The Mehter Ottoman Military Band (from an old postcard)

The Turkish Demonstrative Pronouns - this, these, that, those - Bu, Şu and O - and their extended forms in Turkish - of this, from that, with these, to those etc...

The Demonstrative Pronouns

They are called Demonstrative because they demonstrate which item is being mentioned.

The simple Forms

1. bu kedi - this cat
2. şu fincan - that cup
3. o adam - that man over there

The Compound Forms

The Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives - bu - this, şu - that, o- that yonder - use buffer letter -n- to become bun-, sun-, on- when adding any futher suffixes.

NOTE: The Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives - this, that, that yonder - use buffer letter -n- when adding further suffixes in all cases.

Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

All about - this and that, these and those

These are called Demonstrative Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives because they demonstrate or describe which item is being talked about.

1. bu - this (here) OR this (which was just mentioned)
2. bunlar - these
3. şu - that (nearby) OR that (which follows on)
4. şunlar - those (nearby)
5. o - that (over there, yonder)
6. onlar - those (over there)

Note: Turkish has two words for - that.
ŞU - signifies something near by OR something between the speakers.
ŞU also means - that which follows- eg. şu tavsiye - the following recommendation.

O - signifies items far away or which does not lie between the speakers.
O - is often used for descriptions of happenings in foreign countries and cities.

Note: When adding any suffixes including the plural suffix -lar buffer letter -n- is always used with the Demonstratives - thus forming -nlar as the Plural Suffix.

Lets get Nasty

Care must be taken using - şu - and its extensions as it is also used in a derogatory sense (according to context) - see below.

Şu adama bakın! - Look at that bloke!
Şunu istemedim - I didn't want that! - (damn thing)
Şu heref kim? - Who the hell is that fellow?

Some Extended Forms

These extended suffixed forms show the use of the buffer -n- which is always used with the demonstrative.

Extended Forms of the Demonstrative Pronouns

Note that the suffix -ca - concerning .. - is used with the Demonstrative Pronoun to produce - bunca - all this, bunlarca - all these, onca - all that, onlarca - all those.
Note also that - şunca - or - şunlarca - are not normally in use

Note: that although - şunca - or - şunlarca - are not normally in use - however - it is sometimes used dispargingly. However, in Turkish it could be used to despise something in quantity or magnitude , or someone in muscular power.
For instance, if someone has a small wound due to some reason and complaining too much about it then you could say - şunca/şuncacik, yaradan ölmezsin - You won't die from such a small wound (surely not..!.)

Some Examples of Extended Forms

1. bu ne? - what's this?
2. Bu bir büyük kedi - This is a big cat
3. - used as an Adjective describing - the cat.
4. Bunca kediler uzun kuyruklu(dur) - All these cats are long tailed

1. şu ne? - what is that (just there)?
2. O bir gazete - that is a newspaper (Su bir gazete - is incorrect and is not used as an answer)
3. - used as an Adjective about - the newspaper.
4. Onca gazeteler dünkü(dür) - All those newspapers are yesterday's.

More about - Şu

Şu ne? - What is that (just there)?

The answer - Şu bir gazete - That is a newspaper - is incorrect.
The correct answer is - O bir gazete - as the answer to the question Şu ne?.

Because after you ask the question - Şu ne? - the person being asks now knows where and what the subject actually is, therefore the answer must be something like - O bir gazete.

But as a phrase in its own right you can say such as - Şu bir gazete - That (just there) is a newspaper - but not as an answer to a question like - Şu ne? What's that?

For example: There are some of your friends in your home and a newspaper (gazete) on the desk in this case,there are two posibilities:

(1) If you are asked - Şu masanin üstündeki nedir? - What is it on that table? then you must answer it like - O bir gazete or just - gazete - not - Şu bir gazete

(2) If you want them to know that there is a newspaper, then you must say - Şu bir gazete - and here if they want to ask you where it is they must ask it like - Nerede o gazete? - not - Nerede şu gazete?.

Summary
Question: Şu ne?
Answer: O bir gazete.

Şu bir gazete - Cannot be a question..
But if it causes a question like - Where is that newspaper? - then it must be:
- Nerede o gazete? - NOT - Nerede şu gazete?.

Further Examples

1. o ne? - what is that over there?
2. o bir dergi - that is a magazine
3. Bunlarca dergi - All these are magazines.

1. bunlar ne? - what are these?
2. bunlar yeşil elma. - these (ones) are green apples.

1. şunlar ne? - what are those?
2. onlarlar beyaz evler. - those are white houses. - (See note on usage of şu just above)

1. onlar kim? - who are those (people) over there?
2. onlar genç kızlar. - those (people) are young girls.
3. Onlarca kızlar genç. - All those girls are young.

1. buna bakar mısınız? - would you look at (to) this?
2. - Used as Pronoun as the object of - "to look"
3. bunlara bakar mısınız? - would you look at (to) these?
4. - Uses as an Objective Pronoun

1. ona bakar mısınız? - would you look at that?
2. onlara bakar mısınız? - would you look at those?

Adverbial Forms of the Demonstratives

There are further derivations of - bu, şu, o - which have produced the words - böyle, şöyle, öyle - the meanings are a follows:

böyle - In this way/thus
şöyle - like this/ that
öyle - such as that/like that

The -ce suffix can also be added to form adverbs:

böylece - In this way/thus
öylece - such as that/like that

Some Examples

Böyle bir iş yapmayın! - Don't do anything like that!
Böylece onu yapın! - Do it this way..

şöyle böyle - Like this, Like that - (as French - "comme ci comme ca")

When asked How are you? - then şöyle böyle can be given as an answer - "So so... I'm up and down... I'm getting on OK.. etc.."

öyle bir sağanak yağmur yağdı ki.. - There was such a downpour that..

The "Formula Speak" - Öyle mi? - is also used a lot when listening with apparent disbelief to some one describing events. It means something like - Well I never.., Go on then.., Really??... - This formula is used a lot in normal daily conversation.