Cool MateThere he is vs There's our man
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
There he is
Top 3,000 (common)
There's our man
InformalBeyond 10,000 (less common)
Most formal: There he isMost common: There he is
| There he is | There's our man | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ðeə hiː ɪz//🇺🇸 //ðɛr hi ɪz// | 🇬🇧 //ðeəz aʊər mæn//🇺🇸 //ðɛrz aʊər mæn// |
| Meaning | A phrase used to indicate someone's presence. | That's the person we are talking about. |
| Example | As the door opened, I shouted, 'There he is!' | When we entered the café, I said, 'There’s our man!' |
| Register | Neutral | Informal |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| Collocations | call out 'there he is', shout 'there he is', point and say 'there he is' | spot our man, look for our man |
| Antonyms | - | There's no one, He's not here, Our man is missing |
| Common mistakes | Omitting the word 'there' and just saying 'he is.', Using it in formal contexts where a proper greeting is expected., Confusing it with 'There he goes' which indicates someone leaving. | Used in formal contexts where it's inappropriate., Forgetting to use 'there's' instead of 'there is'. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in informal contexts to acknowledge someone's arrival. Appropriate when greeting or pointing someone out but may seem overly casual in formal situations. | Typically used when identifying someone positively. It's informal and might not be suitable in formal situations or written communication. |
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Frequently asked questions: There he is vs There's our man
What's the difference between There he is and There's our man?
There he is: A phrase used to indicate someone's presence. There's our man: That's the person we are talking about.
Which is more formal: There he is and There's our man?
There he is is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: There he is and There's our man?
There he is is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
There he is: As the door opened, I shouted, 'There he is!' There's our man: When we entered the café, I said, 'There’s our man!'
Can I use There he is and There's our man interchangeably?
Not always. There he is and There's our man are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.