them

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled themu

US /ˈðɛm/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like dem /ð/ vs /d/

pron det Freq #81

Meanings

1

pron
Used to refer to people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition.

She treated them for a cold.
2

pron
Used to refer to a single person whose gender is unknown, unstated, or non-binary.

If a student has a question, do your best to help them.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

dem em hem

Word family

Forms ems

Related forms he herherselfhersenhershernhimhimselfhisselfhissenhishishisnimeithititselfhitselfitshis

Etymology

Etymology tree Old Norse þeimbor. Middle English þem English them From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.

þem Middle English þeim Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

# them

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** pron, det
**IPA (US):** ˈðɛm
**Frequency rank:** 81

## Meanings
1. Used to refer to people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition.
2. Used to refer to a single person whose gender is unknown, unstated, or non-binary.

## Examples
- She treated them for a cold.
- If a student has a question, do your best to help them.

## Synonyms
- dem
- em
- hem

## Related Forms
- he
- her
- herselfhersen
- hershern
- him
- himselfhisselfhissen
- his
- hishisn
- ime
- ithit
- itselfhitself
- itshis

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: þem
- Root: þeim

## Etymology
Etymology tree Old Norse þeimbor. Middle English þem English them From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.

## AI Etymology
Them is from Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim. In present-day use, it can mean used to refer to people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition, or used to refer to a single person whose gender is unknown, unstated, or non-binary.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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them

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