Question 1

What's the nuance of using Nerede o eski... in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is a classic, formulaic expression in Turkish used to convey deep nostalgia. While it literally asks "Where are those old...", it functions more like "Whatever happened to the good old..." or "I miss the old..." You will frequently hear variants like Nerede o eski bayramlar? (Where are those old holidays?).

Question 2

Why is the dative case used in birbirine küs?

Accepted Answer

The adjective küs means being offended, cross, or not on speaking terms with someone. In Turkish, the person you are offended by or estranged from takes the dative case (the -(y)e/-(y)a ending). Therefore, "estranged from each other" becomes birbirine küs (literally "cross to each other").

Question 3

Is there a missing verb at the end of Şimdi herkes daima birbirine küs?

Accepted Answer

There is no missing verb, but rather an implied "to be" copula. Küs is an adjective acting as the predicate of the sentence. In the third person (referring to herkes), the "is/are" suffix (-tür or -dir) is frequently dropped in both spoken and written everyday Turkish.

Question 4

Could we use the verb küsmek here instead, like birbirine küsüyor?

Accepted Answer

You could, but the nuance shifts. The adjective küs emphasizes the ongoing state of being estranged. The present continuous verb küsüyor focuses on the action of getting offended or actively giving someone the silent treatment. Because the sentence uses daima (always) to describe a permanent modern condition, the state adjective küs is the most natural choice.

Nerede o eski dostluklar? Şimdi herkes daima birbirine küs.

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