How to check the English name of Excel function in Chinese comparison table

Key points of this article

Excel function names are mostly composed of English abbreviations. For example, VLOOKUP is Vertical plus Lookup. It is easier to guess the purpose by breaking down the root words.
The prefixes V and H represent vertical and horizontal respectively, and the common suffix S mostly refers to the multi-condition version, but the details are subject to the instructions.
The function names of the Chinese version of Excel are still in English, and the Chinese instructions can be checked in the Insert Function dialog box
When organizing the comparison table, use the English function name as the primary key, classify it by purpose, and record the meaning and parameters one by one.
Machine translation easily translates abbreviations into irrelevant words. For important tables, please refer to Excel instructions and official help.

Many people open spreadsheets made by others and see formulas like =XLOOKUP, =SUMIFS, =IFERROR, and want to know what each function name means. Readers who search for "excel function English word translation" often do not want to learn a complete set of formulas, but want a Chinese comparison that can understand the function name.

This article is about this: why function names seem difficult to understand, how to take them apart and understand them, how to check the Chinese instructions in Excel, and how to organize commonly used functions into a comparison table that you can check by yourself. It does not teach how to translate the entire table, nor does it teach how to use formulas for translation. After reading, you will be able to distinguish between "what does this name mean" and "how to use this function", and know when to check the official help.

How to check the English words of Excel functions? One sentence conclusion

One-sentence conclusion: Function names are usually English words or abbreviations. First, break them apart according to the root of the word to guess the main idea, and then use the Insert Function dialog box that comes with Excel to check the Chinese description. This is more reliable than directly applying machine translation.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
I just want to know what a function name means	Search for the English name in the Insert Function dialog box and see the Chinese description.	The description comes from Excel itself and corresponds exactly to the function
Seeing unfamiliar abbreviations like VLOOKUP	Split by root, Vertical plus Lookup	Most function names have fixed English sources and are easy to remember after being broken down.
To compile a complete list of functions	Classify by use, check them one by one and make a comparison table	Finding by purpose is faster than alphabetical order
Need to know the meaning of parameters	Check the parameter description in the help document	Parameter order is more likely to be used incorrectly than the function name itself
Want to directly machine translate the function name	For preliminary reference only, need to check against the instructions	Abbreviations may be translated into common words that have nothing to do with the formula

How is the function name composed?

Excel function names are mostly English words or their abbreviations, sometimes spelled with a modifier. For example, VLOOKUP consists of Vertical and Lookup, which means vertical search. SUMIF consists of Sum (sum) and If (condition), which means sum by condition. After taking it apart, you can guess the general meaning of many names.

Here are some common root words to remember first:

SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE
IF If, Error in IFERROR indicates an error, it means returning the specified content when an error occurs.
INDEX index, MATCH matching, the two are often used together
TEXT text refers to displaying numerical values or dates as text in a specified format
CONCAT connection, TEXTJOIN refers to a text connection with delimiters
ROUND rounding, INT rounding (Integer, not interest)

The function names of the Chinese version of Excel are also displayed in English and will not automatically become Chinese. The English function name is written in the formula, so the comparison table must use the English name as the primary key and the Chinese meaning as the supplementary column.

Common meanings of prefixes and suffixes

Many function names have fixed prefixes and suffixes; recognizing them makes it easier to group and memorize similar functions.

The prefixes V and H indicate vertical and horizontal respectively, such as VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP.
The suffix S is common in multi-condition versions, such as SUMIFS and COUNTIFS, which can check multiple conditions simultaneously than SUMIF and COUNTIF. This is just a common pattern; please refer to the explanation.
The prefix D indicates database class functions, such as DSUM and DAVERAGE, which are conditionally calculated within a specified data area.
The prefix X is often understood as an extended version; for example, XLOOKUP is a newer lookup function with richer features than the earlier VLOOKUP.

Patterns can help you narrow the scope, but they can't replace verification. If you encounter unfamiliar prefixes or postuffs, it's safer to just follow the instructions in the insert function dialog.

How to Read a Formula

If the function names match, you also need to match the parameters. Taking =SUMIFS(C:C,A:A, "Beijing") as an example, you can break it down like this:

SUMIFS: Multiconditional summation
C:C: The area where and are required, here is column C
A:A: The region where the condition is located, here is column A
"Beijing": Conditional value, counts only rows in column A marked as "Beijing"

Read it this way, and the English function name, Chinese description, and parameter positions will correspond. When the parameters are unclear, breaking the entire formula into three parts—"function name, range, condition"—examining each item item is much more useful than just memorizing the function name.

📊 Core Comparison

There are three common ways to look up function names, each suitable for different scenarios.

Investigation	Suitable for the scene	Points to Note
Insert function dialog box	A function name is temporarily encountered in the worksheet	The description is brief, and the parameter details require further review
Excel help features or official help documentation	Complete parameters, return values, and examples are needed	Confirm the corresponding Excel version of the page
Build your own comparison table	There are many commonly used functions, so repeated review is required	It takes time to organize in the early stages, but later the search is very fast

Common Misunderstandings and Easily Confused Places

Many errors are not due to insufficient lookups, but because the literal meaning of the name is mistaken for the function function.

The name sounds like Chinese, but it doesn't necessarily mean that. INT is rounding, not interest; TEXT displays text by format, not translated into another language.
Both FIND and SEARCH look for text positions, but FIND is case-sensitive, while SEARCH is not. The results may differ on case-sensitive data.
Function names may be similar, but their uses may not be the same. The difference between SUM and SUMIF lies in whether they have conditions, and understanding this is more important than remembering two names.
The new version of the function is only available in newer Excel versions. When opening a table with new functions in an older version, you may encounter error values. This is not a translation issue with the English name; please refer to the version description.

How to actually use it

Below is a method for organizing function reference tables, suitable for situations where you have a batch of functions that need to be checked one by one.

Create a new column in Excel and write down the function names you want to check, such as VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, IFERROR, one per line.
For each function name, enter the English name in the search box of the Insert Function dialog box, select it, and read the Chinese instructions below.
In the adjacent columns, note the Chinese meaning, order of main parameters, and their intended use, such as "Search", "Sum", and "Logical Judgment".
Sort or filter by purpose, and group similar functions together to make it easier to compare prefixes and suffixes.
Check the parameters and return values of the functions actually used in the formula and the help documentation, and confirm that the Excel version is supported.

🎯 Which method suits you?

If you only occasionally encounter one or two unfamiliar functions, simply look up the instructions in the insert function dialog box. If you often take on others' forms or need to leave instructions for your team, it's worth spending some time creating your own comparison sheet. The larger the table and the more functions, the more obvious the value of classification by purpose.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can Excel function names be directly translated into Chinese?

Directly using machine translation makes it easy to translate words unrelated to formulas, such as treating abbreviations as ordinary words. A safer approach is to first break down the root, then go to the Insert Function dialog box to check the Chinese description.

2. Will function names in the Chinese version of Excel display in Chinese?

No. The function names in the formula are always in English; in the Chinese version, only the interface and description text are in Chinese. The reference table should use the English name as the primary key.

3. How can I quickly find a Chinese description of a function?

Enter the English name or approximate purpose in the search box of the Insert Function dialog box, select the function, and view the description below. If you need detailed parameters, check the help documentation.

4. Why do the same function names produce different results in someone else's table?

Common reasons include different Excel versions; newer functions may not be recognized in older versions; It could also be due to differences in parameter areas or data formats. After checking the version and data type, it becomes easier to find the cause.

📝 Summary

To check the Chinese comparison of English Excel function names, the key is to first break down the roots, then follow the instructions in the insert function dialog box, and finally organize them into your own table according to usage. This way, when looking up English word translations for Excel functions, it is less likely to misread and easier to use repeatedly in the future.

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