pronomen

Pronomen, or pronouns in English, are words that substitute for a noun or noun phrase. They enable reference to people, places, or things without repeating the noun. Pronouns typically encode information about person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), and in many languages gender and case. They form a core component of noun phrases and participate in sentence syntax as subjects, objects, or determiners.

Main categories include personal pronouns (I, you, he), possessives (my/mine, your/yours, his), reflexive (myself, themselves), demonstratives (this, those), interrogatives (who, what), relative (that, which, who), and indefinite pronouns (someone, anything). Some languages also use reciprocal, intensive, or distributive pronouns. In many languages, pronouns agree with the antecedent in gender, number, and case.

Pronouns can function as stand-alone noun phrases or as determiners modifying nouns (possessive determiners like my book). They also support ellipsis and cohesion across clauses. In pro-drop languages like Spanish or Italian, subject pronouns can be omitted when the verb form already indicates the subject. In many languages, pronoun references are governed by antecedents and binding rules to avoid ambiguity.

Cross-linguistically, pronoun systems vary widely in complexity and how they mark case, gender, and politeness. Contemporary discussions often address gender-neutral pronouns and inclusive language, reflecting debates about how pronoun choice signals identity and respect. Pronouns remain essential for reference, cohesion, and grammar across languages.