Statistics Korean: 전년 대비, 계절조정, 표본, 유의성

Core examples: 전년 대비; 계절조정; 표본; 유의성; 증감률; 지수; 평균; 중위값; 오차범위.

The problem this article solves

A statistical release says:

계절조정 지수는 전월 대비 0.4% 상승했으나, 전년 대비 증감률은 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다.

The numbers are not the hard part. The comparison basis, adjustment, and significance are the hard part.

The key principle is:

Statistics Korean turns numbers into claims only through method words.

Core vocabulary and system

전년 대비

전년 대비

compared with the previous year / year-on-year.

Related:

전월 대비

전분기 대비

전년 동기 대비

계절조정

계절조정

seasonal adjustment.

It modifies raw data to account for recurring seasonal patterns.

표본

표본

sample.

Related:

표본수

표본오차

표본추출

유의성

유의성

significance, often statistical significance.

Related:

통계적 유의성

유의수준

유의미하다

증감률

증감률

rate of increase/decrease.

It describes change, not level.

지수

지수

index.

Examples: 소비자물가지수, 경기지수, 생산지수.

평균

평균

average/mean.

중위값

중위값

median, the middle value when ordered.

오차범위

오차범위

margin of error/error range.

Genre and function table

Worked example

조사 결과 평균 만족도는 4.1점이었으며, 오차범위는 ±3.1%p이다.

Breakdown:

평균 만족도 4.1점 average satisfaction score: 4.1 points

오차범위 ±3.1%p margin of error: plus/minus 3.1 percentage points

Plain reading:

According to the survey results, average satisfaction was 4.1 points, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.

The result should be read with uncertainty, not as a perfect measurement.

Common learner traps

• 전년 대비 and 전년 동기 대비 differ.
• 계절조정 data is not raw data.
• 평균 and 중위값 can tell different stories.
• 유의미하다 may be statistical or plain-language meaningful.
• % and %p are not the same.

Example bank walkthrough

전년 대비

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

계절조정

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

표본

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

유의성

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

증감률

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

지수

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

평균

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

중위값

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

오차범위

Learner action: identify its domain function before translating it literally.

Reusable reading workflow

1. Identify metric.
2. Identify unit.
3. Identify population or sample.
4. Check comparison basis.
5. Check raw versus adjusted data.
6. Mark average, median, index, or rate.
7. Find uncertainty: 표본오차, 오차범위, 유의성.
8. Avoid causal claims unless the text supports causation.
9. Rewrite the number as a claim with method caveat.

Statistical-claim anatomy table

Statistics Korean should be reduced to claim components.

Numbers need method words before they become meaning.

% versus %p warning

This distinction is a common source of statistical mistranslation.

Causation caution

통계적으로 유의미하다 does not automatically prove causation. Unless the source states a causal design or evidence, translate it as significance/association within the method given.

A strong tool for this article would include:

1. Stats sentence checker..
2. Comparison-period highlighter..
3. Raw/adjusted toggle..
4. Mean/median explainer..
5. Margin-of-error warning..
6. Plain-language statistical summary..

Final rule

Statistics Korean: 전년 대비, 계절조정, 표본, 유의성 is not just a vocabulary topic. It is a real-source reading problem. Read the genre, actor, status, and consequence before choosing a translation.