onlar

Third Person Plural Pronoun

Level 1

Onlar is the Azerbaijani word for 'they'. It is used for people, animals, and objects. It also functions as the demonstrative pronoun 'those' for things far away.

How It Works

1. Personal Pronoun Usage
As a personal pronoun, onlar refers to a group of entities, including people, animals, or things. Because Azerbaijani is a pro-drop language, you can often omit the pronoun if the verb ending (like -lar/-lər or -dırlar/-dirlər) makes the subject clear.

2. Demonstrative Pronoun vs. Adjective
Onlar is a pronoun meaning 'those' or 'those ones'. Unlike English, it cannot modify a noun directly. To say 'those books', you must use the singular demonstrative o (e.g., o kitablar).

3. Verb Agreement Rules
Agreement depends on whether the subject is human or not:

  • Humans: The verb usually takes a plural suffix (e.g., Onlar müəllimdirlər).
  • Inanimate Objects: The verb usually stays in the singular form (e.g., Onlar kitabdır).
  • Animals: Agreement is flexible but often follows the singular pattern in casual speech.

4. Case Declension
Unlike the singular 'o', which requires a buffer -n-, onlar already ends in a consonant. Case suffixes attach directly to the stem:

  • Genitive: Onlar + ın = Onların (Their/Theirs). Note: This pairs with a 3rd person possessive suffix on the noun (e.g., Onların evi = Their house).
  • Accusative: Onlar + ı = Onları (Them)
  • Dative: Onlar + a = Onlara (To them)
  • Locative: Onlar + da = Onlarda (At/With them)
  • Ablative: Onlar + dan = Onlardan (From them)

5. The Comma Rule
In written Azerbaijani, the singular pronoun 'o' often requires a comma when used as a subject to distinguish it from the demonstrative adjective 'o'. However, because onlar is always a pronoun and never an adjective, it generally does not require a comma after it.

6. Pronunciation Note
In fast colloquial Azerbaijani, onlar can undergo consonant assimilation and sound like [onnar]. (Pronouncing it as onla is incorrect, as that is the colloquial form of onunla, meaning 'with him/her/it'). However, the final '-r' in plural verb suffixes is frequently dropped. For example, gəlirlər is often pronounced as gəlirlə or gəlillə.

Examples (5)

  1. Onlar tələbədirlər.

    They are students.

    Word by Word: They student-are-plural.

    Since the subject is human, the verb takes the plural suffix -dirlər.

  2. Onlar mənim kitablarımdır.

    Those are my books.

    Word by Word: Those my books-are.

    When referring to inanimate objects like books, the verb -dır remains in the singular form.

  3. Mən onlara kömək edirəm.

    I am helping them.

    Word by Word: I them-to help doing-am.

    Here, 'onlar' takes the dative case suffix '-a' directly: onlar + a = onlara.

  4. Onlar haradadırlar?

    Where are they?

    Word by Word: They where-at-are-plural?

    A common question using the plural pronoun for people.

  5. Onların evi çox böyükdür.

    Their house is very big.

    Word by Word: Their house-possessive very big-is.

    The genitive form 'onların' indicates possession.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'onlar' as a demonstrative adjective before a noun.

    Onlar kitablar maraqlıdır.
    O kitablar maraqlıdır.

    In Azerbaijani, 'onlar' is only a pronoun ('those ones'). To say 'those books', you must use the singular demonstrative o followed by the plural noun.

  • Using a plural verb for inanimate objects.

    Onlar stoldurlar.
    Onlar stoldur.

    If the subject 'onlar' refers to inanimate objects (like tables), the verb should remain in the singular form.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

onlarLevel 1Third Person Plural Pronoun

Learn This First

To understand 'onlar' (they), learners need to be familiar with the singular third person pronoun 'o' and how the plural suffix '-lar/-lər' is applied to nouns and pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

onlar