His and Her are two possessive pronouns that are used to show ownership or belonging. Understanding the differences between these two pronouns can help you use them correctly in different contexts.
His vs Her
Meaning of His
His is a third-person singular possessive pronoun that is used to show ownership or belonging to a male person or animal.
Usage of His
- Used to indicate something belongs to a male person or animal. For ex. His car is parked outside.
- Used to indicate a male person’s relationship with another person or object. For ex. His wife is a doctor.
- Used to indicate ownership or possession of an things/object. For ex. He took his laptop with him.
Examples of His
- His dog barked at the mailman.
- John forgot his phone at home.
- His vehicle is parked outside
- He lent his jacket to his friend.
- His bookshelf was filled with novels and biographies.
- His job requires him to travel frequently.
Meaning of Her
Her is a third-person singular possessive pronoun that is used to show ownership or belonging to a female person or animal.
Usage of Her
- Used to indicate something belongs to a female person or animal. For ex. Her house is located in the outskirts.
- Used to indicate a female person’s relationship with another person or object. For ex. Her husband is a businessman.
- Used to indicate ownership or possession of an object. For ex. She left her gold chain on the table.
Examples of Her
- Her cat likes to curl up on her lap.
- Mary forgot her purse in the restaurant.
- Her mother taught her how to cook.
- She lent her scarf to her friend.
- Her bookshelf was filled with poetry and fiction.
- Her job requires her to attend meetings and conferences.
Differences between His and Her
| His | Her |
| Used to indicate ownership or belonging to a male person or animal | Used to indicate ownership or belonging to a female person or animal |
| Synonyms include male’s, his own and belonging to him | Synonyms include female’s, her own and belonging to her |
| Antonyms include not his and not belonging to him | Antonyms include not her and not belonging to her |
| Related to pronouns him, he and himself | Related to pronouns she, her and herself |
| Used with masculine nouns. Ex. his car, his book | Used with feminine nouns. Ex. her dress, her earrings |
| Indicates a male’s or masculine perspective or ownership | Indicates a female’s or feminine perspective or ownership |
| Used in conjunction with male names. Ex. His name is John | Used in conjunction with female names. Ex. Her name is Sarah |
| Used to show possession in gender-neutral contexts. Ex. His or her opinion | Used to show possession in gender-neutral contexts. Ex. The teacher asked for her or his homework |
| Example: His vehicle is parked outside | Example: Her house is located in the forest. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, His and Her are two possessive pronouns that are used to show ownership or belonging to a male or female person or animal. Understanding the differences between these two pronouns can help you use them correctly in different contexts. His is used for males, while Her is used for females. Both pronouns indicate possession or ownership and are often used in personal or individual contexts.