English Dictionary
Definition he in British English
he
pronoun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.
These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
pronoun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
He is used as the subject of a verb. Some people prefer to use he after the verb ‘to be’ but this sounds very formal and old-fashioned: It is he whom I love. In American English, however, ‘This is he’ is the usual way that a man replies on the telephone when someone asks to speak to him: ‘May I speak with John?’ ‘This is he.’
Words that may cause offence
He, him, his, and himself are sometimes used for referring to a person of either sex, for example in writing about something that may apply to a man or to a woman. However, many people think that this use suggests that women are not included or that men are more important than women. To avoid causing offence, you can use expressions such as he or she, he/she, s/he, him/her, or him/herself in writing. In conversation, many people say they, them, their, and themselves to refer to a person without mentioning whether the person is male or female.
