.4 million.”<\/strong> \u2014 stand at means the current value is; use it instead of “is currently.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Comparing Data: Year-on-Year and Quarter-on-Quarter | \u6bd4\u8f03\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

          Almost every business chart compares something \u2014 same period last year, the previous quarter, or a target. Memorize two abbreviations: YoY (year-on-year) and QoQ (quarter-on-quarter), and you are already ahead of half your Taiwan colleagues on the call.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. “Revenue is up 18% year-on-year.”<\/strong> \u2014 American English also uses year-over-year; both are correct.<\/li>\n
          2. “That’s a 5-point improvement compared to Q1.”<\/strong> \u2014 Note: 5 percentage points = 5 points in English, not 5%.<\/li>\n
          3. “Performance was in line with our forecast.”<\/strong> \u2014 in line with sounds more polished than “same as.”<\/li>\n
          4. “This figure significantly outperformed last year’s results.”<\/strong> \u2014 outperform is one of the highest-frequency verbs in English business presentations.<\/li>\n
          5. “In contrast, the European market shrank by 3%.”<\/strong> \u2014 in contrast is the standard pivot signal when you flip to opposing data.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \"man<\/p>\n

            YoY and QoQ are standard shorthand in every international business presentation.<\/em><\/p>\n

            3 Phrases to Highlight Key Points | \u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587\u5f37\u8abf\u8a9e<\/h2>\n

            Every chart has one or two numbers that really matter \u2014 the rest is background noise. Use these three phrases to tell your audience exactly when to pay attention:<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. “The most striking feature is the spike in April.”<\/strong> \u2014 striking is more precise than “important” when you want to flag a surprising spike.<\/li>\n
            2. “What stands out is the gap between Q2 and Q3.”<\/strong> \u2014 stand out is idiomatic and immediately clear to native English speakers.<\/li>\n
            3. “It’s worth pointing out that the trend reversed in May.”<\/strong> \u2014 using reverse precisely here elevates your entire delivery.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Wrapping Up Your Chart: 2 Closing Phrases | \u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587\u6536\u5c3e<\/h2>\n

              After walking through the numbers, do not leave the takeaway for your audience to figure out. Give them one clear sentence that states what the chart means:<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. “Overall, the chart suggests that our Asia strategy is paying off.”<\/strong> \u2014 suggest is more objective than prove and leaves room for discussion.<\/li>\n
              2. “In summary, three out of five regions are now growing above 10%.”<\/strong> \u2014 in summary is the safest closing phrase for international business settings.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                \"downward<\/p>\n

                Closing a chart clearly means telling the story behind the numbers, not just reading them.<\/em><\/p>\n

                4 Common Chart English Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make | \u5716\u8868\u82f1\u6587\u5730\u96f7<\/h2>\n

                After running hundreds of business English presentation workshops, I have identified the four mistakes that come up most often. Fix these and your English immediately sounds like someone with international business experience:<\/p>\n