数据库 (shùjùkù)

An organized, structured repository of data stored electronically, designed for efficient retrieval, management, and updating -- the backbone of modern software systems.

Meanings

[noun] database

Example Sentences

这家医院建立了一个全国联网的患者数据库。 Zhè jiā yīyuàn jiànlìle yī gè quánguó liánwǎng de huànzhě shùjùkù. This hospital has established a nationally networked patient database.

工程师需要定期备份数据库以防止数据丢失。 Gōngchéngshī xūyào dìngqī bèifèn shùjùkù yǐ fángzhǐ shùjù diūshī. Engineers need to regularly back up the database to prevent data loss.

这款应用程序使用关系型数据库存储用户信息。 Zhè kuǎn yìngyòng chéngxù shǐyòng guānxì xíng shùjùkù cúnchú yònghù xìnxī. This application uses a relational database to store user information.

数据库遭到黑客攻击，数百万条用户记录被泄露。 Shùjùkù zāodào hēikè gōngjī, shù bǎi wàn tiáo yònghù jìlù bèi xièlòu. The database was hacked and millions of user records were leaked.

公共图书馆订阅了多个学术数据库供读者查阅文献。 Gōnggòng túshūguǎn dìngyuèle duō gè xuéshù shùjùkù gōng dúzhě cháyuè wénxiàn. The public library subscribes to multiple academic databases for readers to look up literature.

设计一个高效的数据库结构是软件开发的关键步骤。 Shèjì yī gè gāoxiào de shùjùkù jiégòu shì ruǎnjiàn kāifā de guānjiàn bùzhòu. Designing an efficient database structure is a key step in software development.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
建立数据库 (jiànlì shùjùkù)	to establish a database
关系型数据库 (guānxì xíng shùjùkù)	relational database
数据库管理 (shùjùkù guǎnlǐ)	database management
数据库安全 (shùjùkù ānquán)	database security
备份数据库 (bèifèn shùjùkù)	to back up a database
学术数据库 (xuéshù shùjùkù)	academic database

Usage Notes

数据库 is a technical term that has entered everyday Chinese through the ubiquity of technology. It is formed transparently: 数据 (data) + 库 (warehouse/storehouse). The same 库 morpheme appears in 图书馆 (library, literally "book storage"), 仓库 (warehouse), and 词库 (word bank).

At B2, this word is especially relevant for learners in STEM fields or anyone reading about technology and cybersecurity. Understanding that 库 means "repository" helps decode many related terms.

Memory Hook

数据 = data. 库 = storehouse or warehouse. A database is literally a "data warehouse" -- a giant organized storage facility for information. Imagine rows of numbered shelves stacked with data packages.