he
/hi/ (bre, ipa) · /hi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhē ē/ (ame, mw) · /hiː/ (bre, ipa) · /hiː/ (ame, ipa)
he — pronoun
1. the pronoun placed before a verb when referring to someone male who has already
the pronoun placed before a verb when referring to someone male who has already been introduced in the conversation
Christopher finished his homework early, so he went outside to play football.
he referring back to named male subject
Sayaka's brother works at the hospital; he is a nurse in the emergency room.
David adopted a stray cat from the shelter, and he feeds it twice a day.
João found a ladder lying in the street, and he carried it back to his house.
- she
female subject pronoun
文法句型
he + verb (subject position)
用法筆記
Common in both speech and writing. The referent (the male person or animal) must be clearly identifiable from the context.
常見錯誤
2. the pronoun you choose when the sex of the person does not matter or has not bee
the pronoun you choose when the sex of the person does not matter or has not been stated — for instance, when talking about a typical doctor, teacher, or citizen in general
At Niran's school, a student who wants to improve his grades must attend every class.
generic he with 'every student' implied
When a person applies for a passport at the Taipei office, he must provide two recent photographs.
A good teacher listens carefully when a student tells him about a problem.
Every new citizen of Canada should learn the laws of the province where he lives.
- they
modern gender-neutral alternative, now very common
文法句型
he + verb (referring to any person regardless of gender)
用法筆記
In modern English, 'they' is increasingly preferred for generic reference to avoid assuming gender. This use of 'he' is still found in formal writing but sounds dated to many speakers.
he — noun
- hesingular
- hesplural
1. a male being, whether human or animal, particularly when the gender is being poi
a male being, whether human or animal, particularly when the gender is being pointed out or compared with a female
The kitten turned out to be a he, so we named him Oliver.
a he = a male animal
The form asks you to check a box: he or she.
Rania noticed that three of the puppies were hes and two were shes.
The rescue team could not tell if the injured cat was a he or a she.
文法句型
a he
the he
hes (plural)
用法筆記
Used mainly in informal contexts such as talking about babies or pets. In formal writing, use 'male' instead.
常見錯誤
2. the Hebrew alphabet's fifth character, written as ה and pronounced as /heɪ/ or a
the Hebrew alphabet's fifth character, written as ה and pronounced as /heɪ/ or a short /hɛ/ sound
The name David begins with the letter dalet, not he.
letter-naming context
Niran practiced writing the letter he until his hand hurt.
In Hebrew class, Sade learned that he often appears at the end of feminine words.
The Hebrew letter he looks similar to the number five in some fonts.
文法句型
the letter he
he (letter name)
用法筆記
Unstressed, the letter is pronounced /hɛ/ or /heɪ/. When written with a dot inside (הּ), it is called 'he with a mappiq' and functions as a consonant.
he — symbol
1. the chemical sign for the gas helium, the lightest noble gas, used to fill party
the chemical sign for the gas helium, the lightest noble gas, used to fill party balloons and to cool scientific instruments
On the periodic table, He appears in the top row among the noble gases.
He as periodic-table abbreviation
The laboratory stores tanks of He for cooling the magnetic sensors.
Pedro filled fifty balloons with helium for his daughter's birthday party.
A small amount of helium mixed with oxygen helps deep-sea divers breathe.
文法句型
He (chemical formula context)
用法筆記
Always capitalised H followed by lowercase e. In chemical formulas, it appears as He (e.g. He-Ne laser).
常見錯誤
he — abbreviation
1. a written short form of 'Her Excellency' or 'His Excellency', a diplomatic title
a written short form of 'Her Excellency' or 'His Excellency', a diplomatic title used for government officials such as ambassadors, governors, and high commissioners
H.E. Ambassador Lucía García addressed the United Nations this morning.
H.E. before official title
The invitation was addressed to H.E. the Governor of Lagos State.
The letter began with the words 'To H.E. the High Commissioner.'
Wren received a reply signed by H.E. the Ambassador of Japan.
文法句型
H.E. + full name
H.E. + title
用法筆記
Usually written with periods (H.E.) in formal documents. Used before the full name or title.
2. a written short form of 'high efficiency', used on product labels to show that a
a written short form of 'high efficiency', used on product labels to show that a machine or device uses little energy for its work
The HE washing machine uses about half the water of a standard model.
HE before product noun
This air conditioner has an HE rating, which means lower electricity bills.
Imani bought an HE furnace that saved her family a lot of money.
The landlord installed an HE boiler in every apartment last winter.
- low efficiency
opposite rating category
文法句型
HE + noun
用法筆記
Commonly found on appliance labels and in technical specifications. Often written without periods as HE.
3. a written short form of 'high explosive', describing shells, bombs, or other mun
a written short form of 'high explosive', describing shells, bombs, or other munitions that contain a very powerful chemical blast charge
The military report mentioned the use of HE shells during the exercise.
HE modifying explosive-related nouns
The old warehouse was cleared of HE materials by the bomb disposal team.
The army tested a new type of HE round at the firing range.
Gabriel studied the effects of HE detonations on reinforced concrete walls.
文法句型
HE + noun (military)
用法筆記
Typically used in military, engineering, and safety contexts. Often combined with other abbreviations such as HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank).
4. a written short form of 'His Eminence', the formal title used when addressing a
a written short form of 'His Eminence', the formal title used when addressing a cardinal — a senior bishop of the Roman Catholic Church appointed by the Pope
H.E. Cardinal Reuben will celebrate mass at the cathedral next Sunday.
H.E. before ecclesiastical title
The letter began with the formal greeting 'To His Eminence, Cardinal Kian.'
H.E. Cardinal Liang visited the children's hospital to bless the patients.
The Vatican announced that H.E. would travel to Manila in October.
文法句型
H.E. + name (cardinal)
用法筆記
H.E. for 'His Eminence' uses the same abbreviation as 'His Excellency'. Context determines which meaning applies. Usually followed by the cardinal's title and surname.