Breakdown of Ablam çok iyimser, ben ise kötümserim.
ben
I
çok
very
abla
older sister
ise
whereas / as for (also suffixed as -(y)sA)
Questions & Answers about Ablam çok iyimser, ben ise kötümserim.
Could I attach ise directly to ben as a suffix?
Yes! You can write it as a separate word (ben ise) or attach it as a suffix (bense). The meaning is exactly the same. Writing it separately just makes the word ben stand out a tiny bit more in the contrast.
Why is there no 'is' suffix at the end of Ablam çok iyimser?
In Turkish, the third-person singular 'to be' suffix (-dir / -tır) is often left out in informal or everyday contexts. Since the subject is Ablam (she), the bare adjective iyimser is enough to mean 'she is optimistic'.
How are the vocabulary words iyimser and kötümser formed?
They come from the root words iyi (good) and kötü (bad). They use the suffix -imser / -ümser, which means 'tending towards' or 'inclined to'. Therefore, iyimser means 'tending toward the good' (optimistic) and kötümser means 'tending toward the bad' (pessimistic).
Could I place ise at the very end of the sentence instead?
No, the contrastive topic marker ise must come right after the specific thing you are contrasting. Since you are contrasting yourself with your sister, it has to immediately follow ben.