对于表和列:

show create table your_table_name

数据库:

USE your_database_name;
show variables like "character_set_database";
-- or:
-- show variables like "collation_database";

参考本页。查阅MySQL手册

我是这么做的——

对于模式(或数据库-它们是同义词):

SELECT default_character_set_name FROM information_schema.SCHEMATA 
WHERE schema_name = "schemaname";

表:

SELECT CCSA.character_set_name FROM information_schema.`TABLES` T,
       information_schema.`COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY` CCSA
WHERE CCSA.collation_name = T.table_collation
  AND T.table_schema = "schemaname"
  AND T.table_name = "tablename";

列:

SELECT character_set_name FROM information_schema.`COLUMNS` 
WHERE table_schema = "schemaname"
  AND table_name = "tablename"
  AND column_name = "columnname";

显示像'character_set_%'或'collation%'这样的变量

对于表和列:

show create table your_table_name

数据库:

只需使用这些命令:

USE db_name;
SELECT @@character_set_database;
-- or:
-- SELECT @@collation_database;