הוא / היא / הם / הן

He She and They

Level 1

הוא and היא mean he/she or it. הם and הן mean they for masculine or feminine groups in standard agreement.

How It Works

People and Objects

Use הוא for one masculine noun and היא for one feminine noun. הספר חדש. הוא מעניין means the book is new; it is interesting. The masculine pronoun matches ספר.

Groups

הם is the standard masculine plural form, including a mixed group, and הן is the feminine plural form. Match the verb or adjective too: הן עייפות uses feminine plural agreement.

Conversational speakers sometimes use הם for feminine groups as well. Recognize that usage when listening; this lesson gives you the explicit standard feminine form rather than labeling the conversational pattern impossible. These subject pronouns are different from object forms such as אותם and אותן.

Examples (5)

  1. הוא בבית.

    He is at home.

    הוא identifies a male person here.

  2. היא בבית.

    She is at home.

    היא identifies a female person here.

  3. הספר חדש. הוא מעניין.

    The book is new. It is interesting.

    ספר is grammatically masculine, so the pronoun is הוא.

  4. הם עובדים היום.

    They are working today.

    The verb has masculine plural agreement.

  5. הן עובדות היום.

    They are working today.

    The pronoun and verb both have feminine plural agreement.

Common Mistakes

  • Using singular agreement for a plural subject.

    הן עובדת היום.
    הן עובדות היום.

    הן refers to more than one person, so this present verb needs the plural form עובדות.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

הוא / היא / הם / הןLevel 1He She and They

Learn This First

Extend personal reference to a person or group being discussed.