his

His is the possessive form of the third-person singular masculine pronoun he in English. It functions as both a possessive determiner, placed before a noun (his car), and as a possessive pronoun when it stands alone to indicate ownership (That car is his).

Origin and form: The word derives from Old English as the possessive form of he and has remained relatively unchanged in modern English. The determiner form carries no apostrophe, unlike typical contractions such as he’s (he is or he has).

Usage: His denotes ownership by a male. It is used with a singular antecedent; for groups or nonbinary ownership, other forms such as their or theirs are used depending on context. The corresponding feminine forms are her (determiner) and hers (pronoun). As a pronoun, his can replace a noun phrase such as “his book” after a linking verb (That book is his).

Usage tips: Use his to attribute possession to a male without repeating the noun, either before a noun or as a predicate pronoun. It should not be confused with the contraction “he’s,” which means “he is” or “he has.” In capitalization, his is lowercase unless it begins a sentence or is part of a proper name or title.

See also: English pronouns, possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, grammar terminology.