Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?

ediyor musun already tells us it’s second person singular (you).
Adding sen makes it emphatic:
- Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun? – Do you dare to answer this question? (neutral)
- Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun? – Do *you dare to answer this question? / *Do you, of all people, dare…?

So sen is not grammatically necessary; it is used for focus or contrast, often implying something like: You, specifically or even you?

Why does bu soru become bu soruyu? What is the -yu ending for?

The -yu is the accusative case marker in Turkish. It marks a specific, definite direct object.

bu soru – this question (dictionary form)
bu soru + (y)u → bu soruyu – this question as a definite object of the verb

You use the accusative when the object is specific/known:

Bu soruyu anlıyorum. – I understand this (particular) question.
Bir soru anlıyorum. – I understand a question. (no accusative, indefinite)

The y is a buffer consonant that appears when a vowel-ending word takes a vowel-beginning suffix:

soru + u → soruu (awkward)
soru + y + u → soruyu (correct)

So bu soruyu = this specific question as the direct object.

Why is it yanıtlamaya and not just yanıtlamak? What does the -maya ending mean here?

yanıtlamak is the base verb “to answer”.
Here we need “to dare to answer”, and in Turkish the structure is:

bir şey yapmaya cesaret etmek — to dare to do something

So you must attach -ma/-me (verbal noun) + -a/-e (dative):

yanıtla-mak – to answer
yanıtla-ma – answering (verbal noun)
yanıtla-ma-ya – to answering → to answer (in constructions like to dare to answer)

Other examples with the same pattern:

Yapmaya cesaret ediyor musun? – Do you dare to do it?
Söylemeye cesaret edemiyorum. – I don’t dare to say it.

So yanıtlamaya cesaret etmek literally = to have courage towards answering → to dare to answer.

What exactly is going on in cesaret ediyor musun? How is the question formed?

Cesaret etmek is a compound verb: cesaret (courage) + etmek (to do). Literally, to do courage = to dare.

In the present continuous:

Stem: cesaret et-
Present continuous: cesaret ediyor-
Question: cesaret ediyor mu?
With you (singular): cesaret ediyor musun?

Breakdown:

ediyor – is doing (present continuous of etmek)
mu – question particle (changes as mı/mu/mi/mü depending on vowel harmony)
sun – 2nd person singular ending

Note: The personal ending attaches to the question particle, not to the verb:

cesaret ediyor mu – does (someone) dare?
cesaret ediyor musun – do you dare?
cesaret ediyor musunuz – do you (plural/polite) dare?

So cesaret ediyor musun? literally: Are you doing courage? → Do you dare?

Why is it musun and not mısın or müsün?

The question particle follows vowel harmony. It comes in four forms: mı, mi, mu, mü.

It looks at the last vowel of the verb (here: ediyor):

e-di-yor → the last vowel is o.
With o or u, you use mu.
Then you attach the personal ending -sun → mu + sun → musun.

Examples:

Geliyor musun? (geliyor → o → mu)
Seviyor musun? (seviyor → o → mu)
Anlıyor musun? (anlıyor → o → mu)

If the last vowel were different, we’d see:

Bekler misin? (bekler → e → mi)
Okur musun? (okur → u → mu)
Biter mi? (biter → e → mi)

So here: ediyor → ediyor musun is the only correct form.

Why is the tense present continuous (ediyor musun) instead of something like eder misin? Is there a difference?

Both are possible, but they have slightly different nuances:

Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
– Focus on now / this situation.
– Implication: Right now, in this moment/specific context, do you dare?
Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret eder misin?
– More general or hypothetical:
- Would you dare to answer this question (in general / if asked)?

In everyday speech, present continuous (-iyor) is very commonly used for immediate, real situations and can overlap with English “would you” in context.

So the original sentence sounds like a direct challenge about this particular question, now.

Can I move the words around? For example, is Bu soruyu sen yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun? okay?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis, as long as the finite verb comes at or near the end.

All of these are grammatical, but with different emphases:

Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
– Neutral emphasis on sen (Do YOU dare…?).
Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya sen cesaret ediyor musun?
– Stronger focus on sen; almost: Is it really YOU who dares to answer this question?
Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun sen?
– More spoken/colloquial, adding sen at the end for emphasis or mild challenge.

But you cannot split the verb phrase unnaturally, e.g.:

✗ Sen bu soruyu cesaret ediyor musun yanıtlamaya? (wrong/very odd)

Normally, all the complements (bu soruyu, yanıtlamaya) come before the main verb (cesaret ediyor musun).

What’s the difference between yanıtlamak and cevaplamak / cevap vermek?

All are related to answering, but with slight stylistic differences:

yanıtlamak
- Purely Turkish origin.
- Common in written language, formal contexts, journalism, academic texts.
- Meaning: to answer, to respond.
cevaplamak
- From Arabic-origin noun cevap (answer).
- Also means to answer, often used with more formal written registers, exams, etc.
- Soruları cevapladı. – He/She answered the questions.
cevap vermek
- Very common in everyday speech.
- Literally: to give an answer.

In your sentence, you could say:

Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
Bu soruyu cevaplamaya cesaret ediyor musun?

Both are fine. yanıtlamak may feel a bit more “standard Turkish” / neutral-formal, cevaplamak leans slightly more bookish in some contexts, and cevap vermek is the most colloquial-sounding.

Is sen informal? How would I say this politely to someone I don’t know well?

Yes, sen is informal singular “you”, used with friends, family, children, or peers.

To be polite or formal, you use siz with plural verb endings:

Siz bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musunuz?
– Do you (sir/ma’am/you all) dare to answer this question?

Changes:

sen → siz
musun → musunuz (2nd person plural/polite)

So:

Informal: Sen bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
Formal: Siz bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musunuz?

Can I say Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaretin var mı? instead? Is there a difference?

Yes, that’s another very natural way to say almost the same thing:

Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
– Do you dare to answer this question?
– Literally: Are you daring to answer this question? (verb cesaret etmek)
Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaretin var mı?
– Do you have the courage to answer this question?
– Literally: Do you have courage to answer this question? (cesaretin = your courage)

The meaning/pragmatic effect is almost identical; both can sound like a challenge.
Grammatically:

cesaret etmek – to dare (verb)
cesaretin var – you have courage (noun phrase)

Both are very common.

Could I drop bu and just say Soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun??

Yes. Both are grammatical, but with a small difference in specificity/emphasis:

Bu soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
– Do you dare to answer *this question?
– Points more sharply to *one specific question, often one that’s just been mentioned or is clearly visible.
Soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun?
– Do you dare to answer *the question?
– Still specific (because of *-yu), but without the extra deictic emphasis bu = this.

In many actual conversations, if it’s clear which question is meant, people might naturally say Soruyu yanıtlamaya cesaret ediyor musun? without bu.