Paltonu giy.

It breaks down like this:

• palto = coat
• -n = your
• -u = accusative case ending

So paltonu means your coat as the direct object of the verb.

A useful point: because palto ends in a vowel, the 2nd person singular possessive suffix appears as just -n here, giving palton = your coat.

This is because of vowel harmony.

The Turkish accusative ending has four forms:

• -ı
• -i
• -u
• -ü

The form depends on the last vowel before the suffix. In palto, the last vowel is o, so the matching form is -u.

That is why you get:

• palton = your coat
• paltonu = your coat, marked as the object

Because it is a specific, definite direct object.

In Turkish, direct objects often take the accusative when they refer to a particular thing. Here, your coat is a specific coat, not just any coat.

So:

• Palto giy. = Wear a coat / Put on a coat.
  More general.
• Paltonu giy. = Put on your coat.
  A specific coat.

This is one of the most important differences between English and Turkish grammar.

Giymek is the infinitive, meaning to wear / to put on.

In this sentence, the speaker is giving a command to one person, so Turkish uses the informal singular imperative form. For many verbs, that looks like the bare verb stem:

• giymek = to wear / to put on
• giy = wear / put on

So Paltonu giy. is an imperative sentence.

It can mean either, depending on context.

With clothing verbs, Turkish often uses giymek in situations where English may choose either wear or put on. In a command like Paltonu giy, English usually prefers put on your coat, because it sounds more natural as an instruction.

So the Turkish verb is broader than a single English choice here.

Because the imperative already implies you.

In Paltonu giy, the listener is understood automatically as you singular. Turkish usually does not add sen unless there is special emphasis, contrast, or emotion.

So:

• Paltonu giy. = normal
• Sen paltonu giy. = more emphatic, like you put on your coat

The most neutral word order here is:

• Paltonu giy.

This follows a very common Turkish pattern: object + verb.

You may also hear:

• Giy paltonu.

That is possible, but it is more marked and can sound more emphatic, more spoken, or more context-driven. For a learner, Paltonu giy is the safest default.

You would use giyin instead of giy:

• Paltonuzu giyin.

Here:

• paltonuzu = your coat, with your in the polite/plural form
• giyin = polite/plural imperative of giymek

This can mean:

• speaking politely to one person
• speaking to more than one person

So Turkish uses the same form for plural you and polite you.

For the informal singular, you use -me:

• Paltonu giyme. = Don’t put on your coat.

For the polite/plural form:

• Paltonuzu giymeyin. = Don’t put on your coat.

So the negative imperative is formed differently from the positive one, and it is worth memorizing as a separate pattern.

Not necessarily. It is a direct imperative, so the tone depends a lot on the situation.

It can sound perfectly normal when:

• speaking to a child
• speaking to someone close to you
• giving a quick practical instruction
• speaking urgently

If you want to sound softer, you can say:

• Lütfen paltonu giy. = Please put on your coat.
• Paltonu giyer misin? = Would you put on your coat?

So the bare imperative is not automatically rude, but it is more direct than softer alternatives.