Cognition is the mind’s work of knowing: noticing, understanding, remembering, and learning. It is not one single thought, and it is not the same as “being clever.” Psychologists use it as a wide name for how we take in the world and make sense of it.

Cognition認知 is the mind's work of knowing是心智認識世界的運作，noticing, understanding, remembering, and learning包括注意、理解、記憶和學習。It is not one single thought它不是單一的想法，and it is not the same as “being clever”也不等於「聰明」，Psychologists use it as a wide name心理學家用它泛指，for how we take in the world and make sense of it我們接收並理解世界的方式。

You will meet it in school and science: “animal cognition,” “social cognition.” In everyday English, people more often just say “thinking” or “learning,” but those words are a bit narrower. Though actually, cognition covers more than slow, careful thinking (that is closer to cogitation); it also includes quick noticing and understanding without sitting down to ponder.

You will meet it in school and science你會在學校和科學領域遇到它：“animal cognition,”「動物認知」、“social cognition.”「社會認知」。In everyday English在日常英文裡，people more often just say “thinking” or “learning,”大家比較常只說「thinking」或「learning」，but those words are a bit narrower但那些字的意思比較窄。Though actually不過其實，cognition covers more than slow, careful thinking認知涵蓋的不只是緩慢仔細的思考(that is closer to cogitation)（那比較接近 cogitation深思），it also includes quick noticing and understanding without sitting down to ponder還包括不必坐下來細想的快速注意和理解。

It is a formal, academic noun. You do not say “I cognition.” You talk about someone’s cognition, or human cognition.

It is a formal, academic noun這是個正式、學術性的名詞。You do not say “I cognition.”你不會說「I cognition」這種話，you talk about someone's cognition而是會說 someone's cognition某人的認知，or human cognition或 human cognition人類認知。