Hennes

Hennes is a Swedish word meaning her or hers, used as both a possessive determiner and a possessive pronoun for feminine singular owners. As a determiner it accompanies a noun, as in hennes bok (“her book”). As a stand‑alone pronoun it can mean “hers,” as in Är det hennes? (“Is that hers?”). In Swedish, possessive determiners agree with the possessor, and henne’s form corresponds to a feminine singular owner.

Historical and brand note: The term also appears in the history of the Swedish fashion company Hennes Mauritz AB, known today as H&M. Erling Persson opened a women’s clothing store named Hennes in Västerås in 1947. In 1968, Hennes merged with Mauritz Widforss, a Stockholm-based retailer, to form Hennes Mauritz AB, later shortened to H&M. The company’s branding eventually moved away from the standalone “Hennes” name, but the origin of the term remains part of Swedish retail history.

Linguistic context: Similar possessive forms exist in other Scandinavian languages. Norwegian Bokmål uses hennes for “her” or “hers,” and Danish uses hendes for the same purpose. The form demonstrates how Scandinavian languages express ownership through gendered possessive words that align with the possessor rather than the possessed object.

Notes for learners: Distinguish between the determiner use (hennes bil) and the standalone pronoun use (Det är hennes). Practice with common phrases to become comfortable with both functions in everyday Swedish.