Kulis şimdiden kalabalık.

Here, kulis most naturally means backstage or the backstage area.

It is a loanword in Turkish, and depending on context it can also mean behind-the-scenes political talk / insider maneuvering. But in a simple sentence like Kulis şimdiden kalabalık, the physical meaning backstage is usually the first one learners should think of.

Turkish often leaves out the verb to be in the present tense, especially in 3rd person singular sentences.

So:

• Kulis kalabalık. = The backstage is crowded.
• literally, Turkish says something like Backstage crowded.

This is completely normal Turkish. There is an implied copula, but it is not usually spoken as a separate word in this kind of sentence.

Şimdi means now.

Şimdiden means something more like:

• already
• as early as now
• from now already

So Kulis şimdiden kalabalık does not just say the backstage is crowded now. It suggests that it is crowded earlier than expected or already at this point.

That nuance is important.

In Turkish, the predicate often comes at the end of the sentence.

Here:

• Kulis = the subject/topic
• şimdiden = time-related adverb
• kalabalık = the predicate adjective

So the structure is very natural: [subject] + [adverb] + [predicate]

Turkish often puts the most important new information at the end, and here that is kalabalık.

It can function as both, but here it is an adjective meaning crowded.

Examples:

• kalabalık bir oda = a crowded room
  Here it clearly modifies a noun.

• Oda kalabalık. = The room is crowded.
  Here it is a predicate adjective, just like in your sentence.

Turkish does this very naturally without needing an extra word like is.

Because it is the subject of the sentence and is in its basic dictionary form.

Turkish nouns only take case endings when needed. Here, there is no need for accusative, dative, locative, etc.

So:

• kulis = backstage
• no ending needed because it simply means the backstage as the thing being described

Because kalabalık is describing kulis, which is grammatically singular.

The idea is not many backstages. It is one backstage area that happens to be full of people.

In English, crowded already works this way too:

• The room is crowded
• not The room is crowdeds

So Turkish is doing something similar.

Often, yes.

Şimdiden frequently implies:

• earlier than expected
• so soon
• already, even now

So the sentence can sound like:

• The backstage is already crowded
• with a sense of Wow, it’s crowded this early?

That nuance depends on context and tone, but it is very common.

Yes, but it means something a little different.

• Kulis şimdi kalabalık. = The backstage is crowded now.
• Kulis şimdiden kalabalık. = The backstage is already crowded.

So şimdi is more neutral and just gives the time. Şimdiden adds the idea of already / earlier than expected.

Yes.

Even though there is no visible word for is, the sentence is understood as present tense:

• Kulis şimdiden kalabalık. = The backstage is already crowded.

If you wanted past tense, Turkish would show it more explicitly:

• Kulis şimdiden kalabalıktı. = The backstage was already crowded.

So the tense is understood from the form of the predicate.

Yes, but the basic version is the most neutral one.

The standard order is:

• Kulis şimdiden kalabalık.

You might also hear:

• Şimdiden kulis kalabalık.

But changing the order changes the emphasis. Turkish word order is flexible, yet the final position is often the focus. In your original sentence, ending with kalabalık gives the sentence a very natural, neutral rhythm.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• Kulis ≈ koo-lis
• şimdiden ≈ shim-dee-den
• kalabalık ≈ ka-la-ba-luk
  (the last vowel ı is not the English i sound; it is a more neutral, deeper vowel)

A rough full pronunciation: koo-lis shim-dee-den ka-la-ba-luk

A few helpful letter notes:

• ş = sh
• u = oo
• ı = a vowel with no exact English equivalent; it is not ee

It could in the right context, but probably not in a basic standalone sentence.

In news or politics, kulis can mean:

• behind-the-scenes circles
• insider talk
• political backstage

So in some contexts, Kulis şimdiden kalabalık could figuratively suggest something like There is already a lot of behind-the-scenes activity.

But unless the surrounding context points that way, the literal meaning backstage is already crowded is the safest interpretation.