Silgiyi alıp defterdeki hatayı sildim.

the notebook

Breakdown of Silgiyi alıp defterdeki hatayı sildim.

• almak: to take
• hata: the mistake
• -deki: in

Questions & Answers about Silgiyi alıp defterdeki hatayı sildim.

What does the suffix in alıp (-ıp) do? Could I just use ve “and”?

• -Ip is a converb that links two actions with the same subject and usually means “and (then)”.
• Silgiyi alıp hatayı sildim ≈ “I took the eraser and erased the mistake.”
• You can also say two finite clauses: Silgiyi aldım ve hatayı sildim. This is slightly less “tight” than -ıp.
• Don’t combine them as alıp ve sildim; that’s unidiomatic.

Why is silgiyi in the accusative? Could it be silgi?

• Accusative (-ı/-i/-u/-ü) marks a specific/definite direct object.
• Silgiyi alıp… = “I took the (specific) eraser.”
• Silgi alıp… = “I took an eraser.” (non-specific)
• The extra -y- in silgiyi is a buffer consonant because the noun ends in a vowel.

Why is hatayı in the accusative? Could I say defterdeki hata sildim?

• Hatayı is the specific object of sildim, so it takes accusative.
• Defterdeki hatayı sildim = “I erased the mistake (that’s) in the notebook.”
• If you mean an indefinite mistake, say Defterde bir hata sildim (“I erased a mistake in the notebook”).
• Defterdeki hata sildim is unnatural; the modifier defterdeki tends to make the noun specific in this context.

What exactly is defterdeki? How does -ki work?