# he

Pronunciation: say "HEE" /ˈhiː/

## Pronoun

1. Used as the subject to refer to a male person or animal already mentioned or clear from the situation, including anyone who identifies as male.
   - Simple: Used as the subject to talk about a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned or clear from the situation.
   - _My brother said he would meet us at the station._
   - _The stallion is nervous, and he will not let anyone near._
2. Used to refer to a person or animal whose sex is unknown or not stated; for people, 'they' is now more usual.
   - Simple: Used for a person or animal of unknown sex. For people, 'they' is now more usual.
   - _The reader will notice that he is never told the narrator's name._
   - _A doctor must always put his patient first, whatever he may think of him._
4. Used of a sexless thing regarded as masculine, especially the sun, certain planets in older astronomy, or certain ships. *(literary)*
   - Simple: In older or poetic use, refers to the sun, a planet, or a ship as if male.
   - _The sun is at his highest in June, when he stands over the tropic._
   - _Mercury is hard to see, since he never strays far from the sun._

## Noun

3. A male person or animal, especially in contrast with a female. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A male person or animal, as in 'Is it a he or a she?'
   - _Of the three kittens, two are hes and one's a she._
   - _Everyone assumed the writer was a he until the interview._
6. The chasing game tag, also known as it. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A children's chasing game, also called tag, where one player tries to catch the others.
   - _At break the whole class played he across the school field._
   - _There was a game of he going on by the swings._
7. In the game of tag, the player who chases and tries to catch the others. *(UK)*
   - Simple: In the game of tag, the player who chases the others and tries to touch them.
   - _Nobody wanted to be he, so we drew straws._
   - _Whoever is he has to count to twenty before chasing anyone._
8. The name of the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the corresponding letter of other Semitic alphabets, such as the first letter of the Old South Arabian abjad, transliterated as h. (pronounced: say "HAY" /heɪ/)
   - Simple: The name of a letter in Hebrew and other related alphabets, written as h in English letters.
   - _Scribes drew the he with a small gap between its roof and its left leg._
   - _In the Hebrew mysteries the letter he was tied to generation, Browne wrote._

## Interjection

5. A representation of laughter, usually doubled, lighter or more mischievous than ha ha. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A written sound of laughing, usually repeated, like 'ha ha' but lighter.
   - _He he, wait till she opens the box._
   - _The reply was just two words, he he, and a winking face._

## Other meanings

- (determiner) In African-American Vernacular English, used as a possessive determiner meaning his.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4, 6–7** — From Middle English he, from Old English hē, from Proto-Germanic *hiz ("this, this one"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís ("this"). It is related to Dutch hij, West Frisian hy, and German Low German he.
**Meaning 8** — Several Semitic alphabets have a letter for the "h" sound, including Phoenician 𐤄, Hebrew ה, Classical Syriac ܗ, and Old South Arabian 𐩠, and this name is their transliteration in English letters.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/he (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).