Personal Pronouns in Turkish
Şahıs Zamirleri
Personal pronouns in Turkish replace names to refer to people. Unlike English, Turkish is a pro-drop language, meaning the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb suffix identifies the person.
Pro-Drop Examples
Because the verb suffix carries the person information, the pronoun is optional.
| With Pronoun (Emphatic) | Without Pronoun (Common) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ben geliyorum. | Geliyorum. | I am coming. |
| Sen gidiyorsun. | Gidiyorsun. | You are going. |
| Biz biliyoruz. | Biliyoruz. | We know. |
The Basic Pronouns
There are six personal pronouns in Turkish, divided into singular and plural forms.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Ben (I) | Biz (We) |
| Sen (You - informal) | Siz (You - formal/plural) |
| O (He/She/It) | Onlar (They) |
Example Sentences
O, benim arkadaşım.He/She is my friend.
Biz Türkçe öğreniyoruz.We are learning Turkish.
Siz nereden geliyorsunuz?Where are you coming from?
Onlar çok çalışkanlar.They are very hardworking.
Subject Pronouns
These are used when you want to emphasize the subject or when there is no verb suffix to provide context.
| Turkish | English | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | I | First person singular |
| Sen | You | Second person singular (informal) |
| O | He/She/It | No gender distinction in Turkish |
| Biz | We | First person plural |
| Siz | You | Second person plural or formal |
| Onlar | They | Third person plural |