数据库

• Pinyin: shù jù kù
• Hanzi breakdown: 数 = 米 + 攵 (grain + action — to count; data); 据 = 扌 + 居 (hand + to reside — to hold; data); 库 = 广 + 车 (shelter + vehicle — a storehouse; a repository)

Meaning

Database; a structured collection of data stored and managed electronically.

Core term in computing, IT, and data science. 关系型数据库 (relational database), 数据库管理系统 (database management system, DBMS), 云数据库 (cloud database). Also used in research and government contexts for large structured data repositories.

Examples

1. 现代生物信息学依赖公共数据库，研究者上传基因组数据后可按协议共享使用。 Modern bioinformatics relies on public databases, and researchers can share and use genome data under the agreement after uploading it.
2. 企业迁移核心数据到云端数据库时，必须评估加密、权限和审计机制是否合规。 When a company moves core data to a cloud database, it must assess whether encryption, access control, and audit mechanisms meet compliance standards.
3. 关系型数据库的规范化可减少冗余，但在高并发下过度规范化会拖慢查询。 Normalization in a relational database can reduce redundancy, but over-normalization can slow queries under heavy concurrency.

Usage Guide

Context: computing, data science, IT, research, government

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 国家医学数据库建设要平衡数据共享与患者隐私，任何偏向都可能损害科研或信任。(Building a national medical database must balance data sharing and patient privacy, because any bias can hurt research or public trust.)
• 向量数据库是AI时代的重要演进，能高效检索非结构化数据，弥补传统数据库瓶颈。(Vector databases are an important development in the AI era, efficiently retrieving unstructured data and addressing the bottlenecks of traditional databases.)

Don't Say

• 数据库 loosely to refer to any collection of data files or spreadsheets — 数据库 specifically refers to a structured, software-managed system for storing, querying, and managing data; for unstructured data collections use 数据集 (dataset) or 数据仓库 (data warehouse) as appropriate; calling a folder of spreadsheets a 数据库 is technically inaccurate

Origin & History

数 (number; data — 米 grain + 攵 action) + 据 (to hold; data/basis — 扌hand radical + 居 to reside) + 库 (storehouse; repository — 广 shelter + 车 vehicle)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal