Learn Hardcore Turkish: Dolmakalemle not alıp imzayı attım. - I took notes with a fountain pen and put down my signature.

It’s the comitative/instrumental form of ile “with,” fused onto the noun: dolmakalem + -le = dolmakalemle “with a fountain pen.” After a consonant, attach -la/-le; after a vowel, use a buffer -y-: -yla/-yle (e.g., araba + yla → arabayla). Vowel harmony chooses -la or -le (here, last vowel is front e, so -le).

Is dolmakalem one word or two?

Standard modern spelling prefers the single word dolmakalem “fountain pen.” You will also see dolma kalem in some writing, but the one-word form is the norm in dictionaries and contemporary usage.

How does -ıp work in not alıp?

The suffix -ıp/-ip/-up/-üp makes a converb (“doing X and then …”). It links verbs with the same subject without repeating tense/person:

not al-ıp = “taking notes (and then) …”
The form follows vowel harmony: -ıp after a back unrounded vowel (as in al-).

Does -ıp imply sequence, like “first … then …”?

Usually yes. not alıp imzayı attım is naturally read as “I took notes and then I signed.” It can sometimes be neutral “and,” but the default feel is sequential. For clearly simultaneous actions, Turkish prefers other forms.

Why not not alarak instead of not alıp?

-arak/-erek often means “by/through doing” or “while doing,” focusing on manner. not alarak imzayı attım would suggest “I signed by taking notes,” which is odd. -ıp is the right choice for a simple “X and then Y.”

Why is it imzayı and not just imza?

-ı/-i/-u/-ü is the accusative marker for a definite direct object. imzayı attım = “I signed it / put the signature (that specific one).” If you mean “I signed” in a general sense, you can say imza attım (no accusative).

Can I say imza attım instead of imzayı attım?

Yes. imza attım is very common and means “I signed” (no specific signature singled out). imzayı attım implies a particular, contextually known signature (e.g., “I put the signature [on the form]”).

What about imzamı attım—is that different?

Yes. imzamı attım = “I put my signature,” emphasizing that it’s yours. Morphology: imza + (1sg poss) -m + (acc) -ı → imzamı. Use this when you want to stress “my signature,” not just “the signature.”

Could I use imzalamak instead of imza atmak?

imza atmak = “to sign” (literally “to throw/put a signature”), very common idiom.
imzalamak = “to sign (something)” with that thing as the object: belgeyi imzaladım “I signed the document.”
So you can say either:
imzayı attım (put the signature), or
belgeyi imzaladım (signed the document).

Where does the -y- in imzayı come from?

It’s a buffer consonant used when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added to a word ending in a vowel. imza + -ı → imza-ı would be awkward, so Turkish inserts -y-: imza-y-ı.

Why is it attım with two t’s? What’s the breakdown?

Root: at- “throw/put”
Past tense: -DI (devoices to -tı/-ti/-tu/-tü after a voiceless consonant like t)
1st person singular: -m
So: at- + -tı + -m → attım “I (did) put/threw” → idiomatically “I signed” with imza.

Does dolmakalemle apply to both actions (taking notes and signing)?

Yes; placed first, it naturally scopes over the whole predicate chain: “With a fountain pen, I took notes and (then) signed.” If you want it to modify only the second action, move it closer: Not alıp imzayı dolmakalemle attım.

Can I move the words around?

Turkish word order is flexible for emphasis:

Dolmakalemle imzayı attım (neutral: with a fountain pen, I signed).
İmzayı dolmakalemle attım (emphasis on the instrument for the signing).
With two actions, keep the instrument where it matches your intended scope: sentence-initial to cover both; right before a verb to attach to that verb.

Does not almak mean “to take notes” or “to get a grade”?

Both, depending on context:

“take notes”: derste not aldım “I took notes in class.”
“receive a grade”: sınavdan iyi not aldım “I got a good grade on the exam.”
In your sentence, the instrument (dolmakalem) makes the “take notes” reading obvious.

Why is there no ben (“I”)?

Turkish usually drops subject pronouns because person/number are on the verb. attım already encodes “I (past).” You’d add ben only for emphasis or contrast.

What vowel harmony patterns are visible here?

dolmakalem + -le: last vowel e (front) → -le
imza + -(y)ı: last vowel a (back) → -ı
at- + -tı: last vowel a (back) → -tı
Harmony ensures suffix vowels match the last vowel of the stem (front/back, rounded/unrounded).