Demonstrative Pronouns in Turkish

In Brief

Turkish uses bu for “this” near the speaker, şu for something being pointed out or brought to the listener’s attention, and o for “that” farther away or already established in the conversation. They can stand alone—Bu ne? (“What is this?”)—or come before a noun—bu kitap (“this book”). Their plurals are bunlar, şunlar, onlar.

Overview

Demonstratives are words used to point to a person, object, place, or idea. In English, the basic contrast is this/these versus that/those. Turkish has a three-way system: bu, şu, o. Physical distance matters, but so does attention: şu often means “that one I am showing you” rather than simply a fixed middle distance.

This is an A1 topic because these forms appear constantly in introductions, shopping, directions, and simple questions: Bu ne? (“What is this?”), Şu kim? (“Who is that?”), and O ne kadar? (“How much is that?”). The beginner rule is straightforward: bu is near me, şu directs your attention to something, and o is farther away.

The label “demonstrative pronoun” strictly applies when the word replaces a noun, as in Bunu istiyorum (“I want this”). Before a noun, as in bu çanta (“this bag”), it functions as a demonstrative determiner—a pointing word that identifies the noun. Turkish uses the same basic forms in both jobs, so it is useful to learn them together.

How It Works

The three basic forms

Turkish	Basic meaning	Typical use
bu	this	Near the speaker; immediately present
şu	this/that one there	The speaker points it out or draws attention to it; often nearer the listener
o	that	Farther from both people, not immediately present, or already known in the conversation

The boundaries are flexible. Imagine several cups on a counter. The cup in your hand is naturally bu fincan. You may point and say şu fincan to direct someone’s eyes to a particular cup. A cup across the room is o fincan. In real conversation, what the speakers are attending to can matter more than exact measured distance.

Standing alone or coming before a noun

A demonstrative can replace the whole noun phrase (the complete group of words referring to someone or something):

• Bu pahalı. — “This is expensive.”
• Şunu alıyorum. — “I’m buying that one.”
• O benim. — “That one is mine.”

It can also identify a following noun:

• bu telefon — “this phone”
• şu adam — “that man”
• o bina — “that building”

There is no article between the demonstrative and noun. Say bu kitap, not a structure modeled on English this a book.

Singular and plural

When the demonstrative stands alone, use these plural forms:

Singular	Plural	Meaning
bu	bunlar	this one → these
şu	şunlar	that one indicated → those
o	onlar	that one → those

Before a plural noun, however, the demonstrative remains singular in form. Plurality appears on the noun:

• bu kitaplar — these books
• şu evler — those houses being indicated
• o insanlar — those people

Compare Bunlar yeni (“These are new”) with Bu kitaplar yeni (“These books are new”). Bunlar kitaplar is not the normal way to say “these books.”

Case forms: this, to this, in this, from this

Turkish uses case endings—suffixes that show a noun or pronoun’s role in the sentence. When bu, şu, o stand alone and receive a case ending, an n appears before the ending. The working stems are bun-, şun-, and on-.

Role	bu	şu	o	Typical English meaning
Plain form	bu	şu	o	this/that
Accusative	bunu	şunu	onu	this/that as a specific direct object
Dative	buna	şuna	ona	to this/that
Locative	bunda	şunda	onda	in/on/at this/that
Ablative	bundan	şundan	ondan	from this/that; than this/that
Genitive	bunun	şunun	onun	of this/that; this one’s/that one’s

A direct object is the person or thing directly affected by the action. Turkish marks a specific direct object with the accusative ending: Bunu biliyorum means “I know this.” The suffix vowels vary according to vowel harmony, which is why the forms are bunu but onu.

If a noun follows, put the case ending on the noun instead:

• bu kitabı — this book (specific direct object)
• şu adama — to that man
• o binada — in that building

Do not mark both words: bu kitabı, not bunu kitabı.

Plural pronouns take endings after -lar: bunları (“these” as an object), şunlara (“to those”), onlardan (“from those/them”).

Questions with ne and kim

Use ne (“what”) for things and kim (“who”) for people:

• Bu ne? — What is this?
• Şu kim? — Who is that?
• O adam kim? — Who is that man?

Turkish present-tense sentences often need no separate word for English “is” in the third person. That is why Bu ne? literally has only “this what?” but naturally means “What is this?”

Examples in Context

Turkish	English	Note
Bu ne?	What is this?	bu stands alone near the speaker.
Bu kahve çok sıcak.	This coffee is very hot.	Demonstrative before a noun.
Şu adam kim?	Who is that man?	The speaker directs attention to him.
Şu masaya oturalım.	Let’s sit at that table.	The dative ending is on masa.
O bina çok yüksek.	That building is very tall.	The building is farther away.
O gün evdeydim.	I was at home that day.	o refers to an established time.
Bunlar benim anahtarlarım.	These are my keys.	Stand-alone plural bunlar.
Bu anahtarlar senin mi?	Are these keys yours?	Before a plural noun, use bu.
Şunları görebiliyor musun?	Can you see those?	şunları is plural and accusative.
Bunu almak istiyorum.	I want to buy this one.	bunu is a specific direct object.
Ona bir soru sordum.	I asked him/her/that person a question.	ona is the dative form of o.
Bunda şeker var mı?	Is there sugar in this?	bunda means “in this.”
Bundan hoşlanmıyorum.	I don’t like this.	hoşlanmak takes the ablative case.
Onların evi uzakta.	Their house is far away.	onların is the genitive of onlar.

Common Mistakes

Using a plural demonstrative before a plural noun

• Wrong: Bunlar kitaplar yeni.
• Right: Bu kitaplar yeni. — “These books are new.”
• Why: Bunlar replaces a noun. Before an expressed plural noun, use unchanged bu and mark the noun with -lar/-ler.

Attaching the case ending to the wrong word

• Wrong: Bunu kitabı okuyorum.
• Right: Bu kitabı okuyorum. — “I’m reading this book.”
• Why: When the noun is present, its phrase role is marked on the noun. Use bunu only when “this one” stands alone: Bunu okuyorum.

Treating şu as an exact English equivalent of that

• Less natural in context: Şu evde yaşıyorum when talking about your home that is not being indicated.
• Natural: O evde yaşıyorum. — “I live in that house.”
• Why: şu often actively points something out. o is usually better for something distant, known, or already established without a fresh pointing gesture.

Forgetting the n in case forms

• Wrong: bua, şuda, odan
• Right: buna, şunda, ondan
• Why: Before case suffixes, use the stems bun-, şun-, and on-.

Assuming o only means “that thing”

• Wrong interpretation: O doktor can only mean “That is a doctor.”
• Possible meanings: “He/She is a doctor” or, with a following noun in a larger phrase, “that doctor.”
• Why: o also serves as the gender-neutral third-person pronoun “he,” “she,” or “it.” Context tells you whether it points to something or refers to a person already known.

Usage Notes

Distance is only part of the system

English speakers often want a fixed map in which bu equals “this,” şu equals “that nearby,” and o equals “that far away.” This is a useful first approximation, not a complete rule. Şu commonly introduces something into the listener’s attention: you may point to it, look toward it, or mention it as the next topic. After both speakers are focused on it, o may become natural because the referent is now established.

People and politeness

You can use all three forms to identify people: Bu kim?, Şu kadın kim?, O adam öğretmen. Tone and gesture matter. Pointing directly at a stranger and saying şu adam may sound blunt, just as “that man” can in English. In polite situations, use a person’s name, title, or a fuller description when possible.

Spoken emphasis

Demonstratives are naturally stressed when they contrast alternatives: Bunu değil, şunu istiyorum (“I want that one, not this one”). A pointing gesture often accompanies şu, but the word does not require one in every sentence.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following details at A1, but you will meet them often later.

O as he, she, it, and that

Turkish has no grammatical gender in third-person pronouns. O can mean “he,” “she,” “it,” or “that one,” and onlar can mean “they” or “those.” Case forms overlap too: onu gördüm may mean “I saw him,” “I saw her,” “I saw it,” or “I saw that one.” Context normally makes the reference clear.

Genitive forms and possession

The genitive case marks a possessor—the owner or defining relation. It combines with a possessive ending on the following noun:

• bunun rengi — the color of this one
• şunun kapağı — the lid/cover of that one
• onun adı — his/her/its name; the name of that one

Because onun also means “his,” “her,” or “its,” a sentence such as Onun rengi güzel can mean “Its color is nice” or “His/her color is nice,” depending on context.

Demonstratives referring to whole ideas

A demonstrative can point back to a situation, not only a visible object:

• Bu doğru. — This is true.
• Bunu bilmiyordum. — I didn’t know this/that.
• O mümkün değil. — That is not possible.
• Bundan sonra dikkat edeceğim. — I’ll be careful from now on.

In this abstract use, bu often presents the current point, while o refers to an idea treated as already established. Şu can introduce a point emphatically, especially in patterns like Şunu unutma (“Don’t forget this”).

Common fixed combinations

Case forms appear in many high-frequency expressions:

Expression	Meaning
bu yüzden	therefore; for this reason
bundan sonra	after this; from now on
ondan sonra	after that
bunun için	for this; because of this
şu anda	right now; at this moment

These are best learned as complete chunks while still noticing the demonstrative inside them.

Practice Tips

1. Use three objects around you. Hold one and say bu, point out another with şu, then choose a distant one with o. Add nouns, then repeat with the noun omitted.
2. Build case chains. Take one form through a short sequence: bu → bunu → buna → bunda → bundan → bunun. Make one useful sentence with each form rather than memorizing the table alone.
3. Contrast full and stand-alone phrases. Pair bu kitap with bunu, şu çantalar with şunları, and o insanlar with onlar. This prevents the common mistake of placing bunlar/şunlar/onlar directly before a noun.

Related Concepts

No related concepts are specified for this grammar entry. Useful next topics to study are Turkish plural suffixes, noun cases, possessive constructions, and personal pronouns, because each one expands how bu, şu, and o behave in sentences.