Learn Turkish: Evlilikleri mutlu muymuş? - Was their marriage happy?

When forming a question with an adjective or noun in the past tense, the past tense suffix attaches to the question particle, not the adjective. You take the adjective (mutlu), add a space, then the question particle (mu), a buffer y, and the reported past suffix (muş). If it were a verb, the order would swap, like in gitmiş mi? (Did he go?).

What exactly does the -muş add to the meaning of this question?

The -muş is the reported or inferential past tense. It implies that the speaker didn't witness the marriage firsthand. They are asking for information based on what the listener might have heard or gathered, similar to asking, 'Did you hear if their marriage was happy?'

How does the word evlilikleri break down?

It starts with ev (house/home). Adding -li makes evli (married). The suffix -lik turns it into the concept noun evlilik (marriage). Finally, -leri is the third-person plural possessive suffix, giving us 'their marriage'.

Why is there a y in muymuş?