Breakdown of Onlar küs değiller, ne de olsa eski dostlar çok kıymetli.
onlar
they
değil
not
çok
very
eski
old
Questions & Answers about Onlar küs değiller, ne de olsa eski dostlar çok kıymetli.
How does the phrase ne de olsa work in this sentence?
Ne de olsa translates to "after all" or "when all is said and done." As a discourse marker, it introduces the undeniable, bottom-line reason for the previous statement. Here, the universal truth that "old friends are very precious" is the ultimate justification for why they aren't staying mad at each other.
Is küs a noun or an adjective here, and what exactly does it mean?
In this sentence, küs acts as an adjective meaning "estranged," "offended," or "not on speaking terms." It comes from the verb küsmek (to get offended or to sulk). When two Turkish people are küs, it usually means they have had a falling out and are giving each other the silent treatment.
Could we just say değil instead of değiller?
Yes! Because the plural subject onlar (they) is explicitly stated at the beginning of the sentence, adding the plural suffix -ler to değil is optional. Saying Onlar küs değil would be perfectly natural and grammatically correct.
Why isn't there a "to be" suffix (like -dir or -ler) at the end of kıymetli?