If you have ever wondered “him and I or him and me”, you are not alone. These pronoun combinations can be confusing because the correct choice depends on the grammatical role of the people in the sentence.
In standard English, he and I is used when the two people are the subjects of a sentence. Him and me is used when the two people are objects of a verb or follow a preposition.
For example:
- He and I went to the store. Correct
- The teacher called him and me. Correct
- Him and I went to the store. Not standard formal English
- The teacher called him and I. Not standard formal English
The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at what the pronouns are doing in the sentence. If they perform the action, use subject pronouns. If they receive the action or follow a preposition, use object pronouns.
This guide explains the difference between he and I and him and me, shows how to identify the correct form, covers common mistakes, and provides practical examples for everyday and formal writing.
Him and I or Him and Me: The Quick Answer
The correct choice depends on whether the pronouns are functioning as subjects or objects.
Use “he and I” when they are the subjects:
He and I went to the library.
Use “him and me” when they are objects:
The teacher helped him and me.
Use “him and me” after a preposition:
She spoke with him and me.
A simple rule is:
He and I = subject
Him and me = object
However, there is an important detail. You should not choose a form simply because it sounds more formal. The grammatical function of the pronouns determines which form is appropriate.
Understanding He, Him, I, and Me
Before looking at the complete phrases, it helps to understand each individual pronoun.
He Is a Subject Pronoun
He is a subject pronoun. It normally refers to a male person who performs an action or serves as the subject of a sentence.
Examples:
- He went home.
- He works here.
- He called yesterday.
- He finished the assignment.
In each sentence, he is the subject.
Him Is an Object Pronoun
Him is an object pronoun. It normally refers to a male person who receives an action or follows a preposition.
Examples:
- I called him.
- She helped him.
- We invited him.
- I spoke with him.
Here, him functions as an object.
I Is a Subject Pronoun
I is a first-person singular subject pronoun.
Examples:
- I went home.
- I finished my work.
- I called the teacher.
- I understand the question.
You use I when you are the subject of the sentence.
Me Is an Object Pronoun
Me is a first-person singular object pronoun.
Examples:
- She called me.
- They helped me.
- The teacher praised me.
- He spoke with me.
You use me when you are the object of a verb or follow a preposition.
When to Use He and I
Use he and I when both people are subjects of the sentence.
A subject normally performs the action described by the verb.
He and I Went to the Store
Consider this sentence:
He and I went to the store.
Who went to the store?
He and I.
Both people are the subjects of went, so the sentence uses the subject pronouns he and I.
You can test the sentence by separating the pronouns:
He went to the store.
I went to the store.
Both sentences are correct. Therefore:
He and I went to the store.
He and I Work Together
He and I work together.
The two people are the subjects of work.
Separating the sentence gives:
He works together with me.
I work together with him.
For the original subject structure, he and I is the appropriate combination.
He and I Finished the Project
He and I finished the project.
Both people performed the action of finishing the project.
The individual forms are:
He finished the project.
I finished the project.
So the combined form is:
He and I finished the project.
When to Use Him and Me
Use him and me when the phrase functions as the object of a verb.
An object usually receives the action of the verb.
The Teacher Helped Him and Me
Consider:
The teacher helped him and me.
The teacher performs the action of helping. Him and me receive that action.
Remove one person:
The teacher helped him.
The teacher helped me.
Both sentences are correct.
Therefore:
The teacher helped him and me.
She Invited Him and Me
She invited him and me to dinner.
The people receiving the invitation are him and me.
You would say:
She invited him.
You would also say:
She invited me.
Therefore:
She invited him and me.
The Manager Called Him and Me
The manager called him and me.
The manager is the subject. The people being called are the objects.
The individual versions are:
The manager called him.
The manager called me.
Therefore, the combined version is:
The manager called him and me.
Him and Me After Prepositions
Another important use of him and me occurs after prepositions.
Common prepositions include:
- to
- for
- with
- between
- from
- about
- beside
- near
- without
- against
Object pronouns normally follow these prepositions.
With Him and Me
Correct:
She went with him and me.
Incorrect in standard English:
She went with he and I.
The preposition with requires object pronouns in this construction.
For Him and Me
Correct:
This gift is for him and me.
The word for is a preposition, so him and me are appropriate.
Between Him and Me
Correct:
The disagreement is between him and me.
The preposition between is followed by object pronouns.
This is why between him and me is the standard form.
To Him and Me
Correct:
The letter was sent to him and me.
The word to is a preposition, so the object forms are required.
The Remove-One-Person Test
One of the easiest ways to determine the correct pronouns is to remove one person from the sentence.
This technique works because the correct individual pronoun becomes easier to recognize.
Example: Subject
Consider:
Sarah and I went shopping.
Remove Sarah:
I went shopping.
That sounds correct.
Therefore:
Sarah and I went shopping.
Example: Object
Consider:
The teacher called Sarah and me.
Remove Sarah:
The teacher called me.
That is correct.
Therefore:
The teacher called Sarah and me.
Example: Incorrect Subject
Consider:
Sarah and me went shopping.
Remove Sarah:
Me went shopping.
That is not standard English.
The correct sentence is:
Sarah and I went shopping.
Example: Incorrect Object
Consider:
The teacher called Sarah and I.
Remove Sarah:
The teacher called I.
That is not standard English.
The correct sentence is:
The teacher called Sarah and me.
Why “Him and I” Sounds Confusing
Many English speakers hear “he and I” used correctly as a subject:
He and I went to the meeting.
Because I can sound more formal than me, people sometimes assume that I should be used whenever another person is mentioned.
This can lead to sentences such as:
The manager called him and I.
In standard English, this is incorrect because him and I are functioning as objects of called.
The correct sentence is:
The manager called him and me.
The same principle applies in reverse. Someone may hear him used correctly as an object:
The manager called him.
They might then incorrectly use him as part of a subject:
Him and I went to the meeting.
The standard form is:
He and I went to the meeting.
The important point is that I is not always better than me, and he is not always better than him. Each pronoun has a specific grammatical function.
Common Mistakes With Him and I or Him and Me
Understanding common errors can make the rule much easier to remember.
Mistake: Him and I Went
Incorrect:
Him and I went to the park.
Correct:
He and I went to the park.
The phrase is the subject of went, so subject pronouns are required.
Mistake: She Called Him and I
Incorrect:
She called him and I.
Correct:
She called him and me.
The phrase is the object of called.
Mistake: Between Him and I
Incorrect:
Between him and I, there is a problem.
Correct:
Between him and me, there is a problem.
The phrase follows the preposition between.
Mistake: This Is for Him and I
Incorrect:
This message is for him and I.
Correct:
This message is for him and me.
The pronouns follow the preposition for.
Mistake: Him and Me Went Home
Incorrect in standard formal English:
Him and me went home.
Correct:
He and I went home.
Both he and I are subject pronouns.
Him and I or Him and Me in Everyday English
You may hear forms such as “him and I” or “him and me” in informal speech. Spoken English can vary by region, dialect, context, and individual speaker.
For formal writing, however, it is useful to follow standard pronoun case.
Use:
He and I went to the meeting.
Use:
The manager spoke to him and me.
This approach is particularly useful for:
- school assignments
- academic writing
- professional emails
- business documents
- applications
- formal reports
- website content
- edited publications
Him and I or Him and Me in Questions
The same grammatical rule applies when answering questions.
Who Went to the Meeting?
Answer:
He and I went to the meeting.
The two people are the subjects.
Who Did the Manager Call?
Answer:
The manager called him and me.
The two people are objects of the verb called.
Who Did She Speak With?
Answer:
She spoke with him and me.
The phrase follows the preposition with.
A Simple Subject or Object Trick
If you still find the rule confusing, identify who performs the action.
If They Perform the Action
Use:
He and I
Example:
He and I wrote the report.
Who wrote the report?
He and I.
If They Receive the Action
Use:
Him and me
Example:
The editor reviewed him and me.
Who received the action of being reviewed?
Him and me.
If They Follow a Preposition
Use:
Him and me
Example:
The teacher spoke with him and me.
The phrase follows with, so object pronouns are appropriate.
Him and I or Him and Me Examples
The following examples show how the correct form changes depending on sentence structure.
Examples With He and I
- He and I went to school.
- He and I are close friends.
- He and I finished the work.
- He and I discussed the issue.
- He and I watched the movie.
- He and I attended the meeting.
- He and I solved the problem.
- He and I visited the museum.
In each sentence, he and I are the subjects.
Examples With Him and Me
- She invited him and me.
- The teacher helped him and me.
- The manager called him and me.
- They thanked him and me.
- The coach selected him and me.
- She spoke with him and me.
- The letter was sent to him and me.
- The disagreement was between him and me.
In these examples, him and me function as objects or follow prepositions.
Him and I or Him and Me Comparison Table
| Sentence | Correct Form | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| ___ went to school. | He and I | Subject |
| ___ finished the project. | He and I | Subject |
| The teacher called ___. | Him and me | Object |
| She invited ___. | Him and me | Object |
| She spoke with ___. | Him and me | Follows a preposition |
| The gift is for ___. | Him and me | Follows a preposition |
| The issue is between ___. | Him and me | Follows a preposition |
| ___ completed the assignment. | He and I | Subject |
| The manager thanked ___. | Him and me | Object |
| ___ discussed the problem. | He and I | Subject |
Quick Practice: Choose the Correct Form
1. ___ went to the restaurant.
The correct answer is:
He and I went to the restaurant.
They are the subjects of went.
2. The teacher praised ___.
The correct answer is:
The teacher praised him and me.
They are objects of praised.
3. She went with ___.
The correct answer is:
She went with him and me.
The phrase follows the preposition with.
4. ___ completed the assignment.
The correct answer is:
He and I completed the assignment.
They are the subjects of completed.
5. The decision was between ___.
The correct answer is:
The decision was between him and me.
The phrase follows the preposition between.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “him and I” correct?
“Him and I” is generally not correct in standard formal English when the phrase is the subject of a sentence. In that situation, use he and I.
Example:
He and I went home.
Is “him and me” correct?
Yes, him and me is correct when the phrase functions as an object or follows a preposition.
Example:
The teacher called him and me.
Which is correct: “him and I went” or “him and me went”?
In standard formal English, neither is correct. The proper subject form is:
He and I went.
Which is correct: “she called him and I” or “she called him and me”?
The correct form is:
She called him and me.
The pronouns are objects of called.
Is “between him and I” correct?
In standard English, use:
between him and me
The phrase follows the preposition between.
Is “he and I” always correct?
No. He and I is correct when both people are subjects. If they are objects, use him and me.
How can I remember the difference?
Use the remove-one-person test.
For a sentence such as:
Sarah and I went home.
Remove Sarah:
I went home.
Because I works, Sarah and I is correct.
For:
The teacher called Sarah and me.
Remove Sarah:
The teacher called me.
Because me works, Sarah and me is correct.
Why do people say “him and I”?
It can occur in informal spoken English. However, standard formal English uses he and I when the phrase is the subject.
Is “him and me” more informal?
No. Him and me is not simply an informal alternative to he and I. The two forms serve different grammatical functions.
Use he and I for subjects.
Use him and me for objects.
Which sounds more formal, “I” or “me”?
Neither pronoun is automatically more formal. I is the subject form, while me is the object form. The correct choice depends on the sentence structure.
What is the easiest way to check my sentence?
Remove the other person’s name or pronoun.
If the remaining sentence requires I, use he and I.
If it requires me, use him and me.
Conclusion
The difference between “him and I” and “him and me” becomes much easier once you understand subject and object pronouns.
Use he and I when the two people are the subjects of the sentence:
He and I went to the store.
Use him and me when the two people are objects of a verb:
The teacher helped him and me.
Use him and me after a preposition:
She spoke with him and me.
The most useful rule to remember is:
He and I = subject
Him and me = object
If you are unsure, remove the other person from the sentence. If I is correct by itself, choose he and I. If me is correct by itself, choose him and me.
Once you learn to identify the subject, object, and preposition, choosing the correct pronoun combination becomes straightforward.
I am Charlotte Kensington, an education-focused writer who loves turning complicated ideas into simple and useful information. I write for readers who want to learn something new, improve their study habits, and develop practical skills. At Teachlora, my goal is to provide reliable and reader-friendly educational content that feels useful in real life. My books, A Better Way to Learn and The Curious Learner, explore simple approaches to learning and personal improvement.
Books:
- A Better Way to Learn
- The Curious Learner
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