Learn Hardcore Turkish: Tırnak makasını çekmeceden alıp yanımdaki çantaya koydum. - I took the nail clipper from the drawer and put it in the bag next to me.

-nı is the accusative case, marking a definite direct object (the one we already know/are referring to).
Tırnak makası is the bare compound noun (a nail clipper).
Structure: tırnak (nail) + makas (scissors) + -ı (3rd person possessive used in noun–noun compounds) → tırnak makası; then add accusative -(n)ı to the head noun: tırnak makasını.
The -ı in makası doesn’t mean “its” here; it’s the standard linking vowel/suffix for compound nouns. The accusative adds another -nı, hence makasını.

What exactly is alıp? Why not aldım?

Alıp is the converb in -Ip (take + and/then), used to chain actions done by the same subject: take … and put.
It’s more natural than using ve between two full finite verbs.
You could say aldım … koydum, but alıp … koydum is tighter and idiomatic for sequential actions.

Does the -Ip converb force both verbs to share the same subject?

Yes. In alıp … koydum, the understood subject of both verbs is the same (I). If the subjects differ, you can’t use -Ip without clarification; you would use a different construction (for example, -ince, -dikten sonra, or a full clause stating the second subject).

Why is it çekmeceden and not çekmecedan or çekmeceten?

The ablative suffix is -den/-dan with vowel harmony: front vowel → -den, back vowel → -dan. Çekmece has front vowels, so çekmeceden.
After a word ending in a voiceless consonant, the initial d of the suffix devoices to t (e.g., kitap → kitaptan). Since çekmece ends in a vowel, it stays -den.

Why is it çantaya (to/into the bag) and not çantada (in the bag)?

Koymak selects the dative -e/-a to express the target of placement: you put something to/into a container.
Çantaya = to/into the bag (dative).
Çantada = in the bag (locative, static location).
The y in çantaya is a buffer consonant because çanta ends in a vowel.

What does yanımdaki mean morphologically?

yan (side) + -ım (my) → yanım (my side)
-da (locative) → yanımda (at/by my side)
-ki (turns the locative phrase into an adjective-like modifier meaning the one that is there) → yanımdaki (the one next to me).
So yanımdaki çanta = the bag that’s next to me.

Could I say yanımda olan çanta instead of yanımdaki çanta?

Yes, it’s grammatical. -ki is just the more compact, very common way to form this kind of modifier. Yanımda olan çanta can sound a bit more formal or explicit; yanımdaki çanta is what people usually say.

Where is the object of koydum? Why isn’t it repeated?

It’s understood to be the same object mentioned earlier (tırnak makasını). Turkish often omits repeated objects and pronouns when the reference is clear from context. You could add onu (it) before koydum for emphasis or clarity, but it isn’t required.

Can I put the phrases in a different order, like Çekmeceden tırnak makasını alıp…?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible.

Tırnak makasını çekmeceden alıp… (object focus first)
Çekmeceden tırnak makasını alıp… (source focus first)
Both are fine; the choice affects emphasis/information flow rather than grammaticality.

Is tırnak makası singular or plural? In English, “scissors” is plural.

In Turkish, makas is grammatically singular. Tırnak makası refers to a single tool (a nail clipper). For plural, add -lar to the head: tırnak makasları (nail clippers).

Why is there no apostrophe in makasını? I sometimes see apostrophes in Turkish with suffixes.

Apostrophes are used to separate suffixes from proper nouns (e.g., Ankara’ya). They are not used inside regular common nouns or compounds. Tırnak makasını is a normal noun phrase; no apostrophe is needed.

Could I use çıkarıp instead of alıp, as in “taking it out of the drawer”?

Yes. Çekmeceden çıkarıp emphasizes the motion outward (taking it out), while çekmeceden alıp is the neutral “take from.” Both are natural; choose based on whether you want to highlight the “out-of” aspect.

Why is it koydum and not some other past-tense form?

koy- (put) + -du (simple past) + -m (1st singular) → koydum.
The past suffix vowel harmonizes with the verb root: o (back rounded) leads to -du.
This is the regular simple past, narrating a completed action.

Why is it alıp with an undotted ı instead of alip?

The -Ip converb follows two-way vowel harmony: after a back vowel (a, ı, o, u), it becomes -ıp; after a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), it becomes -ip. Since the root is al- (with a, a back vowel), the form is alıp (with undotted ı).

If I don’t want to mark the object as definite, can I drop the accusative and still keep the sentence?

Yes. Tırnak makası (no accusative) makes the object indefinite/unspecified. You can say Tırnak makası çekmeceden alıp yanımdaki çantaya koydum. It then reads as grabbing some nail clipper rather than a specific, already-known one. The rest of the structure stays the same.