# he'd

CEFR A2 · Pronoun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hed
Updated: 2026-05-03

## Definition

a short way of saying 'he had' or 'he would'.

For teachers: a contraction representing the subject pronoun 'he' combined with the auxiliary verbs 'had' or 'would'.

## Examples

- He'd already finished his dinner when I arrived.
- If he knew the truth about the surprise party, he'd probably be very excited.
- He'd been working at the firm for over a decade before he finally decided that he'd like to pursue a career in the arts instead.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He'd went to the store." but "He'd gone to the store." — When 'he'd' means 'he had', it must be followed by the past participle (gone), not the simple past (went).

## Usage notes

- The meaning depends on the following verb: followed by a past participle, it means 'he had'; followed by an infinitive, it means 'he would'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.