What is difference between him and her
by Yogi P - October 18, 2023
Difference between him and her
When it comes to commonly confused English words, few come close to him and her. Both words are pronouns, yet they don’t share the same usage. This article will explain the difference in the meanings and usages of both words, walking you through examples to give a better understanding of how they should be used in sentences.
Him is the objective form of the third person masculine pronoun. This means it is used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition, or often both. It is also used to refer to males, masculine pronouns, and even some animals.
For example,
- He hugged him tightly.
- He was annoyed with him.
- He spoke to him.
Her is the objective form of the third person feminine pronoun. This means it is used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition, or often both. It is also used to refer to females, feminine pronouns, and animals.
For example,
- She hugged her tightly.
- She was annoyed with her.
- She spoke to her.
Let’s look at the table below which helps to summarise the difference between him and her:
| Word | Him | Her |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Third Person Masculine Pronoun | Third Person Feminine Pronoun |
| Usage | When the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition | When the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition |
| Examples | He hugged him tightly. | She hugged her tightly. |
It’s clear from the table that the difference between him and her is all about the gender of the pronoun. Him is used for a masculine pronoun, while her is used for a feminine pronoun.
To better understand the proper usage of these words, let’s look at a few examples here:
- He saw her in a crowded room.
- She gave him a gift on his birthday.
- He wants to buy her a car.
- She cooked him a delicious dinner.
One helpful activity you could undertake to better assimilate the differences between him and her is to go through texts you come across and analyze how they are employed. Try highlighting all the usages of him and her in the text and look to understand why they were used in that particular context.
Conclusion
To sum it up, while there is some confusion around the proper usage of him and her, they have very distinct meanings and applications. Him is used for a masculine pronoun, while her is used for a feminine pronoun. To correctly use these words, consider the context of the sentence and pay attention to the gender of the pronouns being referred to.
