Questions & Answers about Şu ne? Şu bir kalem.
Why is there no word for "is" in Şu ne and Şu bir kalem?
In Turkish, there isn't a direct standalone word for "is" or "are" in simple sentences like this. You just place the subject and the object or question word side by side. Şu ne literally translates to "That what?", and Şu bir kalem means "That a pen."
Why does ne come at the end of Şu ne?
In Turkish, question words like ne (what) and kim (who) generally sit in the exact same spot in the sentence where the answer will go. Since the answer places the object at the end (Şu bir kalem), the question places the question word at the end (Şu ne?).
I thought o means "that". Why are we using şu here?
Turkish has three pointing words: bu (this - close to you), şu (that - a bit further away, or when pointing something out to someone), and o (that - far away). You use şu when you are actively directing someone's attention to an object they might not be looking at yet.
Could I just say Şu kalem instead of Şu bir kalem?
Yes, you can! Şu kalem can mean "That is a pen" or "That pen", depending on the context. Adding bir (which means "one" or "a") just makes it sound a bit more complete as a full sentence, matching the English "That is a pen."
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