Learn Turkish: Ben zaten evcimen biriyim, evde hiç sıkılmam. - I am a homebody anyway; I never get bored at home.

In this context, zaten acts as a discourse marker emphasizing an inherent state or reinforcing an argument. It translates well to 'anyway,' 'as it is,' or 'by nature.' By saying Ben zaten evcimen biriyim, the speaker is saying that it is in their nature to be a homebody, which makes the second half ('I never get bored at home') the logical, expected outcome.

Why use biriyim here instead of just saying evcimenim?

Both are grammatically correct! Saying evcimenim means 'I am a homebody.' Adding biri (someone) to make it evcimen biriyim translates more closely to 'I am the kind of person who is a homebody.' It sounds a bit more natural and conversational when describing your personality traits in Turkish.

Why is sıkılmam used here instead of sıkılmıyorum?

Sıkılmam is in the negative aorist tense, which is used for general, timeless truths or habitual actions. Because the speaker is stating a permanent personality trait rather than what they are feeling right this moment, the aorist ('I never get bored') is a much better fit than the present continuous sıkılmıyorum ('I am not getting bored').

Does hiç always need a negative verb like sıkılmam?