הוא
hu/huːʔ/
The Hebrew word for "he" is הוא (hu).
It can also function as the impersonal "it" when referring to nouns that are grammatically masculine.
Meaning: personal pronoun "he" (pron)
Which one should you use?
The masculine pronoun הוא is contrasted with the feminine pronoun היא, which means "she".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
הוא is used for both singular masculine subjects and for the impersonal "it" when referring to masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is hu and the IPA is /huːʔ/.
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word הוא is actually an ancient form of the verb 'to be'.
- While הוא translates to 'he', the word's structure is closely related to the Arabic word هو, showing a shared ancestral root from Proto-Semitic.
- The pronoun הוא can be used in a sentence without a verb, as Hebrew often omits the present tense 'to be' verb entirely.
Examples in context
- גם הוא לא בא.He isn't coming, either.Tatoeba #1960114 by fekundulo, translation #304918 by CK
- הוא לא זר לי.He is no stranger to me.Tatoeba #6032003 by fekundulo, translation #295809 by CK
- הוא אהב את זה.He liked that.Tatoeba #1672116 by MrShoval, translation #1671854 by Spamster
- 8132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agur and Itay are talking about a mutual friend.
- עגור Adiאיפה דני?Eifo Dani?Where is Dani?
- איתי Itayהוא נמצא בבית.Hu nimtsa babayit.He is at home.
- עגור Adiמתי הוא חוזר?Matay hu chozer?When is he coming back?
- איתי Itayהוא יחזור בקרוב.Hu yachzor bekarov.He will be back soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry הוא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries הוא, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
