Questions & Answers about Bu ne? Bu bir masa.
Why is the question word ne at the end of the question?
In Turkish, question words usually sit exactly where the answer will be. Since the answer puts the object at the end in Bu bir masa (This is a table), the question is Bu ne? (This is what?).
Could I use kim instead of ne here?
No, because kim means 'who' and is only used for people. Since we are asking about an object, we must use ne (what). If you were pointing at a person, you would ask Bu kim? (Who is this?).
Where is the word for 'is' in these sentences?
Turkish doesn't have a separate word for 'is' in simple present tense sentences like this. You just place the subject and the object next to each other. So, Bu ne? literally means 'This what?', and Bu bir masa means 'This a table'.
Does bir mean 'one' or 'a' in this sentence?
bir literally means the number 'one', but it is also used as the word for 'a' or 'an'. Saying Bu bir masa is the natural way to say 'This is a table'.
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