ـهُ
-hu
In Arabic, the English phrase "his" can be expressed using the suffix ـهُ (-hu) or the prepositional form لَه.
Meaning: attributive: belonging to him (det)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ـهُ | -hu | |
| لَه | lah | possessive, pronoun, without noun |
The word is used to indicate possession or belonging. Depending on whether you are attaching the word directly to a noun or using it more independently, the form changes.
Which one should you use?
Use the suffix -hu (written as ـهُ) when you are attaching 'his' directly to a noun to create a possessive construction, such as 'his book'. In contrast, use the form لَه (lah) when expressing possession or belonging more independently, such as saying 'it is his'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -hu (written as ـهُ) is an attached possessive pronoun used specifically when it is attached directly to a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
-hu
Did you know?
- While لَه means 'his' or 'belongs to him', it can also be used to say 'he has' because Arabic lacks a single verb specifically for 'to have'.
- The form لَه can create a nuance of 'right' or 'entitlement', suggesting not just that he owns it, but that he is the rightful owner.
- In many Arabic dialects, the formal suffix ـهُ is replaced by a simple '-o' or '-uh' sound, making 'his book' sound more like 'kitabo' rather than the classical 'kitabuhu'.
Examples in context
- أَذِنَ هِرَقْلُ لِعُظَمَاءِ الرُّومِ فِي دَسْكَرَةٍ لَهُ بِحِمْصَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِأَبْوَابِهَا فَغُلِّقَتْ.Heraclius invited all the heads of the Byzantines to assemble in his palace at Homs. When they assembled, he ordered that all the doors of his palace be closed.This sentence shows how لَه can be used to indicate a palace belonging to someone.Tatoeba #9084294 by alkhaldy, translation #9091072 by alkhaldy
- إِخْوَانُكُمْ خَوَلُكُمْ، جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَمَنْ كَانَ أَخُوهُ تَحْتَ يَدِهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُلْبِسْهُ مِمَّا يَلْبَسُ.Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears.This sentence uses لَه to describe a brother being under someone's command.Tatoeba #9091136 by alkhaldy, translation #9091140 by alkhaldy
- سَيَّارَتُهُHis car
- كِتَابُهُHis book
- أُخْتُهُHis sister
Sources
- Wiktionary, “his” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
