Category talk:Turkish personal pronouns

Singular
bu: this (close to the speaker) şu: that (close to the listener) o: that (away from both of them)

Plural
bunlar: these (close to the speaker) şunlar: those (close to the listener) onlar: those (away from both of tehem)

The difference between "şu" and "o" can be hard to understand for the foreign people. Our suggestion is to use "o" or "bu". Native speakers use "şu" seldom.

Typically you can distinguish by distance. Items within an arms reach that you're not interacting with are "şu", but items any farther away are "o". You can distinguish the difference between "bu" and "o" the same way too. Just that "bu" is more closer to the speaker than saying "şu".

If both of the objects are near you, you use "şu" and "bu", where you use "bu" for the one (you feel) closer, and "şu" to the other you feel more away.

If both of the objects are away from you, then you use "şu" for the one (you feel) closer, and "o" to the other you feel more away.

E.g. if you compare your company's CEO with another company's CEO, you call your CEO "bu", and the other CEO "O".

At the end how close or away the object should be to use "o", "şu" or "bu" is more subjective and relative, and not objective and absolute.