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Neden bu kadar zıtlar? Çünkü biri rahat, diğeri ise kuralcı.

Neden bu kadar zıtlar? Çünkü biri rahat, diğeri ise kuralcı.
Why are they so opposite? Because one is relaxed, whereas the other is strict.
From Lesson 453:Contrastive topic marker (ise, -ysa)·Turkish

Questions & Answers about Neden bu kadar zıtlar? Çünkü biri rahat, diğeri ise kuralcı.

Why use the separate word ise here instead of attaching it to the word, and what exactly does it add?
ise is acting as a contrastive topic marker here, meaning 'whereas' or 'as for'. It contrasts the second person with the first. You absolutely can attach it as a suffix! Saying diğeriyse (diğeri + -y- + -se) is perfectly natural and means the exact same thing in this context.
Why do biri and diğeri have the -i suffix at the end?
That -i is the third-person possessive suffix. Instead of just saying 'one' (bir) and 'other' (diğer), you are literally saying 'one of them' (biri) and 'the other of them' (diğeri), linking them directly back to the people mentioned in the first question.
How does the word kuralcı get the meaning of 'strict'?
The root is kural, which means 'rule'. The suffix -cı (or -ci, -cu, etc.) makes a noun or adjective describing a person associated with that thing. A kuralcı is a 'rules person', which translates perfectly to 'strict' or 'dogmatic'.
Can I use çok instead of bu kadar to mean 'so opposite'?
çok means 'very' (çok zıtlar = they are very opposite). bu kadar literally means 'this amount' and is the natural way to say 'so' or 'this much'. It emphasizes the intense degree of their opposition, perfectly setting up the explanation that follows.
Why is there no 'to be' suffix (-dır/-dir) at the end of rahat or kuralcı?
In informal and everyday spoken Turkish, the third-person 'to be' suffix (-dır/-dir) is frequently dropped when stating a simple description. Saying rahattır and kuralcıdır is absolutely grammatically correct, but it sounds much more formal, encyclopedic, or assertive.

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