The word she is a pronoun used to refer to a girl or woman without repeating her name. Instead of saying “Maria went to the library, and Maria checked out three books,” you can say “Maria went to the library, and she checked out three books.”

She keeps language flowing smoothly. Once you've mentioned someone like your teacher, Mrs. Johnson, you can use she to keep talking about her: “She explained the assignment, then she answered our questions.” Without pronouns like she, every sentence would sound clunky and repetitive.

People also use she for female animals, especially pets with names or animals in stories. You might say “She loves to chase squirrels” about your dog, or “She swam away” about a dolphin. Some people also call ships and boats she.

The word she pairs with other pronouns: her (as in “I gave her the book”), hers (as in “That backpack is hers”), and herself (as in “She did it herself”). Together, these pronouns help you talk about girls and women clearly and naturally, making conversation and writing much easier to follow.