German · Greetings & Essentials
"He" in German: er
er
He in German is er. Say Er kommt später or Er ist Arzt. Object forms change: ihn (him) and ihm (to him) are not the headword er.
Waiting
Er schreibt gleich eine Nachricht.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce er
Say it
air
/eːɐ̯/
air. Short e as in get, soft r. Not English air with a long vowel.
"He" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| er | he Subject pronoun. | Subject pronoun. |
| er ist / er hat | he is / he has Common starters. | Common starters. |
| ihn | him (accusative) Different case form. | Different case form. |
| ihm | to him (dative) Different case form. | Different case form. |
How to use er in real life
- 1Waiting
Er schreibt gleich eine Nachricht.
He'll write a message any minute.
Er as subject.
- 2Work chat
Er kennt den neuen Chef schon.
He already knows the new boss.
Er kennt…
- 3Travel
Er fliegt morgen früh nach Berlin.
He flies to Berlin early tomorrow.
Er fliegt…
Mistakes English speakers make with er
Incorrect: Ihn ist müde.
Correct: Er ist müde.
Subject form is er, not ihn.
Incorrect: Er habe Hunger. (wrong mood for simple fact)
Correct: Er hat Hunger.
Everyday present is er hat.
Good to know
German keeps subject er separate from object ihn/ihm. Learners often mix them after English him—stay with er for the doer of the verb.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Waiting for a friend outside
ChatPal
Wo steckt er? Der Bus war pünktlich.
Where is he? The bus was on time.
You
Er schreibt gerade. Zwei Minuten.
He's writing right now. Two minutes.
ChatPal
Okay. Er kennt den Treffpunkt, oder?
Okay. He knows the meeting point, right?
You
Ja. Er war schon einmal hier.
Yes. He has been here once before.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"He" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "He" in German
How do you say he?
Er.
He is?
Er ist.
Him?
Ihn (accusative) / ihm (dative)—not er.
He has?
Er hat.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
