burası / şurası / orası
Here and There as Nouns
Use burası (this place), şurası (that place nearby), and orası (that place far away) when the location itself is the subject or object of your sentence.
How It Works
These words are formed from the demonstrative roots bu, şu, and o combined with the noun ara (space) and the 3rd person possessive suffix -sı.
- Burası: Refers to the immediate area where the speaker is.
- Şurası: Refers to a specific spot nearby, often one you are pointing at.
- Orası: Refers to a distant location or a place previously mentioned that is not visible.
- Neresi: The question form, meaning 'what place?' or 'where?'.
Because these function as nouns, they take case endings. In modern Turkish, two stems are used: bura- and burası-.
The stem bura- is the most common for cases like the accusative (burayı), dative (buraya), and ablative (buradan).
The stem burası- is used when you want to emphasize 'this specific place' as a whole. When adding a case suffix to this stem, a buffer -n- is used (e.g., burasını).
Key Distinction:
Use burası if you can replace 'here' with 'this place' in English. Use burada if you mean 'at this place'.
Examples (5)
- Burası neresi?
What place is this? / Where is this?
Word by Word: This-place what-place?
This is the standard way to ask 'Where am I?' or 'What is this location?' when arriving somewhere new.
- Burası çok sıcak.
This place is very hot.
Word by Word: This-place very hot.
Here, 'burası' is the subject. We are describing the quality of the place itself.
- Burayı çok sevdim.
I liked this place very much.
Word by Word: This-place-(acc) very I-liked.
The word takes the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb 'sevmek' (to love/like).
- Orası çok uzak mı?
Is that place very far?
Word by Word: That-place very far [question]?
Use 'orası' for a location that is distant or not currently visible to the speaker.
- Şurası benim evim.
That spot (there) is my house.
Word by Word: That-place my house-my.
Use 'şurası' when pointing to a specific, visible location nearby.
Common Mistakes
Using the locative case (-de/-da) when the place itself is the subject.
Burada çok güzel.Burası çok güzel.In Turkish, if you want to say 'It is beautiful here,' the 'place' is the subject, so the noun form 'burası' is the natural choice. The locative 'burada' (at here) is also correct, but it says where something happens.
Using 'orası' for the place where you are.
Orası çok soğuk. (about the room you are standing in)Burası çok soğuk.'Burası' means 'this place,' where you are right now. 'Orası' means 'that place,' away from you.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'burası', 'şurası', and 'orası', you first need to know the basic demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o) that indicate distance. Since these words function as the subject of a sentence (meaning 'this place' rather than just 'this'), you should be familiar with how to form basic sentences without verbs (nominal sentences) and how the third-person possessive suffix functions as a nominalizer in this context.
- bu / şu / oDemonstratives
The words burası, şurası, and orası are derived from the basic demonstrative pronouns bu, şu, and o, which establish the distance of the object from the speaker.
Level 1 - -(s)i (iyelik, 3. tekil)His, Her, Its
These spatial nouns are formed by adding the third-person possessive suffix to the demonstrative roots, literally meaning 'this/that place of it'.
Level 1 - Sentences Without a Verb
Burası/şurası/orası function as nouns (subjects) in sentences without a verb, so understanding how to form basic nominal sentences is essential.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- burada / şurada / oradaHere and There
These are the locative adverb forms ('at this place'), which are often confused with the noun forms.
Level 1 - -n-Buffer Consonant -n-
The buffer -n- is required when adding case endings to these words (e.g., orası-n-da).
Level 1 - -(y)i (belirtme hâli)Accusative Case
These nouns frequently take the accusative case when they are the object of a verb like 'to see' or 'to like'.
Level 1 - nerede / nereye / neredenWhere, Where to, Where from
These are the question forms for location, similar to 'neresi' but used for different grammatical cases.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice burası / şurası / orası in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Turkish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
