Learn Hardcore Turkish: O konuşurken herkes not aldı. - While she was speaking, everyone took notes.

O is the third-person singular pronoun in Turkish and is gender-neutral. It can mean “he,” “she,” or “that person,” depending on context. Here, it refers to the person who was speaking.

Why is the verb aldı singular even though herkes means “everyone” (many people)?

In Turkish, herkes is grammatically singular, so the verb takes third-person singular: herkes aldı. Saying herkes aldılar is considered incorrect in standard Turkish.

Why is it not just not, not plural like notlar?

Turkish often leaves countable indefinite objects in the bare singular. Herkes not aldı naturally means “everyone took notes.” If you want to emphasize quantity, you could say:

bir not aldı = took a note (one)
birkaç not aldı / bir sürü not aldı = took several/a lot of notes

Why not notu aldı or notunu aldı?

notu aldı = “(he/she) took the note” (a specific note) or “got the grade” (a specific grade).
notunu aldı = “(he/she) received his/her grade.” For general note-taking, use the bare object: not aldı.

Is not almak the most idiomatic way to say “take notes”? What about not tutmak?

Both are common:

not almak = to take notes, but can also mean “to receive a grade” in school contexts.
not tutmak = to take notes (unambiguous and often preferred to avoid the “grade” meaning).

How is konuşurken formed? What does the suffix mean?

konuşurken = konuş-ur-ken.

konuş- = speak (verb root)
-ur- = aorist marker (used to form this converb)
-ken = “while” So it means “while (he/she) is speaking.” You can also use the progressive variant konuşuyorken; both are acceptable.

What’s the difference between -ken and -dığında/-diğinde (e.g., konuştuğunda)?

-ken = “while/during” an ongoing action (simultaneity).
-dığında/-diğinde = “when/whenever” (at the time that), which can refer to a moment or event boundary. Examples:
O konuşurken herkes not aldı. = While he/she was speaking, everyone took notes.
O konuştuğunda herkes not alır. = When(ever) he/she speaks, everyone takes notes.

Is konuşuyorken better than konuşurken, or vice versa?

Both are correct. konuşurken (aorist + -ken) is slightly neater and very common. konuşuyorken (progressive + -ken) can feel more colloquial or more explicit about the ongoing nature, but the meaning is the same.

Do I need a comma after the initial clause (O konuşurken, …)?

A comma is optional but common, as it helps readability. You’ll often see: O konuşurken, herkes not aldı.

What happens if I drop O and say Konuşurken herkes not aldı?

With -ken clauses, if the subject is omitted, it’s understood to be the same as the main clause’s subject. So it would read as “While everyone was speaking, everyone took notes,” which is odd. O is needed to show a different subject for the “while”-clause.

How else can I mark that the speaker is a different subject more formally?

Use a genitive + participle or a “during” expression:

Onun konuştuğu sırada/esnada, herkes not aldı.
Onun konuşması sırasında, herkes not aldı.

Can I move the “while”-clause to the end? For example: Herkes not aldı o konuşurken.

Yes. Word order is flexible. Placing it at the end can sound like an afterthought or highlight the main action first. A comma can help: Herkes not aldı, o konuşurken.

Why simple past aldı instead of past progressive alıyordu?

Both are possible:

aldı: completed action (“everyone took notes”).
alıyordu: ongoing background action (“everyone was taking notes”) while the speaking was happening. Choose based on the aspect you want.

Does herkes include the person referred to by O?

Logically here, no—the speaker (the O person) wouldn’t be taking notes while speaking. Herkes means “everyone (else in the relevant group),” and context usually excludes the speaker in cases like this.

How do I negate the “while” clause? Is it konuşmuyorken or konuşmazken?

Both exist with slightly different feels:

konuşmuyorken = while he/she is not speaking (specific ongoing time).
konuşmazken = while he/she doesn’t speak (more general/habitual or contrastive). Example: O konuşmuyorken soru sorabilirsiniz.

How would I say “While we were speaking, everyone took notes”?

Use a pronoun before the -ken clause to set its subject:

Biz konuşurken herkes not aldı. Similarly: Ben konuşurken herkes not aldı.

Is writing iken separately ever correct? For example, konuşur iken?

Yes, -iken used to be written separately and you may still see it in formal or older texts: konuşur iken. In modern usage, it’s almost always attached: konuşurken.

Any pronunciation tip for konuşurken?

Primary stress is typically on the syllable before -ken: ko-nu-ŞUR-ken. Also note Turkish ı in aldı is the back unrounded vowel (not like English “i”).

Could O mean “that (person)” rather than “he/she”?

Yes. O can be a demonstrative (“that one/that person”). In this sentence it still points to a specific person who was speaking; whether you read it as “he/she” or “that person” depends on context.