bu su o turkish

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Difference Between “Bu/Bunlar,” “Şu/Şunlar,” and “O/Onlar” in Turkish

In Turkish, demonstrative pronouns play a crucial role in identifying objects or people based on their proximity to the speaker and listener. Understanding the differences between bu, şu, and o (and their plural forms bunlar, şunlar, and onlar) is sometimes tricky for beginners in Turkish. Here is a guide to explain how to differentiate these pronouns with examples.

Demonstrative Pronouns in Turkish

PronounTranslationProximity
BuThisClose to the speaker
ŞuThat (near) / ThisSlightly farther away but still visible or within reach
OThatFar away from both the speaker and listener
Plural FormTranslationProximity
BunlarTheseClose to the speaker
ŞunlarThose (near) / TheseSlightly farther away but still visible or within reach
OnlarThoseFar away from both the speaker and listener

Note: when using demonstrative pronouns in plural form, no need to add the plural to the following noun. E.g.: bunlar araba (These are cars and not “bunlar arabalar“)

How to Differentiate “Bu/Bunlar,” “Şu/Şunlar,” and “O/Onlar”?

The difference between “bu/bunlar,” “şu/şunlar,” and “o/onlar” lies in the distance between the speaker and the object or person being referred to.

ders 2 grammar bu kedi
ders 2 grammar bunlar saat

1. Bu (This) and Bunlar (These)

Bu and Bunlar are used to indicate objects or people close to the speaker. They typically refer to something that the speaker can touch or is within arm’s reach.

Examples:

  • Bu kedi çok tatlı. (This cat is very cute.)
  • Bunlar kitaplarım. (These are my books.)
  • Bu araba benim. (This car is mine.)

2. Şu (That / This) and Şunlar (Those / These)

Şu and Şunlar are used for objects or people that are slightly farther away from the speaker but still in sight.

Examples:

  • Şu kuş mavi. (That bird is blue.)
  • Şunlar elmadefterler. (Those are apples.)
  • Şu adam kim? (Who is that man?)

3. O (That) and Onlar (Those)

O and Onlar refer to objects or people far away from both the speaker and listener.

Examples:

  • O ev çok büyük. (That house (over there) is very big.)
  • Onlar benim arkadaşlarım. (Those are my friends.)
  • O ağaç çok uzun. (That tree [over there] is very tall.)

Summary of Demonstrative Pronouns in Turkish

ProximitySingularPluralExamples (Singular)Examples (Plural)
Close to speakerBuBunlarBu kitap (This book)Bunlar defter (These are notebooks)
Farther but visibleŞuŞunlarŞu köpek (That dog)Şunlar kuş (Those are birds)
Far awayOOnlarO araba (That car over there)Onlar hayvan (Those are animals)

Demonstrative pronouns are taught in the second lesson of TurkishFluent’s course. Sign up now!

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