Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives (işaret sıfatları) point out a specific noun. They are the same words as the demonstrative pronouns: bu, şu and o.

Usage:

Demonstrative adjectives come before the noun and never take plural or case endings. Only the noun changes.

• Bu kitap ilginç. (This book is interesting.)
• Bu evler büyük. (These houses are big.) – evler is plural, bu is unchanged.
• Şu arabalar yeni. (Those cars are new.)
• O adamı tanıyor musun? (Do you know that man?) – adamı is accusative, o is unchanged.
• Şu çantayı bana verir misin? (Could you give me that bag?)
• Bu kahve sıcak değil. (This coffee isn't hot.)
• O gün çok yağmur yağdı. (It rained a lot that day.)

Word Order with Other Adjectives:

The demonstrative comes first, then any number, then the descriptive adjective: bu güzel ev (this beautiful house), şu iki kırmızı araba (those two red cars).

Everyday Time Expressions:

• bu sabah (this morning), bu akşam (this evening), bu hafta (this week), bu yıl (this year)
• şu an (right now), o zaman (then / in that case), bu yüzden (that is why)

Adjective or Pronoun?

If a noun follows, the word is an adjective; if it stands alone, it is a pronoun and can take endings (see the Demonstrative Pronouns lesson).

• Adjective: Bu elma kırmızı. (This apple is red.)
• Pronoun: Bu kırmızı. (This (one) is red.)
• Adjective: O çocuklar oynuyor. (Those children are playing.)
• Pronoun: Onlar oynuyor. (They / Those ones are playing.)

Because o also means "he/she", a comma after the pronoun avoids confusion: O, kitap okuyor. (He/She is reading a book.) vs. O kitap ilginç. (That book is interesting.)

Common Mistakes:

• ✗ bunlar kitaplar → ✓ bu kitaplar ("these books")
• ✗ Bunu kitabı okudum. → ✓ Bu kitabı okudum. (I read this book.)
• ✗ kitap bu → ✓ bu kitap (kitap bu means "the book is this one")
• ✗ güzel bu ev → ✓ bu güzel ev