OmniDocComparison of English terminology for Excel charts: Quick check of common vocabulary
It organizes the comparison of commonly used English terms for Excel charts (series, axis, legend, data label, etc.) with the Chinese interface names, and explains easily confused words to help you understand the English tutorials. It also explains how to retain the layout of English workbooks after translation.
Key points of this article
- Charts have five core elements: title, axis, legend, data series, and data labels. Most of the operations in English tutorials revolve around them.
- series is a set of data, corresponding to an item in the legend; category is a group on the horizontal axis, and the two cannot be mixed.
- Bar chart is a horizontal bar chart, and column chart is a vertical column chart. They are often called interchangeably in Chinese. Choosing the wrong direction will affect the reading of the chart.
- English workbooks can be uploaded as .xlsx files for translation on omnidoc.top. Selecting bilingual comparison can retain tables and layouts for easy verification.
If you are searching for commonly used English words for making charts in Excel, you have probably encountered this situation: following an English tutorial to make a chart, the steps say "Right-click the legend", but you can't find anything with the same name on the interface. There are not many English terms related to charts, but the names of the same object in the Chinese version and the English version often do not match, and some words have different meanings from their daily meanings. For example, series is not just a "series".
This article organizes commonly used chart elements, chart types, and data-related vocabulary into a comparison, and explains where confusion is common. After reading, you can find the corresponding elements in the English tutorial, and you can also judge how to deal with it when you get the English workbook.
I can’t understand the English chart tutorial, how can I quickly understand the terminology? One sentence conclusion
First search for the English name by function, rather than by interface location, and then determine the meaning of the word based on the data source. The table below can serve as a starting point.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| I only know the chart, but not the details. | First remember the five core elements: title, axis, legend, data series, and data labels | Most of the tutorial operations revolve around these objects |
| The English interface does not match the Chinese tutorials | Search the English name by function, not by interface location. | The menu grouping and arrangement in the Chinese and English versions are not necessarily consistent. |
| I received an English workbook and wanted to show it to Chinese readers. | Upload .xlsx on omnidoc.top and select bilingual comparison | Tables and layouts will be retained, and the translation will be side by side with the original text for easy verification. |
| Terminology is easily confused, such as bar chart and column chart | According to the English definition, it depends on whether it is bar or column. | bar is horizontal, column is vertical |
| The data comes from an English report, and the header is incomprehensible. | First sort out the header and data area, then look for category and value | Charts are generated based on the structure of the data area |
What are the basic elements of a chart?
Charts are composed of several fixed parts and appear frequently in English tutorials.
Core components of the chart
- Chart Title: Chart title, usually also called "chart title" in Chinese.
- Axis: Coordinate axis. The horizontal axis is often called the horizontal axis or category axis, the vertical axis is often called the vertical axis or value axis, and the plural is axes.
- Legend: Legend indicating which data series each color or pattern represents.
- Data Series: Data series, a set of graphs drawn from the same column or row of data.
- Data Label: Data label, a value or name displayed directly on the graph.
- Gridlines: grid lines, background lines for auxiliary readings.
Data related words
- Data range: Data area, cell range referenced by the chart.
- Category: Category, usually the group name on the horizontal axis, such as month, region.
- Value: Numeric value, a number that determines the height or length of the graphic.
- Data point: Data point, a single value in the series.
Where it’s easy to get confused
- series is different from data point : a series contains multiple data points. Changing the color of a "series" and changing the color of a "data point" are two operations. - legend is different from key and label : in English tutorials, key sometimes refers to one of the legends, which should be judged according to the context. The singular number of axis and axes: is an axis, the plural is two or more axes, and the secondary axis is often referred to as secondary axis. - bar and column:bar chart are horizontal bar charts, and column chart are vertical bar charts. In Chinese, the two are easily referred to as bar charts, but the conclusion of reading them in the wrong direction is different.
# Core comparison
The English names and Chinese names of common chart types are as follows, which is easy to compare with the charts in English tutorials.
| English name | Common names in Chinese | What do you mean? |
|---|---|---|
| Column chart | Column chart | Longitudinal rectangle, suitable for comparing different types of values |
| Bar chart | Bar chart | Horizontal rectangle, category names are easier to read when they are longer |
| Line chart | Line chart | Show the changing trend of numerical value with time with connection |
| Pie chart | Pie chart | Show the proportion of each part of the whole |
| Scatter chart | Scatter plot | Show the relationship between two sets of values |
# how to use it
If you have an English workbook and want to show it to Chinese readers along with the chart, you can do this:
- Open omnidoc.top and upload the English .xlsx file.
two. Choose bilingual contrast, and the translation is juxtaposed with the source text; when only the translation is needed, choose the translation only.
- Download the results and open the file check tables and charts. If the text in the chart has not been translated, modify it manually against the glossary above.
- There may be inaccurate words in the translation, which involves the description of the data and the conclusion. Please check with the original one by one.
# which method is suitable for you?
Just read the English tutorial: memorize the five core elements and data-related words, and first see whether it refers to "object" or "data" when you encounter a strange word. -need to process the whole English workbook: upload the translation first, and then check the chart title, axis and legend one by one. -to make a formal report: in addition to the translation, you should also ask colleagues who are familiar with the business to check the terms to avoid making mistakes in details such as bar and column.
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. How to distinguish between Series and Category in English tutorials?
Series is a set of data that corresponds to an item in the legend; Category is a grouping on the horizontal axis. For example, the monthly sales statistics of three departments, the month is category, each department is a series.
2. The English form received is a screenshot of PDF. Can you translate it?
PDF scans can be directly uploaded for translation. The way to judge is to try to select one of the text with the mouse: not selected, or after the selection is garbled, usually indicating that it is a picture or a scanned piece.
3. Will bilingual comparison mess up the chart?
OmniDoc retains tables, layouts, and pictures when translating Excel. However, whether the chart is completely retained, the following documents shall prevail, and it is safer to open and check again.
4. What if the translation of the same term is inconsistent in different paragraphs?
When translating, you can choose the appropriate text style, such as academic, technical or business, and pay attention to terminology consistency. After the translation, check the key terms of the full text.
# Summary
The English terms of charts are not difficult to remember. Grasp the five categories of titles, axes, legends, data series and data labels, and then pay attention to the differences between bar and column, series and category, and you will be able to understand most tutorials. After Excel has sorted out the common English words in the chart, the English workbook can also be handed over to Chinese readers with the help of translation and manual check.
