Questions & Answers about O adam bir öğrenci.
How would I use the question words from this lesson to ask who this man is?
To ask "Who is that man?", you simply replace the answer (bir öğrenci) with the question word kim (who) to get: O adam kim? If you wanted to ask about his profession, you could use ne (what) to ask: O adam ne?
Why does o mean "that" here instead of "he"?
The word o is very versatile. It means "he", "she", or "it" when used as a standalone pronoun. However, when placed directly in front of a noun—like in o adam—it acts as a demonstrative pointing word meaning "that" (specifically, something far away).
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In basic Turkish sentences, "is" or "are" is often attached to the end of the last word as a suffix. But for the third-person singular (he, she, it, or "that man"), there is a "hidden" zero-suffix in everyday speech. The "is" is simply understood, so you don't need to add an extra word or suffix!
Could I leave out the word bir and just say "O adam öğrenci"?
Yes, absolutely! While adding bir (a/an) adds a little emphasis that he is "a" student, leaving it out to say O adam öğrenci is extremely common and perfectly correct in Turkish.