Turkish Pronouns Explained: Ben, Sen, O, Biz, Siz, Onlar

Pronouns are essential building blocks in any language, and Turkish is no exception! Whether you're introducing yourself, asking questions, or forming sentences, you'll need to know the basic pronouns.

In this guide, we’ll break down Turkish personal pronouns (şahıs zamirleri)—Ben, Sen, O, Biz, Siz, Onlar—and explain how to use them correctly in different contexts.

Turkish Personal Pronouns Overview

Here’s a quick table of the six Turkish personal pronouns:

Turkish + English + Pronunciation

• Ben I (ben)
• Sen You (singular, informal) (sen)
• O He/She/It (oh)
• Biz We (biz)
• Siz You (plural, formal) (seez)
• Onlar They (on-LAHR)

1. Ben (I) – The First-Person Singular

Used to refer to yourself. For example:

• Ben bir öğrenciyim. (I am a student.)
• Ben Türkçe öğreniyorum. (I am learning Turkish.)

NOTE Unlike English, Turkish often drops pronouns when the subject is clear from the verb. For example:

Gidiyorum. (Instead of "Ben gidiyorum.") → "I am going."

2. Sen (You – singular, Informal) vs. Siz (You – Plural, Formal)

Turkish makes an important distinction between informal and formal/plural "you."

Sen (Singular, Informal "You")

Used with friends, family, children, or peers. For example:

Sen çok güzelsin. (You are very beautiful.)

Siz (Plural, Formal "You")

Used for older people (showing respect), strangers (polite address), groups of people (plural "you"). For example:

• Siz nasılsınız? (How are you? – formal)
• Siz nerede oturuyorsunuz? (Where do you live? – plural)

When to use "Siz" instead of "Sen"?

• Talking to a teacher, boss, or elder? → Siz
• Speaking to multiple people? → Siz
• In doubt? Default to "Siz" to be polite!

3. O (He/She/It) – The Third-Person Singular

"O" covers he, she, and it—no gender distinction! For example:

• O doktor. (He/She is a doctor.)
• O bir kitap. (It is a book.)

IMPORTANT Unlike English, Turkish does not use gender-specific pronouns (no "he/she" difference).

4. Biz (We) – The First-Person Plural

Used when referring to yourself and others. For example:

• Biz arkadaşız. (We are friends.)
• Biz sinemaya gidiyoruz. (We are going to the cinema.)

5. Onlar (They) – The Third-Person Plural

Used for people, animals, or objects. For example:

• Onlar öğrenci. (They are students.)
• Onlar çok pahalı. (They are very expensive. – referring to objects)

Bonus: Possessive Pronouns (My, Your, His/Her, etc.)

Turkish adds suffixes to nouns instead of using separate words like "my" or "your."

• My Benim + -(I)m (Benim) Araba + -m = Arabam (My car)
• Your (singular, informal) Senin + -(I)n (Senin) Ev + -in = Evin (Your house)
• His/Her/Its Onun + -(s)I (Onun) Kedi + -si = Kedisi (His/her cat)
• Our Bizim + -(I)mIz (Bizim) Kent + -imiz** = Kentimiz (Our city)
• Your (Plural, Formal) Sizin + -(I)nIz (Sizin) Telefon + -unuz = Telefonunuz (Your phone)
• Their Onların + -lErI (Onların) Okul + -ları = Okulları (Their school)

Quick Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct pronoun:

1. ___ Türkiye’denim. (I am from Turkey.)
2. ___ doktor musun? (Are you a doctor? – informal)
3. ___ çok hızlı! (He/She is very fast!)
4. ___ nerede yaşıyorsunuz? (Where do you live? – formal)
5. ___ İngilizce biliyorlar. (They know English.)

Answers: 1. Ben, 2. Sen, 3. O, 4. Siz, 5. Onlar

Now that you know the basics, try forming your own sentences with Ben, Sen, O, Biz, Siz, Onlar!