USB is the standard way of plugging things into a computer — a mouse, a keyboard, a printer, a phone, a camera — using one common kind of cable and socket, so that all of them work with the same port. It also carries electricity, which is why you charge your phone from a USB socket, and why USB plugs now appear in hotel walls, on aeroplanes and in cars, far from any computer.

USB is USB是 the standard way of plugging things into a computer 把東西接上電腦的標準方式——a mouse, a keyboard, a printer, a phone, a camera 像滑鼠、鍵盤、印表機、手機、相機——using one common kind of cable and socket 用同一種接頭和插孔，so that all of them work with the same port 讓這些東西都能用同一種孔接上。It also carries electricity 它也能傳電，which is why you charge your phone from a USB socket 這就是為什麼你會用USB插孔幫手機充電，and why USB plugs now appear in hotel walls, on aeroplanes and in cars 也是為什麼現在旅館牆上、飛機上、車上都看得到USB插孔，far from any computer 離電腦老遠。

In everyday speech the word has quietly stretched. "Pass me the USB" almost always means the little memory stick, not the system — in Taiwan people call that 隨身碟 in Chinese and "USB" in English, and both are perfectly normal.

In everyday speech 在日常口語裡，the word has quietly stretched 這個字的意思悄悄擴大了。"Pass me the USB" 「Pass me the USB」（把USB拿給我）almost always means the little memory stick 幾乎都是指那個小小的隨身碟，not the system 不是指這個技術本身——in Taiwan people call that 隨身碟 in Chinese and "USB" in English 在台灣中文叫它隨身碟、英文就直接說USB，and both are perfectly normal 這兩種說法都很正常。

You will also hear "a USB cable", "a USB port", "plug it into USB". Say the three letters separately: "you-ess-BEE".

You will also hear 你也會聽到 "a USB cable", "a USB port", "plug it into USB" 「a USB cable」、「a USB port」、「plug it into USB」這些說法。Say the three letters separately 這三個字母要分開唸："you-ess-BEE" 唸成「you-ess-BEE」。

One practical thing: there are different shapes — the old rectangular USB-A, the small USB-C that phones and laptops use now — so "do you have a USB cable?" is often a question worth answering with "which end?"

One practical thing 有一件實際的事：there are different shapes 接頭的形狀不只一種——the old rectangular USB-A 舊的長方形USB-A，the small USB-C that phones and laptops use now 現在手機和筆電在用的小型USB-C——so "do you have a USB cable?" 所以「你有USB線嗎？」 is often a question worth answering with "which end?" 常常值得反問一句「哪一種接頭？」。