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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 TURKISH ANTHEM

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The Demonstrative Pronouns

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

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

The Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives - this, that, that yonder - use buffer letter -n- when adding further suffixes as the examples show below:.

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.

It 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 herif kim? - Who the hell is that fellow? - (herif - fellow, guy, bloke)

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 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..!.)

bunca and onca are plural and they take a singular object.
bunca kedi, onca kedi
Or we can use:
Bu kediler , o kediler.

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 kedi uzun kuyruklu(dur). - All these cats are long tailed
5. Bütün bu kediler uzun kuyrukludur. - Would be better, however.

1. şu ne? - what is that (just there)?
2. şu bir gazete - that is a newspaper
3. - used as an Adjective about - "the newspaper".
4. Onca gazete dünün. - All those newspapers are yesterday's.
5. bütün o gazeteler dünün. - Would be better to use, however.

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. şunlar beyaz evler. - those are white houses.

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. - 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

The 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)
This can be given as an answer when asked - How are you? - ie. I'm up and down, I'm getting on OK etc..

öyle bir yağış 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.