language note: Them is a third person plural pronoun. Them is used as the object of a verb or preposition.
1. pronoun
You use them to refer to a group of people, animals, or things.
The Beatles–I never get tired of listening to them.
Kids these days have no one to tell them what's right and wrong.
She let the dogs into the house and fed them.
His dark socks, I could see, had a stripe on them.
2. pronoun
You use them instead of 'him or her' to refer to a person without saying whether that person is a man or a woman.
It takes great courage to face your child and tell them the truth.
3. determiner
In non-standard spoken English, them is sometimes used instead of 'those'.
'Our Billy doesn't eat them ones,' Helen said.
English Easy Learning GrammarPersonal pronounsPersonal pronouns are used as the subject, object, or complement in a clause. Theyare commonly found taking the place of a noun phrase when it is mentioned ... Read more
them in British English
(ðɛm, unstressed ðəm)
pronoun
1. (objective)
refers to things or people other than the speaker or people addressed
I'll kill them
what happened to them?
2. (objective)
refers to a person whose gender cannot or need not be specified
find someone you trust and ask them to advise you
3. (objective)
refers to a person with a nonbinary gender identity who has expressed a preference to be referred to in this way
the actor was asked what being nonbinary meant to them
4. mainly US a dialect word for themselves
they got them a new vice president
determiner
5. a nonstandard word for those
three of them oranges
▶ USAGE See note at me1, they
Word origin
Old English thǣm, influenced by Old Norse theim; related to Old Frisian thām, Old Saxon, Old High German thēm, Old Norse theimr, Gothic thaim
them in American English
(ðɛm)
pronoun
objective form of
they
, [help them; give them the books]: also used as a predicate complement with a linking verb, although this usage is objectedto by some [it's them]: often used with a singular antecedent (as everybody, somebody, everyone) [did everybody bring something to read with them?]
Word origin
ME theim < ON, dat. of the demonstrative pron.: see they
Examples of 'them' in a sentence
them
We must clear them out of the party & let them disappear.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Be prepared to let them enter a room first.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They avoided jail but know that another conviction could land them behind bars.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Then they suddenly found a third party to assist them instead.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The guest became extremely abusive towards the staff member and so the duty manager agreed to escort them to the room.
The Sun (2016)
It doesn't seem many of them are opening restaurants.
The Sun (2016)
Trying to avoid them, she landed on her side.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They're on the phone or email asking me to get them a hotel and meet them at the airport.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are already using them at hotels in the south of France to see off drones being flown in to take pictures of celebrities.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Please can you apologise to the restaurant and tell them that I will no longer be able to work there.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The sun disappeared early behind the great shoulders of land above them.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
This can be overcome by lifting and dividing the clumps and giving them more room.
The Sun (2013)
There are loads of foreign students who like restaurants that remind them of home.
The Sun (2016)
He said that the gang tricked him into letting them into the hotel to see a room.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Peaches thought they belonged to a friend and slid them towards her party.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But what is far from fantasy is them landing further blows before the rematch.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
These could mean that devices would be charged as the user carries them into a room.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
That is probably why many restaurants call them chicken.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the firm insists the hotel told them it had no gas appliances.
The Sun (2015)
And leaving mobility scooters out will land them in court.
The Sun (2012)
Place them in room corners or behind furniture.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He would wave them round the restaurant.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But after fooling around in his hotel room one of them had an almighty meltdown.
The Sun (2015)
Far better to find a good restaurant and ask them for their house special.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This depends on whether you consider them to be passive funds on steroids or active funds on a diet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Labour has called in cops to probe claims the union signed up dozens of members to the party without telling them.
The Sun (2013)
Not all of them are as passive in their approach as Flora.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We're just going to walk into their hotel and surprise them.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Where it is legal to land them, tuna fetch big sums.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There's an amazing array of themed hotels allowing easy access to the magic.
The Sun (2012)
It's designed to land them quickly and at very high speed in the sea.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He looked about him, uncertain whether or not a third party was with them in the hut.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
I wore them to my party so they give me great memories.
The Sun (2006)
I don't want them to be passive.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
them
British English: them /ðɛm; ðəm/ PRONOUN
You use them to talk about more than one person, animal, or thing.
I've lost my keys. Have you seen them?
American English: them
Arabic: هُمْ
Brazilian Portuguese: os, eles, lhes
Chinese: 他们
Croatian: njih
Czech: je
Danish: dem
Dutch: hen
European Spanish: los
Finnish: he
French: eux
German: sie
Greek: αυτούς
Italian: loro
Japanese: 彼らを
Korean: 그들을
Norwegian: dem
Polish: ich
European Portuguese: os, eles, lhes
Romanian: ele
Russian: им
Latin American Spanish: los
Swedish: dem
Thai: พวกเขา
Turkish: onları
Ukrainian: їх
Vietnamese: họ những người đó
All related terms of 'them'
head them
to toss the coins in a game of two-up
give them heaps
to contend strenuously with an opposing sporting team
knock them/'em dead
To knock them dead means to impress people a great deal , especially with your appearance.
good for you/him/her/them
People say ' Good for you ' to express approval of your actions.
If you can't beat them, join them.
If you can't beat them, join them means that, if someone is too strong for you to defeat , it is better to be on the same side as them.
hang it (or them or 'em) up
to retire or quit
the world owes them a living the world owes someone a living
If you say that someone thinks that the world owes them a living , you are criticizing them because they think it is their right to have a comfortable life without having to make any effort at all.
Chinese translation of 'them'
them
(ðɛm; ðəm)
pron
(plural referring to men, boys, mixed group) 他们(們) (tāmen)