Question 1

How does zaten function in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In this context, zaten acts as a discourse marker meaning "anyway" or "besides." It introduces a reinforced argument or an inherent state that justifies the speaker's regret. They wish they had not gone out, and the fact that the weather is awful is an extra, inherent reason why going out was a bad idea.

Question 2

Could zaten be placed at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could say hava berbat zaten. Zaten is quite flexible in its placement. Putting it at the beginning of the clause (zaten hava berbat) signals right away that you are introducing a supporting argument, while putting it at the end feels a bit more like an afterthought.

Question 3

Why is the conditional suffix -sa used in çıkmasaydım to mean "I wish I had not"?

Accepted Answer

When paired with keşke (I wish / if only), Turkish uses the conditional suffix -sa or -se to express wishes. Adding the past tense suffix -dı makes it an unrealized wish about the past. The breakdown is çık-ma-sa-y-dı-m, which literally translates closer to "If only I had not gone out."

Question 4

Since the speaker is going out, why isn't the dative case used to show direction (dışarıya)?

Accepted Answer

With directional words like içeri (inside), dışarı (outside), yukarı (up), and aşağı (down), Turkish often drops the dative suffix (-ya or -ye) when used directly with verbs of motion like çıkmak (to go out). While dışarıya çıkmasaydım is grammatically correct, dışarı çıkmasaydım is much more common and natural.

Keşke dışarı çıkmasaydım, zaten hava berbat.

Breakdown of Keşke dışarı çıkmasaydım, zaten hava berbat.

Questions & Answers about Keşke dışarı çıkmasaydım, zaten hava berbat.

Learn Keşke dışarı çıkmasaydım, zaten hava berbat and more in Turkish