Breakdown of Herkes yabancı ve herkes farklı.
ve
and
herkes
everyone
yabancı
stranger / foreigner
farklı
different
Questions & Answers about Herkes yabancı ve herkes farklı.
Is herkes treated as singular or plural in Turkish?
Just like in English, where we say "everyone is" instead of "everyone are", herkes is treated grammatically as a third-person singular subject (like "he", "she", or "it"). That is why any attached verbs or hidden "to be" suffixes are in the singular form.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
There isn't one! In Turkish, sentences describing what someone or something is often don't need a visible verb for the third-person singular. The "is" is simply implied. In very formal writing, you might see the "to be" suffix -dir added (yabancıdır, farklıdır), but it is usually dropped in everyday language.
I've seen yabancı used to mean "foreign". Does it also mean "stranger"?
Yes, yabancı is a very versatile word. It can be an adjective meaning "foreign" (as in yabancı dil for "foreign language"), but it can also be a noun meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". In this context, "stranger" is the most natural translation.
Do we have to repeat herkes after ve (and)?
No, you don't strictly have to. You could just say Herkes yabancı ve farklı (Everyone is a stranger and different). However, repeating herkes adds emphasis and gives equal emotional weight to both halves of the sentence.