هو
huwa
The Arabic word for "he" is هو (huwa).
The pronoun هو is used to refer to a singular masculine subject. This includes both humans and non-human entities.
Meaning: personal pronoun "he" (pron)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, the word for "he" is pronounced as هوي.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun هو is used for both human and non-human singular masculine subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
huwa
Did you know?
- In the specialized language of Sufi mysticism, the word هو is elevated from a simple pronoun to a name for the Divine Essence, representing a God that is beyond human comprehension.
- In Classical Arabic, هو can be used as a 'detached pronoun' to create a sentence like 'He is the teacher' without needing a verb for 'is'.
- The word هو is linguistically related to the Proto-Semitic form *šuʔa, showing its deep historical roots in the region.
Examples in context
- هو من قال ذلك.He said that.This sentence demonstrates the use of هو to identify who said something.Tatoeba #10799311 by Amghar, translation #2853910 by Amastan
- هو من بدأ ذلك.He started that.This sentence shows how هو is used to identify who started an action.Tatoeba #10799342 by Amghar, translation #2855664 by Amastan
- هو من سبب هذا.He caused this.This sentence illustrates using هو to identify the cause of something.Tatoeba #10799550 by Amghar, translation #2862209 by Amastan
- هو ذهب إلى المدرسة.He went to school.
- هو يقرأ الكتاب.He is reading the book.
- ده راح الشغل.He went to work.
- هو بيشتغل في البنك.He works at the bank.
- 534 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are looking at a photo of a man.
- عمر Omarهل هو أخوك؟hal huwa akhuk?Is he your brother?
- سارة Saraلا، هو صديقي.la, huwa sadiqi.No, he is my friend.
- عمر Omarهو يبدو لطيفاً.huwa yabdu latifan.He looks kind.
- سارة Saraنعم، هو شخص رائع.na'am, huwa shakhs ra'i'.Yes, he is a wonderful person.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries هو, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
