His: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：belonging to him (his)

his 🔊

/hɪz/

pron.

Belonging to or related to a male person that has been talked about.

Man holding his blue backpack with name tag Ben

belonging to him 🔊

➕

/bɪˈlɒŋɪŋ tə hɪm/

pron.

Used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with a male person previously mentioned or known.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'his', genitive of 'he'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'His' as 'He' + 'is' ownership: what belongs to him.

📖 Example

David loves his dog so much that he takes it for a walk every morning in the park. 🔊 David loves his dog so much that he takes it for a walk every morning in the park.

🔗 Collocations

his own – belonging exclusively to him

his name – the name that belongs to him

his turn – the moment or opportunity belonging to him

🔄 Synonyms

her (pron.) – Belonging to a female person

its (pron.) – Belonging to a thing or animal

their (pron.) – Belonging to them

🚫 Antonyms

hers (pron.) – Belonging to a female person (possessive form)

theirs (pron.) – Belonging to them (possessive form)

yours (pron.) – Belonging to you

🌱 Derivatives

himself (pron.) – The reflexive form of he, used to refer to the same male person

him (pron.) – The objective case of he

📖 Cultural Story

From Old English 'his', the possessive form of 'he'. It is one of the most common words in English, used to indicate ownership or relation. Its simplicity and frequency make it a cornerstone of everyday speech.