Time origin (beri)

The Postposition "Beri" (Since)

To say that an action or situation has been ongoing "since" a specific point in time, use the postposition beri. The noun preceding it takes the ablative case (-den / -dan or -ten / -tan) to mark the starting point.

I have been working since morning.
Sabahtan beri çalışıyorum.
It has been raining since yesterday.
Dünden beri yağmur yağıyor.

Life Stages

You can also use this structure with nouns representing stages of life, like childhood (çocukluk), high school (lise), or university (üniversite).

I have known him since childhood.
Onu çocukluktan beri tanıyorum.
I have been playing the guitar since high school.
Liseden beri gitar çalıyorum.
We have been friends since university.
Üniversiteden beri arkadaşız.

Events and Milestones

Similarly, you can mark the beginning of a situation triggered by an event or milestone—like a birth (doğum), graduation (mezuniyet), or crisis (kriz)—by adding the ablative case followed by beri.

The baby has been sick since birth.
Bebek doğumdan beri hasta.
People have been poorer since the crisis.
Krizden beri insanlar daha fakir.
We haven't met at all since graduation.
Mezuniyetten beri hiç buluşmadık.
They have been staying on the street since the earthquake.
Depremden beri sokakta kalıyorlar.