he

hepronoun

1. a man or boyused as the subject of a sentence to refer to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned or clear from context

   He is the subject form; the object form is him, and the possessive determiner is his. Use he for a man or a boy, and often for a male animal such as a pet; for a woman or girl, use she.

   • Sam said he would be late.
   • Where is your brother? He is at school.
   • He works as a teacher.
   • My dog is friendly; he loves everyone.

   Compare she

2. either sexused, in older or formal writing, as the subject pronoun for a person whose sex is not stated or does not matter

   This generic use of he for a person of unstated sex is now old-fashioned; most writers today prefer they, or write he or she.

   old-fashioned

   • A good manager listens closely to what he is told.
   • If a customer complains, he should be treated politely.

See also she