매출·영업이익·순이익 뜻: Read earnings headlines

Use a 매출→영업이익→순이익 ‘profit stack’ + 마진 sign-check to rewrite 10 Korean earnings headlines without flipping good/bad.

Today’s numbers (example)

Here’s a generic “earnings recap” style set of numbers and how to read them in Korean without panicking about units.

• 매출 2조 3,400억 원maechul 2jo 3,400eok won — Revenue of 2.34 trillion won (watch 조jo + 억eok stacking).
• 영업이익 680억 원yeoeobiik 680eok won — Operating profit of 68.0 billion won.
• 영업이익률 9.2% (전년 대비 1.1%p 상승)yeoeobiikryul 9.2% (jeonnyeon daebi 1.1%p sangseung) — Operating margin 9.2% (up 1.1 percentage points year-on-year).

Tip: % is a rate, but %p is the change in a rate. Korean headlines often write %p as 퍼센트포인트peosenteupointeu.

Collocation table

Numbers drill

Read these out loud in Korean, then say the meaning in English.

1. 매출 3조 2,500억 원maechul 3jo 2,500eok won — Revenue of 3.25 trillion won.
2. 영업이익 450억 원yeoeobiik 450eok won — Operating profit of 45.0 billion won.
3. 당기순이익 120억 원danggisuniik 120eok won — Net profit for the period of 12.0 billion won.
4. 영업이익률 7.8%yeoeobiikryul 7.8% — Operating margin of 7.8%.
5. 전년 대비 1.4%p 개선jeonnyeon daebi 1.4%p gaeseon — Improved by 1.4 percentage points year-on-year.

Next steps

Practice rewriting real headlines by forcing a “profit stack” summary first: top line (매출maechul) → core profit (영업이익yeoeobiik) → bottom line (순이익suniik) → efficiency (영업이익률yeoeobiikryul). Then do the drill below: underline the direction words (증가/감소jeungga/gamso, 급증/급감geupjeung/geupgam, 전환jeonhwan, 축소chukso, 개선/악화gaeseon/akhwa) and translate them before you translate the numbers.

10-headline rewrite drill (profit stack)

Rewrite each headline into 1–2 English sentences without flipping good/bad.

1. A사 3분기 매출 2조 원…전년 대비 12% 증가Asa 3bungi maechul 2jo won…jeonnyeon daebi 12% jeungga
2. B사 매출 8,400억 원…수요 둔화로 6% 감소Bsa maechul 8,400eok won…suyo dunhwaro 6% gamso
3. C사 영업이익 680억 원…원가 부담으로 35% 감소Csa yeoeobiik 680eok won…wonga budameuro 35% gamso
4. D사 영업이익 120억 원…전년 대비 2배 증가Dsa yeoeobiik 120eok won…jeonnyeon daebi 2bae jeungga
5. E사 영업이익 흑자 전환…비용 절감 효과Esa yeoeobiik heukja jeonhwan…biyong jeolgam hyogwa
6. F사 영업이익 적자 폭 축소…적자 축소세 지속Fsa yeoeobiik jeokja pok chukso…jeokja chuksose jisok
7. G사 순이익 120억 원…일회성 요인으로 급증Gsa suniik 120eok won…ilhoeseong yoineuro geupjeung
8. H사 순이익 급감…환율 영향으로 이익 줄어Hsa suniik geupgam…hwanyul yeonghyaeuro iik jureo
9. I사 순이익 적자 전환…금융비용·법인세 영향Isa suniik jeokja jeonhwan…geumyungbiyong·beobinse yeonghyang
10. J사 영업이익률 7.8%…전년 대비 1.4%p 개선Jsa yeoeobiikryul 7.8%…jeonnyeon daebi 1.4%p gaeseon

Copy/paste mini-dialogues (Korean + English)

A: 오늘 실적 기사 봤어?oneul siljeok gisa bwasseo? B: 응. 매출은 늘었는데 영업이익이 줄었더라.eung. maechureun neureotneunde yeoeobiigi jureotdeora. A (English): Did you see today’s earnings article? B (English): Yeah. Revenue rose, but operating profit fell.

A: 흑자 전환이면 무조건 좋은 거야?heukja jeonhwanimyeon mujogeon joheun geoya? B: 대체로는 좋은데, 어떤 기준의 이익인지도 봐야 해.daecheroneun joheunde, eotteon gijunui iiginjido bwaya hae. A (English): If it “swung to profit,” is it always good? B (English): Usually yes, but you should also check which profit metric it is.

A: 영업이익률 1.2%p 상승이면 얼마나 오른 거지?yeoeobiikryul 1.2%p sangseuimyeon eolmana oreun geoji? B: 퍼센트가 아니라 퍼센트포인트로 1.2만큼 오른 거야.peosenteuga anira peosenteupointeuro 1.2mankeum oreun geoya. A (English): If operating margin is up 1.2%p, how much is that? B (English): It’s not percent; it’s up by 1.2 percentage points.

Mini quiz (fill the blank)

1. 4분기 ____ 1조 원 돌파4bungi ____ 1jo won dolpa (top line)
2. 원가 부담으로 ____ 감소wonga budameuro ____ gamso (core operations)
3. 환율 영향으로 ____ 적자 전환hwanyul yeonghyaeuro ____ jeokja jeonhwan (bottom line)
4. ____ 8.1%로 1.2%p 상승____ 8.1%ro 1.2%p sangseung (rate)

Answers:

1. 매출maechul
2. 영업이익yeoeobiik
3. 순이익suniik / 당기순이익danggisuniik
4. 영업이익률yeoeobiikryul

Notes:

• Q1: 매출maechul is the top-line sales figure, so it matches headlines about “breaking 1 trillion won” in sales.
• Q2: 영업이익yeoeobiik is the profit from core operations; cost pressure most directly maps to operating profit changes.
• Q3: 순이익suniik and 당기순이익danggisuniik both refer to net profit for the period in headlines; the “FX impact” framing is commonly discussed at the net level.
• Q4: A % level plus a %p change describes a margin rate, so 영업이익률yeoeobiikryul is the natural fit.