In German
er
Meaning: he
Example sentences
EristmeinBruder.
He is my brother.
ErhatkeineZeit.
He has no time.
ErwohntinBerlin.
He lives in Berlin.
Grammar note
“Er” pairs with the third-person-singular “-t” ending: “er kommt”, “er macht”, “er spielt”. It replaces any masculine noun, not just people — “der Tisch” (the table) also becomes “er” in a later sentence.
Common mistake
Don't assume “er” only means “he” for a person — because German nouns have grammatical gender, “er” also stands in for any masculine object, like “der Stuhl” (the chair) or “der Hund” (the dog).
Quick check
Which German word means “he”?
More words on this topic
Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
Can “er” refer to an object, not a person?
Yes — it replaces any masculine noun, like “der Tisch” (table) or “der Hund” (dog).
How do you conjugate a verb for “er”?
Add “-t” to the stem: “er kommt”, “er macht”.