Learning Turkish Demonstrative Pronouns with a Curious Kid at the Zoo
Let’s imagine a little kid visiting the zoo with their parent. They’re at that stage where they want to know everything. So naturally, they point at every animal and ask:
“Bu ne?” (What’s this?)
“Şu ne?” (What’s that?)
“O ne?” (What’s that over there?)
They’re not just learning animal names — they’re also learning how to talk about where things are using Turkish demonstrative pronouns.
What are demonstrative pronouns?
In Turkish, we use bu, şu, and o to point at things. They are the equivalent of “this” and “that” in English, but Turkish makes a clear distinction between different distances.
Turkish | English | Distance |
Bu | this | Right next to me |
Şu | that | A little farther away |
O | that (over there) | Far away from both of us |
Let’s follow the child as they walk around and explore.
1. They see a monkey right in front of them, almost close enough to touch.
“Bu ne?”
“Bu maymun.” → This is a monkey.
Bu is used for things that are very close — something in your hand or right in front of you.
2. Now they point to an elephant a few steps away, on the other side of the fence.
“Şu ne?”
“Şu fil.” → That is an elephant.
Şu is for objects or people that are not right next to you, but still visible and close enough to point at easily.
3. They notice a giraffe walking far in the background.
“O ne?”
“O zürafa.” → That is a giraffe.
O is for things that are far away — across the zoo, across the room, or even farther.
This doesn’t only happen at the zoo. You can use the same words at home.
Holding a spoon: “Bu kaşık.” → This is a spoon.
Pointing at the TV across the room: “Şu televizyon. ” → That is a TV.
Looking at a tree through the window: “O ağaç.” → That is a tree.
Quick Summary
Bu: for things you can touch or are holding.
Şu: for things nearby but not right next to you.
O: for things far away from both you and the listener. Or for things that are not visible.
Here is a corresponding video for this topic.