Him: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：him (him)

him 🔊

/hɪm/

pron.

Used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned.

Boy skateboarding in park with person pointing at him

him 🔊

➕

/hɪm/

pron.

Used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a male person or animal that has been previously mentioned or is known.

📁 Category：Language Evolution 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Him originates from Old English 'him', dative/accusative form of 'he'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Him' as the object form of 'he' - just add an 'm' to 'hi'.

📖 Example

My brother is coming to visit, so I need to prepare a room for him. 🔊 My brother is coming to visit, so I need to prepare a room for him.

🔗 Collocations

give it to him – Hand the item to that male person.

with him – In the company of that male person.

for him – On behalf of or intended for that male person.

🔄 Synonyms

her (pron.) – Used to refer to a female person or animal as object.

them (pron.) – Used to refer to multiple people or things as object.

it (pron.) – Used to refer to a non-human or unknown gender object.

🚫 Antonyms

her (pron.) – The feminine object pronoun, opposite gender.

me (pron.) – First person singular object pronoun.

🌱 Derivatives

himself (pron.) – Reflexive form of him, used for emphasis or when the subject and object are the same male.

his (pron./adj.) – Possessive form of he/him, indicating belonging to a male.

he (pron.) – Nominative form of the masculine pronoun.

📖 Cultural Story

Him derives from Proto-Germanic *himma, a dative form. In Old English, 'him' served as both dative and accusative for masculine singular. It is a core personal pronoun.