Than Him vs. Than He – Which is Correct?
Both “than him” and “than he” can be correct, but they serve different grammatical patterns. Use “than him” when the pronoun functions as an object, especially in casual comparisons. Use “than he” only when it begins an elliptical clause, although “than he is” or “than he does” is usually clearer.
Than Him or Than He – Which Is Correct?
Neither expression is automatically wrong. The correct choice depends on the grammatical role of the pronoun and on the words omitted after than.
Use than him when him is an object:
“The coach trusts Maria more than him.”
This usually means “The coach trusts Maria more than the coach trusts him.” In everyday American English, than him is also common after an adjective: “Maria is taller than him.” Many speakers accept this pattern, particularly in casual conversation.
Use than he when he is the subject of an implied clause:
“Maria is taller than he is.”
In this sentence, he is the subject of the understood clause “he is tall.” The shorter form “Maria is taller than he” is possible in formal or literary English, but it can sound incomplete to modern readers. Writing than he is or than he does usually removes the ambiguity.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the finish-the-clause test. After than he, silently add a verb such as is, was, does, or can. If the completed sentence makes sense, the subject form he may be appropriate.
- “She is more patient than he is.” Use he because it is the subject of the implied clause.
- “She speaks to him more often than to him.” Use him because it is an object.
- When in doubt, write the complete clause: “She is more patient than he is.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| than him | Comparative phrase with object pronoun | In comparison with him, or more than someone does something to him | “I admire her more than him.” |
| than he | Comparative phrase with subject pronoun | Introduces an implied clause in which he performs an action or has a quality | “She is more patient than he is.” |
How to Use Than Him
Than him contains the object pronoun him. Use it when the comparison treats the male person as the object of a verb or preposition. It is especially common in conversational American English.
After a comparative adjective, many speakers say “He is faster than him” or “She is older than him.” This usage is widespread and natural in informal speech. In formal writing, however, “He is faster than he is” is not the intended correction; the clearest formal version is usually “He is faster than him” only when the meaning is unmistakable, or “He is faster than that man.” More commonly, writers use “He is faster than he is” when comparing him with someone else, but this requires a clear context.
Example 1: “The manager praised Elena more than him.”
Example 2: “I spoke with Daniel longer than with him.”
Example 3: “The new player is stronger than him, but the older player has more experience.”
What are the different forms of Than Him?
Than him is a fixed comparative phrase rather than a verb or adjective, so it does not have tenses, plurals, or comparative degrees. The pronoun itself belongs to the following set: he is the subject form, him is the object form, and his is the possessive form.
- Subject: “He runs quickly.”
- Object: “I saw him yesterday.”
- Possessive: “That is his coat.”
Etymology of the phrase Than Him
Than developed from the Old English word þanne, meaning “then,” and gradually acquired its modern comparative meaning. Him comes from the Old English object pronoun him. The phrase combines the comparative conjunction or preposition than with the object form of the personal pronoun.
How to Use Than He
Than he uses he, the subject form of the pronoun. It is appropriate when he is the subject of a verb that is stated or understood. In careful writing, expanding the phrase is usually best: “than he is,” “than he was,” “than he does,” or “than he can.”
The bare phrase “than he” can appear in formal, literary, or highly compressed writing, but it may sound unnatural in contemporary prose. For maximum clarity, do not force the reader to reconstruct the omitted verb.
Example 1: “She is more organized than he is.”
Example 2: “He understands the system better than she does.”
Example 3: “The child can swim farther than he can.”
What are the different forms of Than He?
Than he is also a fixed comparative phrase with no tense, plural, or degree forms. Its important variation comes from the pronoun and the verb that completes the implied clause.
- Present comparison: “She is taller than he is.”
- Past comparison: “She was taller than he was.”
- Action comparison: “She works harder than he does.”
- Ability comparison: “She can run faster than he can.”
Etymology of the phrase Than He
Than comes from the Old English comparative word þanne, while he comes from the Old English subject pronoun hē. English preserves different subject and object forms in this pair: he performs an action, while him receives an action or follows a preposition.
Related Concepts
Understanding pronoun case, ellipsis, and comparative structures makes the difference between than him and than he much easier to identify.
- Subject pronouns: Subject pronouns such as he, she, and they perform an action or serve as the subject of a clause.
- Object pronouns: Object pronouns such as him, her, and them receive an action or follow a preposition.
- Ellipsis: Ellipsis occurs when words are omitted because the meaning is understood. “She is taller than he is” may be shortened to “She is taller than he” in some formal styles.
- Comparatives: Comparative words such as taller, faster, and more careful establish a relationship between two people, objects, or actions.
- Ambiguous comparisons: Sentences such as “I like her more than him” can have two meanings. They may compare two people as objects, or they may compare whom the speaker likes.
Examples from Media and Literature
The following examples represent the kinds of comparisons commonly found in conversation, journalism, fiction, and screen dialogue. The expanded versions show why the pronoun choice matters.
- News-style writing: “The committee said the new policy affected rural workers more than him.” Here, him is an object and refers to a person affected by the policy.
- Film dialogue: “You know the neighborhood better than he does.” The phrase than he does compares two actions, so he is the subject of the implied clause.
- Literary narration: “She was more determined than he was.” The repeated verb was makes the subject role of he explicit.
- Everyday conversation: “Nobody expected the rookie to run faster than him.” This informal comparison uses the object form him, a common pattern in speech.
- Formal commentary: “The author appears more concerned with social class than he is with plot.” The phrase clearly compares two concerns associated with the same subject.
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence. In some cases, more than one form can work if the meaning changes.
- Jordan is taller than ___ is.
- The teacher praised Maya more than ___.
- He understands the instructions better than ___ does.
- In casual conversation, many people say, “She is faster than ___.”
- I depend on my brother more than ___.
Answer Key
- he — “He” is the subject of the implied clause “he is.”
- him — “Him” is the object of the implied verb “praised.”
- he — “He” is the subject of the clause “he does.”
- him — This is the common informal object-pronoun pattern.
- him — “Him” is the object of the preposition-like comparative structure.
Than Him Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| in comparison with him | A clear, relatively formal alternative for comparing someone or something with him |
| compared with him | A phrase that explicitly identifies him as the comparison point |
| more than he receives | A fully expanded alternative when the intended meaning involves an object receiving an action |
| rather than him | An alternative used when choosing one person instead of him, not merely making a comparison |
Than He Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| than he is | A complete comparison used for qualities or conditions |
| than he does | A complete comparison used for actions |
| than he was | A complete comparison referring to a past condition |
| in comparison with him | A clear phrase that avoids choosing between subject and object pronouns |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “than him” grammatically correct?
Yes. Than him is correct when him functions as an object. It is also widely accepted in informal comparisons such as “She is taller than him,” although some formal style guides prefer a complete clause.
Question 2: Is “than he” grammatically correct?
Yes, but it usually needs an understood or stated verb. “She is more experienced than he is” is clear and standard. The shortened form “than he” is more formal and may sound incomplete to many modern readers.
Question 3: Should I write “than he” or “than him” in formal writing?
Write the complete clause whenever possible. Use “than he is,” “than he does,” or another suitable verb when he is the subject. Use him when the pronoun is an object. This approach is both grammatical and unambiguous.
Question 4: Does “than him” always mean the same thing as “than he”?
No. “Than him” treats him as an object or comparison point, while “than he” introduces a subject in an implied clause. In ambiguous sentences, adding the missing verb can clarify the intended meaning.
Conclusion
Both than him and than he are valid, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence. Choose him for an object or comparison point, and choose he when it is the subject of an implied clause. For polished writing, expand the phrase to “than he is” or “than he does” whenever the meaning could be unclear. Pro Tip: Precise pronoun choices make professional writing sound deliberate, polished, and trustworthy.
