her

her — pronoun

IPA/hə(r)/
KK[hˈɚ]IPA/hər/

1. the object form of 'she', used when a female person or animal is the receiver of

1.pronounA1
Definition

the object form of 'she', used when a female person or animal is the receiver of an action or comes after a preposition such as 'to', 'for', 'with', or 'about'.

Example

Harper spotted Beatrix across the street and called out to her.

object of preposition 'to'

The nurse handed her a warm blanket and a cup of tea.

indirect object of 'handed'

Common collocations
  • tell her
  • give her
  • ask her
  • help her
  • call her
  • listen to her
  • look at her
  • with her
  • for her
Antonyms
  • him

    object form for a male person or animal

Grammar Patterns

verb + her

preposition + her

be + her

Usage Note

Common after prepositions (to, for, with, about, at) and as the direct or indirect object of verbs. After the verb 'be', use 'she' in formal writing, but 'her' is common in informal speech: 'It was her who called.'

Common Mistakes

Me and her went to the store.
She and I went to the store.
Use subject form 'she' (not object form 'her') when the person does the action.
I gave the book to she.
I gave the book to her.
Use object form 'her' after a preposition.

2. a formal or literary way of speaking about a nation, ship, or vehicle as though

2.pronounB1
Definition

a formal or literary way of speaking about a nation, ship, or vehicle as though it were a female person, found in poetry, patriotic writing, and affectionate descriptions of boats or cars.

Example

Taiwan has beautiful coastlines, and many sailors come to visit her each year.

country as 'her'

The captain loved the old schooner and spent every weekend repairing her.

ship as 'her'

Common collocations
  • visit her
  • repair her
  • love her
  • sail her
  • drive her

Grammar Patterns

verb + her

preposition + her

Usage Note

This sense is much rarer in modern everyday speech. It appears most often in poetry, patriotic writing about one's country, or affectionate descriptions of boats and cars. In ordinary conversation, people usually say 'it' instead.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'I saw a nice boat at the harbour and bought it.' (sounds cold for a cherished boat) — In very informal contexts with a beloved vehicle, some speakers use 'her', though 'it' is always grammatically correct.

her — determiner

IPA/hɜːr/
KK[hˈɚ]IPA/hɝː/

her — adjective

her — abbreviation

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: pronoun/1

'She' is the subject form and performs the action ('She called me'), while 'her' is the object form and receives the action ('I called her'). 'Hers' is the possessive pronoun that replaces a noun ('That bag is hers'), whereas 'her' as a determiner must be followed by a noun ('her bag'). 'Herself' is a reflexive pronoun used when the subject and object are the same female person ('She hurt herself') or for emphasis ('She herself wrote the report'). Learners at A1 level should master the she/her contrast first, then add hers and herself at A2.

her ↗she ↗hers ↗herself ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • her + noun (possession)

Prepositions

  • to her
  • for her
  • with her
  • about her
  • at her
  • from her
  • without her

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'her' comes from Old English 'hire', which was the dative (indirect object) and genitive (possessive) form of 'hēo' (she). Over centuries, the object and possessive uses merged into the single form 'her' in Modern English, while the subject form developed into 'she'. The use of 'her' for countries, ships, and cars reflects a tradition of personifying these things as female, a pattern found in many Indo-European languages.