Oyunu

Oyunu is a Turkish noun form that functions as the definite direct object of the noun oyun, which means game or play. As an accusative form, oyunu marks the game as the thing that the verb acts upon, similar to adding “the game” in English as a direct object. It is commonly used when referring to a specific game in a sentence, for example: Oyunu bitirdik (We finished the game) or Oyunu başlattık (We started the game).

Etymology and morphology: The word oyun comes from Turkish and is combined with the accusative suffix -u to produce oyunu, following vowel harmony. In Turkish, the accusative suffix has four alternating vowels (ı, i, u, ü) chosen to harmonize with the last vowel of the root; for oyun, the result is -u, yielding oyunu. The form is used regardless of grammatical person or number, with the subject and other modifiers determining the overall sentence structure.

Usage and notes: Oyunu can appear in various constructions where the game is the object, including phrases such as oyunu oynamak (to play the game) and oyunu izlemek (to watch the game) depending on context. It can also appear in questions: Oyunu kim kazandı? (Who won the game?) and in commands: Oyunu kaybetme (Don’t lose the game). While oyunu is the object form, Turkish also uses other cases and possessive forms for related meanings, such as oyunun (the game’s/of the game) in genitive constructions.

See also: oyun (game), oyun oynamak (to play), Turkish grammar.