Learn Turkish: Çok yaşa! Teşekkürler.

No, it literally means "Live a lot!" or "Live long!". Çok means "much" or "a lot," and yaşa means "live." Turkish speakers use this phrase when someone sneezes to wish them a long, healthy life instead of giving a religious blessing.

Why is the verb yaşa just the root of the word?

It is in the command (imperative) form. The dictionary form of the verb is yaşamak (to live). When you remove the -mak ending, you are left with the root yaşa, which is the informal, singular command for "live!".

Why is there a -ler at the end of Teşekkürler?

The -ler is the plural suffix. Just like "thank" becomes "thanks" in English, teşekkür becomes teşekkürler. It is a short, friendly way to express gratitude, similar to saying "Thanks!" instead of the full "I thank you" (Teşekkür ederim).

Are there other common ways to reply to Çok yaşa besides Teşekkürler?

Yes! While Teşekkürler works just fine, native Turkish speakers often reply with Sen de gör (literally "You see it too") or Hep beraber ("All together"). These are polite, traditional ways of saying "I hope you live a long time to see it, too!"