ENGLISH
REFERENCE

her

pron.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈhɝ// UK //hˈɜː// her General-service Informal

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.


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.

Origin

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”).

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.

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