Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bu yol çok riskli.

In Turkish, simple nominal or adjectival sentences in the present tense drop the copula. Instead of saying “This road is very risky,” you just say Bu yol çok riskli. If you need formality or want to state it as a fact, you can add the suffix -dir: Bu yol çok risklidir (“This road is very risky”).

What does çok mean and why is it placed before riskli?

Çok is an adverb meaning very or much. Adverbs of degree precede the adjective or adverb they modify, so çok riskli means very risky. Placing çok after the adjective (e.g. riskli çok) would be ungrammatical.

What part of speech is riskli, and how is it formed?

Riskli is an adjective formed from the noun risk plus the suffix -li, which creates “having” or “full of” something. So risk + -li = riskli (“risky”). Turkish uses this suffix to turn many nouns into adjectives (e.g. su → sulu “watery”).

Do adjectives like riskli change form for number, gender, or case?

No. Turkish adjectives are invariable. Riskli stays the same whether the noun is singular or plural, masculine or feminine, or in any case:
• riskli yol, riskli yollar
• riskli yoldan, riskli yollarda

Why is the word order Bu yol çok riskli instead of something like Çok riskli bu yol?

Turkish follows a modifier-before-modified pattern within phrases. The typical order here is:

Demonstrative: Bu (this)
Noun: yol (road)
Adverb: çok (very)
Adjective: riskli (risky)
Shuffling them would sound awkward or change the emphasis.

Can I use tehlikeli instead of riskli, and is there a difference?

Yes, tehlikeli also means dangerous (from tehlike, “danger”). Riskli implies something carries risks or chances of loss, while tehlikeli focuses on direct danger. In many contexts they overlap, so Bu yol çok tehlikeli is also perfectly natural.

How would I turn Bu yol çok riskli into a question like “Is this road very risky?”

Add the question particle mi after the adjective and a question mark:
Bu yol çok riskli mi?
Remember mi adapts to vowel harmony (mı/mu/mü/mi), but since riskli ends in i, you use mi.

Can I omit bu and just say Yol çok riskli? What changes?

Dropping bu removes the demonstrative “this,” making the statement general or context-dependent:
• Bu yol çok riskli. = “This road is very risky.”
• Yol çok riskli. = “Road is very risky” or “A/the road is very risky,” depending on context. If you’re pointing to a specific road, you need bu.

How do I pronounce the Turkish letters in çok riskli?

• ç is like English “ch” in “chair” → çok sounds like “chok.”
• o is like “o” in “store.”
• r is slightly rolled.
• i is like the “i” in “sit.”
• s and k are as in English; l is like “l” in “let.”
Put it together: “chok ris-klee.”