The adsorption of hydrogen atoms on ErSi1.7(0001) thin films, epitaxially grown on Si(111), has been studied in situ by low-energy electron-diffraction, photoemission, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and work-function measurements. The results obtained with these techniques indicate that, at low hydrogen exposures, the adsorption sites on the silicide surface are very similar to those on Si(111), confirming the structural model of a silicide terminated by a buckled silicon plane without Si vacancies. At larger exposures, a second state is observed by TPD at higher desorption temperature. This state is not observed by TPD on Si(111) and is attributed to hydrogen chemisorbed in the subsurface region of the silicide.