# they're

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/theyre
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. contraction of 'they are'

pronoun · CEFR A1

a short way of writing or saying 'they are'.

For teachers: a contraction of the third-person plural pronoun 'they' and the verb 'are'.

- I talked to the neighbors and they're coming to the party tonight.
- The researchers have published their findings, and they're currently preparing for a follow-up study to verify the initial results.

Usage: Always functions as a subject followed by a predicate; cannot be used as a possessive determiner.

## Examples

- They're going to the park later today.
- I talked to the neighbors and they're planning to fix the fence this weekend.
- While the researchers are still analyzing the data, they're confident that the initial results will be replicated in the second phase of the study.

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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.