Questions & Answers about Bu on altı masa küçük.
Why is it masa (table) and not masalar (tables) if there are sixteen of them?
In Turkish, nouns always stay singular if you put a number in front of them. Because the sentence already specifies on altı (sixteen), adding the plural ending -lar to masa is actually incorrect.
How are numbers from 11 to 19 formed in Turkish, like on altı?
They are very straightforward! You just take the word for ten (on) and add the single digit after it as a separate word. So, on altı literally translates to 'ten six'.
The English translation says 'These', so shouldn't the sentence start with bunlar instead of bu?
No, because pointing words like bu (this/these) don't become plural when they are placed directly in front of a noun. You only use bunlar when the word stands completely on its own (like 'These are small'). Here, it's attached to 'sixteen tables', so it stays as bu.
Where is the word for 'are' in this sentence?
In simple present-tense sentences, Turkish often doesn't need a separate word for 'is' or 'are'. Just putting the adjective küçük (small) at the end of the sentence is perfectly enough to mean 'are small'.