cohen

cohen — noun

1. A common family name, especially of Jewish people around the world. Many people

1.名詞B1
釋義

A common family name, especially of Jewish people around the world. Many people with this surname are not descendants of the priestly family.

例句

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer and poet known for his song 'Hallelujah.'

famous bearer of the surname

At medical conferences, Dr. Yael Cohen's colleagues ask about her surname's Hebrew origin.

surname origin as conversation topic

文法句型

[first name] + Cohen

2. In Judaism, a man who is a male descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and w

2.名詞C1
釋義

In Judaism, a man who is a male descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and who has the hereditary right to perform certain religious ceremonies, such as blessing the congregation and reading from the Torah.

例句

The cohen raised both hands to bless the congregation during the festival.

cohen + raise hands + bless congregation

In many synagogues, a cohen is called first to read from the Torah scroll.

first called to read Torah

同義詞
  • kohen

    Alternate transliteration of the same Hebrew word; used interchangeably in English contexts.

  • priest

    More general term; 'cohen' specifies a Jewish priest of Aaronic descent, while 'priest' can refer to any religion's clergy.

文法句型

the cohen

a cohen

用法筆記

Status as a cohen is inherited through the male line, not earned through study or ordination. This distinguishes a cohen from a rabbi, who is a teacher and spiritual leader regardless of family background.

常見錯誤

❌He became a cohen after studying at the rabbinical school.
✅He is a cohen by birth because his father was a cohen.
💡A cohen's status comes from patrilineal descent from Aaron, not from training or ordination.
❌All rabbis are cohens.
✅Some rabbis are cohens, but many are not.
💡Being a rabbi and being a cohen are separate statuses; a person can be one, both, or neither.