Word
their
US/ˈðɛɹ/
UK/ðˈeə/
Definition
det. belonging to or connected with a group of people, animals, or things that you have already mentioned. You use it to show that something is owned by them.
det. the possessive form of the third-person plural pronoun 'they', used to indicate ownership or association. It is also increasingly used as a gender-neutral singular possessive to refer to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant.
Examples
“The children are playing with their new toys in the garden.”
“The neighbors asked if we could watch their dog while they are away on vacation next week.”
“While the committee members expressed diverse opinions during the debate, they eventually reached a consensus and submitted their final report to the board for review.”
Examples
simple
“The children are playing with their new toys in the garden.”
contextual
“The neighbors asked if we could watch their dog while they are away on vacation next week.”
complex
“While the committee members expressed diverse opinions during the debate, they eventually reached a consensus and submitted their final report to the board for review.”
Usage
A possessive determiner that must be followed by a noun or noun phrase.
Confusables
Their shows ownership, they're is the short form of 'they are', and there points to a place or introduces a fact.
RememberTheir has an 'i' for ownership; there contains 'here'; they're has an apostrophe for 'a'.
Etymology
From Old Norse þeirra. Replaced native Old English heora.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Grammar
For Mandarin speakers
Pronunciation Mandarin lacks the voiced dental fricative /ð/, leading speakers to substitute the voiced alveolar plosive /d/, resulting in the pronunciation of 'their' as /deə/.
Grammar Mandarin uses the possessive particle 的 (de) for both singular and plural pronouns (他们的 tāmen de), which lacks the specific phonetic distinction found between 'his/her' and 'their'. Consequently, learners may generalize the singular possessive form to plural contexts when speaking rapidly.
For Japanese speakers
Pronunciation Japanese lacks the dental fricative /ð/, so speakers substitute the voiced alveolar plosive /d/ or /z/. This results in /zeː/ or /deː/ instead of /ðɛər/.
Grammar Japanese possessives use the particle 'no' (の) which does not change based on number or person. Consequently, learners may over-rely on a single possessive form or omit 'their' when the plural antecedent is implied by context rather than explicitly marked.
- 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/their