LingoflyDemonstratives: bu, şu, o — three distances instead of two
English splits the world in two, this and that. Turkish splits it in three. bu is what is in my hand. şu is a bit farther off and pointed at: that one there. o is far away, and also whatever has already been named. For example: “Bu telefon benim, şu senin” — This phone is mine, and that one there is yours. A rule from the Turkish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English splits the world in two, this and that. Turkish splits it in three. bu is what is in my hand. şu is a bit farther off and pointed at: that one there. o is far away, and also whatever has already been named.
Before a noun the pointer does not change for number: bu ev this house, bu evler these houses. The form bunlar lives only on its own, with no noun after it.
The moment a tail attaches, an n slips in between: bu → bunu, buna, bundan. The same n sits in onu and ona.
The trap is o. It points into the distance and back into the talk at once. O kitabı geçen hafta okudum is about a book already named.
Table
| the pointer | when | on its own | the whom-form | the place word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bu | in my hand, up close | bunlar | bunu | burada — here |
| şu | over there, pointing | şunlar | şunu | şurada — over there |
| o | far away or already named | onlar | onu | orada — out there |
By example
- Şunu bana uzatır mısın?Will you pass me that one over there?
- O kitabı geçen hafta okudumI read that book last week
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Bu vs şu in Turkish?
English splits the world in two, this and that. Turkish splits it in three. bu is what is in my hand. şu is a bit farther off and pointed at: that one there. o is far away, and also whatever has already been named.
Bu, şu or o: three Turkish this and that?
English splits the world in two, this and that. Turkish splits it in three. bu is what is in my hand. şu is a bit farther off and pointed at: that one there. o is far away, and also whatever has already been named.
Why bunu and not buyu?
The moment a tail attaches, an n slips in between: bu → bunu, buna, bundan. The same n sits in onu and ona.
When to say şurada and when orada?
English splits the world in two, this and that. Turkish splits it in three. bu is what is in my hand. şu is a bit farther off and pointed at: that one there. o is far away, and also whatever has already been named.
What does it look like in a Turkish example sentence?
“Bu telefon benim, şu senin” — This phone is mine, and that one there is yours. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.