データと比較Data and Comparison
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize and use vocabulary for graphs, surveys, percentages, rankings, trends, preferences, and costs.
- Use 増える and 減る to describe increase and decrease.
- Use 〜に比べて to compare a figure or situation against a earlier or alternative point of reference.
- Use 割合 to describe a proportion or rate within a whole.
- Use 約 to present an approximate rather than exact figure.
- Use cautious claim language to describe what a chart or survey suggests without overstating certainty.
- Read and summarize a short passage describing a simple chart or survey result.
- Speak and write about a simple set of data using only vocabulary and structures explicitly introduced or previously activated.
Communication Scenario
Emma's newsletter piece on environmental education went well, and 中村さん has asked her to help present the results of a short community survey about the recycling project at the next volunteer meeting. The survey asked residents how often they participate in recycling activities and whether their participation has changed compared with last year. Emma has a simple chart of the results and needs a way to describe increases and decreases, compare this year with last year, state proportions, give approximate numbers, and describe what the data suggests without claiming more certainty than the small survey supports.
- The learner describes at least one increase or decrease using 増える or 減る.
- The learner makes at least one comparison using 〜に比べて.
- The learner states at least one proportion using 割合.
- The learner gives at least one approximate figure using 約.
- The learner uses cautious claim language at least once when interpreting the data.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter introduces vocabulary for talking about graphs, surveys, percentages, rankings, trends, preferences, and costs at a general-audience level. These items are chosen to describe simple charts and survey results clearly, not to teach professional statistical analysis.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| データ | データ | data | General |
| グラフ | グラフ | graph; chart | Graphs |
| 調査 | ちょうさ | survey; investigation | Surveys |
| 割合 | わりあい | proportion; rate | Percentages |
| パーセント | パーセント | percent | Percentages |
| 順位 | じゅんい | ranking; rank | Rankings |
| 傾向 | けいこう | trend; tendency | Trends |
| 好み | このみ | preference; taste | Preferences |
| 費用 | ひよう | cost; expense | Costs |
| 増える | ふえる | to increase | Trends |
| 減る | へる | to decrease | Trends |
| 回答者 | かいとうしゃ | respondent | Surveys |
These items build directly on last chapter's domain vocabulary. 調査 (survey) and 傾向 (trend) recur throughout this chapter's reading and writing tasks.
れんしゅう — Practice: Sort the twelve words above into the seven domain categories from this chapter's objectives, then write one sentence using any two of them together.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter's kanji focus covers data, rate, percent, increase and decrease, survey, number, and comparison. Following the Furigana / Reading-Support Matrix, furigana continues to be reduced on kanji consolidated in earlier chapters, while this chapter's new kanji carry furigana at first use and in early practice items.
Chapter texts about data typically mix Arabic numerals for statistics with kanji vocabulary for the surrounding explanation, for example 回答者の約六十パーセントが「増えた」と答えた. Practice reading such sentences as a whole unit: identify the numeral, the counter or percent marker attached to it, and the verb that the number modifies, rather than reading each element in isolation.
As in earlier chapters, do not attempt every possible reading of a new compound. Learn each item, such as 割合 or 傾向, as a single lexical unit tied to its use in describing data.
れんしゅう — Practice: Cover the readings in the kanji cards above and try to read each compound aloud from memory, then check your answers.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
Percentages and approximate figures often appear together, as in 約六十パーセント or 約半分. Practice keeping 約 lightly attached to the number that follows it, with no pause between them, so that the approximation reads as a single phrase rather than as a separate word.
- 約六十パーセントが増えたと答えた。 — about sixty percent answered that it had increased
- 去年に比べて、割合が下がった。 — compared with last year, the proportion has dropped
- この傾向は続くかもしれない。 — this trend may continue
Grammar: Describing Data and Trends
This chapter authorizes 増える and 減る, 〜に比べて, 割合, 約, and cautious claim language built on かもしれない and related forms already active from Chapter 18's preview and earlier stance work. Together these let you describe a chart or survey clearly while showing appropriate caution about what small data sets can and cannot prove.
増える and 減る — increase and decrease
Purpose: to describe a quantity, rate, or number going up or down over time.
- リサイクルに参加する人が増えている。The number of people participating in recycling is increasing.増える + ている, ongoing trend
- 去年よりごみの量が減った。The amount of trash decreased compared with last year.減る, past, plain
- 今年、参加者が約二十人増えた。This year, participants increased by about twenty people.quantity + 増えた
増える and 減る are both intransitive; the thing that increases or decreases is marked with が, not を. Use ている for an ongoing trend and plain past for a completed change already confirmed by the data.
〜に比べて — comparing against a reference point
Purpose: to compare a current figure, situation, or trend against an earlier or alternative point of reference.
- 去年に比べて、参加者が増えた。Compared with last year, the number of participants increased.Noun + に比べて + comparison clause
- 他の地域に比べて、この地域は参加率が高い。Compared with other areas, this area has a high participation rate.に比べて marks 他の地域 as the reference point
〜に比べて attaches to the noun that serves as the point of comparison. The main clause then states how the current situation differs from that reference point.
割合 — describing a proportion
Purpose: to describe what part of a whole a group or response represents.
- 「増えた」と答えた人の割合は約六十パーセントだった。The proportion of people who answered "it increased" was about sixty percent.Noun + の割合は + approximate figure
- 若い回答者の割合が高い調査だった。It was a survey with a high proportion of young respondents.割合が高い／低い, common collocation
約 — giving an approximate figure
Purpose: to present a number as approximate rather than exact, appropriate when working from survey data or rounded figures.
- この調査には約百人が参加した。About one hundred people participated in this survey.約 + Number + Counter
- 費用は約五千円だった。The cost was about five thousand yen.約 + Price
約 precedes the number it modifies and signals that the figure has been rounded. Use it whenever a chart or survey source itself presents a rounded rather than exact figure.
Cautious claim language for interpreting data
Purpose: to state what a small chart or survey suggests without claiming more certainty than the data supports.
- この傾向は今後も続くかもしれない。This trend may continue in the future.かもしれない, cautious possibility
- 回答者の数が少ないので、全体を表しているとは言えない。Because the number of respondents is small, it cannot be said that this represents the whole picture.とは言えない, cautious limitation
- 好みが変わってきていると考えられる。It can be considered that preferences have been changing.と考えられる, cautious interpretation
Grammar Practice
- Write one sentence using 増える or 減る to describe a change in a number of your choice.
- Write one sentence using 〜に比べて to compare two years, two places, or two groups.
- Write one sentence using 割合 to state a proportion, with an approximate figure marked by 約.
- Write one sentence that states an observation from data and then adds a cautious qualifier using かもしれない, とは言えない, or と考えられる.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma and 中村さん look over the recycling survey results together before the volunteer meeting.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What proportion of respondents answered that participation had increased?
- Why does Emma say the survey cannot clearly represent the overall trend?
- What two points does Emma plan to explain at the meeting?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Domain sort. Sort the twelve vocabulary items from this chapter's Core Vocabulary table into the seven domains from the chapter objectives, and add one additional recycled word for each domain.
タスク２ — Trend sentences. Given three short sets of numbers, write one sentence for each using 増える or 減る, including an approximate figure marked with 約.
タスク３ — Comparison chain. Write two sentences comparing this year with last year, or one place with another, using 〜に比べて in each.
タスク４ — Cautious interpretation. Choose one simple observation from a chart or survey and write one sentence stating the observation, followed by one sentence adding a cautious qualifier using かもしれない, とは言えない, or と考えられる.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a natural pace.
きくタスク — Reporting survey results
今回の調査には、約五十人の回答者が参加しました。「リサイクルに参加する回数が増えた」と答えた人の割合は、約六十パーセントでした。去年に比べて、参加者全体の数も増えています。この傾向は今後も続くかもしれませんが、回答者の数が少ないので、地域全体の傾向をはっきり表しているとは言えません。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) the approximate number of respondents, (2) the proportion who reported increased participation, (3) how this year compares with last year, and (4) the cautious qualifier the speaker adds at the end.
This is a sensitive-topic-adjacent passage only in the sense that it references community decision-making; if survey data, statistics, or related decisions feel personally difficult to engage with, remember that support is always available for this or any topic in the course.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Building the frame
- ＿＿＿＿＿が増えています。
- ＿＿＿＿＿に比べて、＿＿＿＿＿。
- ＿＿＿＿＿の割合は、約＿＿＿＿＿パーセントでした。
コミュニケーションタスク — A one-minute data summary
Choose a simple set of numbers about a familiar topic (for example, class attendance, a household budget, or a hobby) and prepare a one-minute spoken summary: describe one increase or decrease, one comparison using に比べて, one proportion using 割合 and 約, and one cautious interpretation. A partner or instructor should ask one follow-up question, which you should answer in a complete sentence.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded comparisons
Record yourself describing three comparisons using 〜に比べて, each followed by a cautious interpretation. Listen back and check that each comparison uses only vocabulary and grammar you have already studied.
Reading Practice
Read the following short passage, written for a general audience rather than for specialists, then answer the questions below.
リサイクル調査の結果について — About the recycling survey results
今年の調査には、約五十人の地域住民が参加した。回答者の約六十パーセントが、「リサイクルに参加する回数が増えた」と答えた。去年に比べて、参加者全体の数も増えている。特に、若い回答者の割合が高かったことが、今回の調査の特徴だと言える。
この傾向は今後も続くかもしれない。しかし、回答者の数が約五十人しかいないため、この結果だけで地域全体の傾向をはっきり表しているとは言えない。今後、さらに大きな調査を行うことが必要だと考えられる。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- About how many respondents participated in the survey?
- What proportion of respondents answered that recycling participation had increased?
- How does this year's number of participants compare with last year's?
- What does the passage say is a distinctive feature of this survey?
- Identify one use of に比べて, 割合, 約, or a cautious claim expression in the passage, and explain what it marks or limits.
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will draft a short written summary of a simple data set, similar to the one Emma is preparing for the volunteer meeting.
- Choose a simple data set about a familiar topic, either real or invented for practice, with at least one number that changes over time or across groups.
- Write an opening sentence stating who or what the data describes and giving an approximate total using 約.
- Write one or two sentences describing an increase or decrease using 増える or 減る.
- Write one sentence comparing the current figure with an earlier or alternative point of reference using 〜に比べて.
- Write one sentence stating a proportion using 割合, with an approximate figure marked by 約.
- Write a closing sentence interpreting the data cautiously, using かもしれない, とは言えない, or と考えられる.
- Revise your passage using the checklist below.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My passage describes at least one increase or decrease using 増える or 減る.
- My passage includes at least one comparison using 〜に比べて.
- My passage states at least one proportion using 割合, with an approximate figure marked by 約.
- My closing sentence interprets the data cautiously rather than overstating what the numbers prove.
- My passage avoids unexplained specialized terminology and stays within already-known vocabulary and grammar.
Culture and Communication
Community groups, volunteer organizations, and neighborhood associations in Japan, as in many places, regularly present small, informal surveys at meetings, in newsletters, and on notice boards to support local decisions. Such reports commonly note approximate sample sizes and add cautious qualifiers rather than presenting small surveys as fully representative, a habit this chapter's cautious claim language reflects.
How often communities collect and share this kind of local data, and how formally it is presented, can vary by region, by the size of the group, and by the organization involved. The patterns in this chapter represent common general practices rather than a single fixed national standard.
Many languages have set ways of softening a claim drawn from limited data, such as English "it seems that..." or "this may suggest...". Comparing how your own language signals caution can help you notice that Japanese expressions such as かもしれない and と考えられる serve a similar function: they let a speaker report a pattern without claiming more certainty than the data supports.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *参加者を増えました。 treats 増える as if it were a transitive verb.
Correction: 参加者が増えました。 — 増える and 減る are intransitive; the quantity that changes is marked with が.
Error: *この調査で、みんなの意見が分かった。 claims certainty from data described as small in the same passage.
Correction: この調査だけでは、全体の意見をはっきり表しているとは言えない。 — match the strength of the claim to the size and limits of the data described.
Error: *回答者は五十人でした。 used when the actual source figure was only approximate.
Correction: 回答者は約五十人でした。 — use 約 whenever the source figure itself has been rounded or estimated.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Sort the twelve Core Vocabulary words into their seven domains, and add one additional recycled word for each domain.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 調査, 割合, 増える, 減る, 順位, 傾向, 費用, and 比較 from memory, then check them against the Script and Kanji Focus section.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the four Grammar Practice items above, if you have not already done so.
2. Explain, in your own words, why 増える and 減る are marked with が rather than を, and give one original example of each.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the Reading Practice passage. Identify every use of に比べて, 割合, 約, and cautious claim language, and explain what each one marks or limits.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your data summary following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Deliver or record your one-minute data summary, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
データと比較 — Reporting a simple data set to a general audience
Choose one simple data set about a familiar topic (real or invented for practice) and complete both parts below.
- Written summary: Write a short summary of your data set, following the Writing Workshop steps, including at least one use each of 増える or 減る, 〜に比べて, 割合 with 約, and a cautious claim expression.
- Spoken summary: Deliver a one-minute spoken version of your summary and respond to at least one follow-up question.
Assessment focus: accurate and natural use of 増える／減る, 〜に比べて, 割合, 約, and cautious claim language; a summary that matches the strength of its claims to the limits of the data; clear organization moving from overview to trend to comparison to interpretation; and comprehensibility for a listener or reader unfamiliar with the specific data set.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for the sorting task; check readings against the Script and Kanji Focus section above. Reasonable domain placements: データ／グラフ → graphs; 調査／回答者 → surveys; 割合／パーセント → percentages; 順位 → rankings; 傾向／増える／減る → trends; 好み → preferences; 費用 → costs.
Grammar Practice
- Model answer: 参加者が増えました。
- Model answer: 去年に比べて、費用が減った。
- Model answer: 賛成の人の割合は、約七十パーセントでした。
- Model answer: 参加者は増えている。ただし、この調査だけでは、理由まではっきりとは言えない。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- About sixty percent of respondents answered that participation had increased.
- Emma says this because the survey has only about fifty respondents, which is too small to clearly represent the overall trend.
- Emma plans to explain both the proportion of respondents who reported increased participation and the point that the trend may continue.
Listening Practice — Model summary
About fifty respondents participated in the survey. About sixty percent reported that their recycling participation had increased, and the overall number of participants has increased compared with last year. The speaker adds that this trend may continue, but because the number of respondents is small, the results cannot be said to clearly represent the trend for the whole community.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- About fifty local residents participated in the survey.
- About sixty percent of respondents answered that their recycling participation had increased.
- The number of participants this year has increased compared with last year.
- The passage notes that a high proportion of respondents were young as a distinctive feature of the survey.
- Model answer: 回答者の数が約五十人しかいないため marks 約 as limiting the figure to an approximation, and the following とは言えない caution limits how broadly the result should be interpreted.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended for item 1; see Grammar Practice guidance above. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that 増える and 減る are intransitive verbs describing a quantity's own change, so the quantity itself is the grammatical subject marked by が, not an object marked by を.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 去年に比べて marks the comparison point (last year); 割合 marks the proportion of young respondents; 約五十人 marks an approximate figure; とは言えない marks a cautious limitation on how the results should be interpreted.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written summary against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken summary against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe increases and decreases using 増える and 減る, compare a current figure against an earlier or alternative reference point using 〜に比べて, state a proportion using 割合, give an approximate figure using 約, and interpret a chart or survey cautiously without overstating what the data shows. You can summarize a simple data set for a general reader or listener in both writing and speech.