onu
/onu/from spelling rules
The Turkish phrase for "her" is onu.
onu is a pronoun used to refer to a female person or animal as the object of a verb or preposition. Because Turkish pronouns are gender-neutral, onu can mean "him", "her" or "it" depending on the context of the conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
onu is the accusative form of the third-person singular pronoun, used when the person is the direct object of a verb. In certain contexts, the pronoun o can be used as a synonym for "her". Note that if you want to say "to her" (the indirect object), you must use the dative form ona instead. To express possession, such as "her book", use the genitive form onun rather than the object form onu.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /onu/. The /n/ sound is like the [n] in "not" and the /u/ sound is like the [oo] in "cool".
Did you know?
- When speaking about someone very respected, a Turkish speaker will often avoid using onu entirely and instead use a title like kendisini to be more polite.
- In Turkish literature, authors often create suspense by using onu to refer to a mysterious character, as the reader cannot tell if the person is a man or a woman.
- The root o is shared with other Turkic languages, meaning that a traveler could use onu or o and be understood from Turkey to Central Asia.
Examples in context
- Git ve onu gör.Go and see her.This sentence is useful for practicing the command to see onu.Tatoeba #4035671 by duran, translation #3910392 by CH
- Git ve onu bul.Go and find her.This sentence is useful for practicing the command to find onu.Tatoeba #5059576 by duran, translation #3918453 by CH
- O, onu eşi yaptı.He made her his wife.This sentence shows how onu functions as the direct object of the verb "made".Tatoeba #1267089 by duran, translation #302894 by CK
- Öğretmene danışma vakti gelmişti, bu yüzden ona mesaj gönderdim.It was time to consult the teacher, so I sent her a message.
- 8503 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Can are talking about a lost kitten.
- ElifKedi nerede?Where is the kitten?
- CanOnu bahçede buldum.I found her in the garden.
- ElifOnu eve getirdin mi?Did you bring her home?
- CanEvet, onu içeri aldım.Yes, I brought her inside.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry onu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
