Demonstratives (bu, şu, o) and question words (ne, kim, nerede, nasıl, kaç)
Can use demonstratives and basic question words in everyday situations
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Bu ne? Bu bir kalem.
What is this? This is a pen.
Tuvalet nerede?
Where is the toilet?
Kaç yaşındasın?
How old are you?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Turkish has three demonstratives where English has two:
| Turkish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bu | this (near me) | Bu simit taze. - This simit is fresh. |
| şu | that (the one I am pointing at or showing you) | Şu adam kim? - Who's that man? |
| o | that (over there, or already mentioned) | O bina çok eski. - That building is very old. |
They do not change before a noun: bu ev, bu evler. On their own they take endings: bunu (this, as object), şunu, onu; Bunu alıyorum - I'll take this one. Places follow the same pattern: burada (here), şurada (just there), orada (there).
| Turkish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ne? | what? | Bu ne? - What's this? |
| kim? | who? | Kim geldi? - Who came? |
| nerede? | where? | Tuvalet nerede? - Where's the toilet? |
| nereye? / nereden? | where to? / where from? | Nereye gidiyorsun? - Where are you going? |
| nasıl? | how? | Nasılsınız? - How are you? |
| ne zaman? | when? | Ne zaman geleceksin? - When will you come? |
| neden? / niye? | why? | Neden gülüyorsun? - Why are you laughing? |
| kaç? | how many? | Kaç yaşındasın? - How old are you? |
| hangi? | which? | Hangi otobüs Taksim'e gidiyor? - Which bus goes to Taksim? |
English moves "what" and "where" to the front. Turkish puts the question word where the answer would go, usually just before the verb: Sen ne istiyorsun? (literally "You what want?"), answered by Ben çay istiyorum. Question words take case endings like nouns: Kime? (to whom?), Neyi? (what, as object). Do not add the question particle mı to a question that already has a question word.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesUsed wrong demonstrative for the distance/context
bu = near me, şu = visible/indicated, o = far away or previously mentioned
Placed question word at start of sentence (English pattern)
Turkish keeps question words in their natural position, not fronted
Bu ne? Bu bir kalem.
What is this? This is a pen.
Bu (this) + ne (what). bir = a/one.
Tuvalet nerede?
Where is the toilet?
Nerede = where (at). Most essential survival question!
Kaç yaşındasın?
How old are you?
Kaç (how many) + yaşındasın (in-your-age-you-are).
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Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises