Her: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：female object or possessive pronoun (her)

her 🔊

/hɜːr/

pron.

A word used to refer to a female person or animal that has already been mentioned. It can be used as an object (e.g., I see her) or to show possession (e.g., her book).

Girl reading a book with mother pointing at her

female object or possessive pronoun 🔊

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/ˈfiːmeɪl ˈɑːbdʒɪkt ɔːr pəˈzɛsɪv ˈproʊnaʊn/

pron.

The word 'her' is used in English to refer to a female person or animal already known, either as the object of a verb or preposition (e.g., I see her), or to indicate possession (e.g., her book).

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'hire', dative and genitive singular of 'hēo' (she).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Her' = 'H' (she) + 'er' (like 'herself'), always referring to a female.

📖 Example

Her sister is very kind and always helps her with homework. 🔊 Her sister is very kind and always helps her with homework.

🔗 Collocations

her own – belonging specifically to the female

tell her – to communicate something to a female

with her – accompanied by the female

🔄 Synonyms

hers (pron.) – A possessive form of 'her' used without a following noun (e.g., 'The book is hers').

she (pron.) – The subject form of the female pronoun (e.g., 'She runs').

herself (pron.) – Reflexive form of 'her' (e.g., 'She hurt herself').

🚫 Antonyms

him (pron.) – The male object or possessive pronoun.

his (pron.) – The male possessive pronoun.

🌱 Derivatives

hers (pron.) – The possessive form of 'her' used independently.

herself (pron.) – Reflexive or emphatic form of 'her'.

📖 Cultural Story

The pronoun 'her' evolved from the Old English 'hire', used as both possessive and object form. It has remained stable in English for over a thousand years, reflecting the language's Germanic roots.