ELONIO
Log inSign up

Bu yol ne kadar dik?

Bu yol ne kadar dik?
How steep is this road?
FromLesson 40inHardcore Turkish

Breakdown of Bu yol ne kadar dik?

olmak
to be
bu
this
yol
the road
dik
steep
ne kadar
how

Questions & Answers about Bu yol ne kadar dik?

What does Bu mean, and how is it used?
Bu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning this. It points to something close in space or context. It can take case endings (e.g. bunu, bunda, buna) when you need accusative, locative, or dative roles, but in the nominative position it stays as Bu.
What does yol mean, and why doesn’t it have a suffix here?
yol means road. In this sentence it’s the topic (nominative case) of an equational question, so it doesn’t need any additional suffix. Turkish only adds case endings when a noun is explicitly acting as object, subject of a transitive verb, location, possession, etc.
What does ne kadar mean?
ne kadar literally means how much. When you put it before an adjective or adverb (like dik), it turns the phrase into a “how … ?” question—in English, “how steep,” “how big,” “how far,” etc.
Why is ne kadar placed before dik?
In Turkish the modifier (in this case ne kadar) comes immediately before the adjective or adverb it’s modifying. So you say ne kadar dik (“how steep”) rather than dik ne kadar.
Why isn’t there a verb like to be in Bu yol ne kadar dik?
Turkish omits the present‐tense copula (the equivalent of English is) in equational sentences. An adjective or noun can serve as the predicate all by itself. Here dik carries the “steep” meaning without needing –dir or any separate “is.”
Why don’t we add a question particle like –mı/–mi at the end?
When you start a sentence with a question word (who, what, where, ne kadar, etc.), the sentence is already marked as interrogative. Adding –mı/–mi is only necessary for yes/no questions without a wh-word.
How can I answer if I want to say “It’s very steep”?

You have several options:
• Çok dik. (“Very steep.”)
• Oldukça dik. (“Quite steep.”)
• Bu yol çok dik. or Bu yol oldukça dik. if you want to repeat the full sentence.

Can I use dik before yol as an attributive adjective?
Yes. You can say dik bir yol to mean “a steep road.” Note that Turkish doesn’t have a bare indefinite article, so you insert bir between the adjective and the noun.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Turkish grammar?”
Turkish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Turkish

Master Turkish — from Bu yol ne kadar dik to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Turkish→