Learn Hardcore Turkish: Bu iş zahmetli.

There is a copular ending in Turkish (like -dir), but in neutral everyday speech it’s usually omitted in present tense. You only really see it in writing or for emphasis / formality:

Bu iş zahmetlidir. – This job is laborious. (more formal, more definite-sounding)

What exactly does “iş” mean here? Is it “job”, “work”, or “thing”?

İş is very flexible and context-dependent. It often means:

job / work / task: something you have to do
matter / affair: something that needs dealing with

In “Bu iş zahmetli.” it could be translated as:

“This job is demanding.”
“This task is tedious.”
“This thing (we’re doing) is a lot of work.”

It doesn’t have to be your formal employment; it can be any specific piece of work or undertaking.

What does “zahmetli” mean exactly, and how is it different from “zor”?

Zahmetli comes from zahmet (effort, trouble) + -li (having).
So it literally means “having effort / trouble” → laborious, troublesome, demanding.

Compared with zor:

zor = hard, difficult (focus on difficulty)
zahmetli = laborious, takes effort/time, can be a hassle (focus on the effort and inconvenience)

Examples:

Bu sınav zor. – The exam is difficult. (hard to pass)
Bu iş zahmetli. – This work takes a lot of effort / is a hassle. (many steps, time-consuming)

What is the role of the suffix “-li” in “zahmetli”?

-li is a very common suffix that turns nouns into adjectives meaning “with / having / full of / characterized by”.

şeker (sugar) → şekerli (with sugar, sugary)
tuz (salt) → tuzlu (salty)
problemler (problems) → problemli (problematic)
zahmet (effort, trouble) → zahmetli (troublesome, effortful)

So zahmetli literally means “with/containing effort/trouble”, hence laborious / demanding / troublesome.

Could I also say “Bu zahmetli iş.”? Does that mean the same thing?

“Bu zahmetli iş.” is grammatically fine but it’s a different structure.

Bu iş zahmetli.
- Full sentence.
- Subject: Bu iş (This job)
- Predicate: zahmetli (is laborious)
Bu zahmetli iş.
- Noun phrase, often incomplete as a standalone sentence.
- Means “This laborious job” (as a description of the job, not a full statement).

You’d typically continue it:

Bu zahmetli iş bitmek bilmiyor. – This laborious job just won’t end.

To state something about it, use “Bu iş zahmetli.”

What’s the difference between “Bu iş zahmetli.” and “Bu çok zahmetli bir iş.”?

Both are natural, but the focus and structure differ:

Bu iş zahmetli.
- Simple, neutral statement.
- “This job is laborious.”
Bu çok zahmetli bir iş.
- Literally: “This is a very laborious job.”
- More descriptive and emphatic because of:
  - çok = very
  - bir iş = “a job” form that highlights the type of job

So:

If you just want to comment: Bu iş zahmetli.
If you want to stress how laborious it is: Bu çok zahmetli bir iş.

Where does “çok” go if I want to say “very laborious”?

You place çok directly before the adjective:

Bu iş çok zahmetli. – This job is very laborious.

Structure:

Bu iş (subject)
çok zahmetli (predicate phrase: “very laborious”)

You don’t say:

✗ Bu çok iş zahmetli.
✗ Bu iş zahmetli çok.

Why isn’t there any agreement ending on “zahmetli”? Why doesn’t it change for plural or gender?

Turkish adjectives are invariable:

They don’t change for:
- gender (no masculine/feminine)
- number (singular/plural)
- case

So:

Bu iş zahmetli. – This job is laborious.
Bu işler zahmetli. – These jobs are laborious.

“zahmetli” stays the same. Turkish uses plural endings on nouns (işler), but adjectives themselves don’t change form.

Could I say “Bu iş zahmetlidir.”? When would I use “-dir”?

Yes, “Bu iş zahmetlidir.” is correct. The suffix -dir is a copular ending that can:

sound more formal or written
express certainty / general fact
sometimes make the statement sound more objective or explanatory

Compare:

Bu iş zahmetli. – This job is laborious. (neutral, conversational)
Bu iş zahmetlidir. – This job is (indeed / generally) laborious. (more formal, factual tone)

In everyday speech people usually omit -dir unless they want to stress formality or certainty.

What’s the difference between “bu”, “şu”, and “o” here? Why is it “Bu iş” and not something else?

These are all demonstrative pronouns/adjectives:

bu – this (near the speaker, or just introduced)
şu – that (a bit further away, or when pointing something out, often with a slight emotional distance or contrast)
o – that (far from both speaker and listener, or already known from context)

In this sentence:

Bu iş zahmetli. – This job (that we’re dealing with right now / just mentioned) is laborious.

If you were referring to something not immediately present, or already discussed, you might say:

O iş zahmetli. – That job (we talked about) is laborious.

Can “iş” here also mean something like “situation” or “matter”, not literally a job?

Yes. İş is very broad and can mean:

literal work / task / job
a matter / issue / affair / situation

So depending on context, “Bu iş zahmetli.” could mean:

“This job is laborious.”
“This whole thing we’re dealing with is a lot of trouble.”
“This situation is a hassle.”

Native speakers often use iş in this looser sense, especially in speech.

How do you pronounce “zahmetli” and where is the stress?

Pronunciation (rough guide):

zahmetli → zah-MET-li

Details:

z as in zoo
a as in father
h is pronounced (slight breath), not completely silent
e as in get
i as in machine (short)

Stress is usually on the second syllable: zah-MET-li.