A database character set is a collection of characters that a database can store and process. It is important to choose the correct character set for your database, as it will affect the way that data is stored and retrieved. There are many different character sets available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common character set is UTF-8, which can store a wide range of characters from many different languages.
There are several ways to check the character set of a database. One way is to use the `SHOW VARIABLES` command. This command will display a list of all the variables that are set for the database, including the character set. Another way to check the character set of a database is to use the `CHARACTER SET` function. This function will return the character set of the current database.