Word
Definition
pron. the word you use to talk about a woman or girl who has already been mentioned. It is used as the object of a sentence or after a preposition.
pron. the objective case of the third-person singular feminine pronoun. Functions as the direct or indirect object of a verb or as the object of a preposition.
Examples
“I saw her at the park yesterday.”
“The manager asked to speak with her regarding the new project schedule for next month.”
“While the committee initially doubted her expertise, she eventually convinced them through a series of meticulously researched presentations that addressed every technical concern they raised.”
Examples
simple
“I saw her at the park yesterday.”
contextual
“The manager asked to speak with her regarding the new project schedule for next month.”
complex
“While the committee initially doubted her expertise, she eventually convinced them through a series of meticulously researched presentations that addressed every technical concern they raised.”
Usage
Functions as an object pronoun; contrast with 'she', which is the subject form.
Pitfall
I gave the book to she.
I gave the book to her.
'Her' must be used after a preposition or as an object, whereas 'she' is only for the subject of a verb.
Etymology
From Middle English here, hir, hire, from Old English hire (“her”), from Proto-Germanic hezōi (dative and genitive singular of hijō). Cognate with North Frisian hör, Saterland Frisian hier, hiere (“her”), West Frisian har (“her”), Dutch haar (“her”), German Low German hör (“her”), German ihr (“her”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Grammar
For Mandarin speakers
Pronunciation Mandarin lacks the r-colored vowel /ɜːr/ found in the rhotic pronunciation of 'her'. Speakers typically substitute it with the Mandarin 'e' sound as in '车 (chē)', often producing a flatter vowel followed by a separate /r/ or /l/ approximation.
Grammar Mandarin uses a single spoken third-person pronoun '她/他/它 (tā)' for subject and object positions. Learners frequently substitute 'she' for 'her' because Mandarin does not inflect pronouns for case.
For Japanese speakers
Pronunciation The Japanese phonology lacks the /h/ sound before /ə/ or /ɜː/, often mapping it to the labialized /ɸ/ used in 'fu' /ɸɯ/. This leads to a pronunciation like 'fuu' /ɸɯː/ instead of the English /hə/.
Grammar Japanese marks grammatical roles with particles rather than case-inflected pronouns, using 彼女 (kanojo) for both subject and object. Consequently, learners often substitute the subject form 'she' for the object form 'her' in sentences like 'I saw she' instead of 'I saw her'.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/her
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0