Notu güzelce yazamadım; sadece hızlıca karaladım.

Breakdown of Notu güzelce yazamadım; sadece hızlıca karaladım.

sadece
only
yazmak
to write
hızlıca
quickly
not
the note
güzelce
nicely
karalamak
to scribble
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Questions & Answers about Notu güzelce yazamadım; sadece hızlıca karaladım.

What does the ending in Notu mean? Why not just not?

-u is the accusative case marker that marks a specific/definite direct object: notu = the note/grade (that specific one). Without it, you’d be talking about a non-specific note.

  • Definite: Notu yazamadım = I couldn’t write the (specific) note.
  • Indefinite: Bir not yazamadım = I couldn’t write a note (any note). Also, note the difference with possession:
  • notu can also mean “his/her note” (3sg possessive) in other contexts, but as a definite object here it’s accusative.
  • If you meant “I couldn’t write his/her note,” you’d say notunu yazamadım (possessive + accusative).
Why yazamadım and not yazmadım?
  • yazamadım = I couldn’t write (inability/failed attempt).
  • yazmadım = I didn’t write (simple negation; no attempt or ability implied). In this sentence, you’re saying you were unable to write it nicely, not merely that you chose not to.
How is yazamadım built morphologically?

Breakdown: yaz-a-ma-dı-m

  • yaz-: write (verb root)
  • -(y)a-…-ma-: negative potential (inability) pattern
  • -dı-: past tense
  • -m: 1st person singular Compare:
  • Ability: yazabildim = I was able to write.
  • Inability: yazamadım = I couldn’t write.
What does güzelce add compared to just güzel?

Both can modify how you write, but:

  • güzel is very common adverbially: güzel yazmak = write nicely/neatly.
  • güzelce explicitly marks manner with the adverbial suffix -ce, often sounding a bit more “in a proper/nice way.” Here, güzelce yazamadım = I couldn’t write it neatly/properly. You could also say güzel yazamadım with essentially the same meaning.
What about hızlıca? Could I use hızlı or something else?

Yes:

  • hızlıca and hızlı both work adverbially: “quickly.”
  • Alternatives: çabucak, hızla, seri bir şekilde.
    hızlıca is compact and natural in speech; hızlı bir şekilde is more formal/wordy.
What exactly does karaladım mean? Any other meanings?

karalamak = to scribble, scrawl, jot down messily. It can also mean “to slander/blacken someone’s name” in other contexts. Here it clearly means “to scribble.”
Synonyms in this sense: çiziktirmek, alıvermek (colloquial, with another verb), though karalamak is the standard choice.

Why is there a semicolon? Could I use a comma or ama?

The semicolon links two closely related independent clauses, much like in English. You could also write:

  • Notu güzelce yazamadım, sadece hızlıca karaladım.
  • Notu güzelce yazamadım; ama sadece hızlıca karaladım (better: ama hızlıca karaladım).
    Comma is common in everyday writing; ama/fakat explicitly marks contrast.
Is the word order Notu güzelce yazamadım fixed? Where can the adverbs go?

Default Turkish order is flexible but tends toward [Subject] [Object] [Adverbs] [Verb]. The given order is natural:

  • (Ben) notu güzelce yazamadım. Putting güzelce before the object (Güzelce notu yazamadım) sounds odd; adverbs usually sit near the verb phrase, not directly in front of the object.
    In the second clause, sadece scopes over the whole predicate: sadece hızlıca karaladım is natural.
Where is the “it” in the second clause? Why no onu?

Turkish often omits objects when they’re clear from context. The “it” is understood to be the same item (notu) from the first clause. You could add onu for emphasis/clarity:

  • Sadece hızlıca karaladım (onu). But it’s not required.
Does not mean “note” or “grade” here? How do I tell?

not can mean either “note” (as in a written note) or “grade/mark.” Context disambiguates. If you mean “grade,” it’s often clear in school contexts or you can specify:

  • ders notu = course grade
  • not kâğıdı/not yazısı = a (written) note
Can I replace sadece with yalnız or ancak?

Often, yes:

  • yalnız can mean “only,” but it also means “but/however” and “alone,” so context matters.
  • ancak = “only/just,” and also “however” in more formal registers. Here, both yalnız and ancak can replace sadece with little meaning change:
    …; yalnız/ancak hızlıca karaladım.
What’s going on with the -ce/-ca and -dı/-di endings? Is that vowel harmony?

Yes.

  • güzel + ce → güzelce (front vowel → -ce)
  • hızlı + ca → hızlıca (back vowel → -ca)
  • Past tense -DI harmonizes too:
    • yaz-a-ma-dı-m-dı- after back vowels
    • karala-dı-m-dı- as well
      Consonant voicing also matters: you get -dı/-di after voiced sounds, -tı/-ti after voiceless ones (e.g., koştum from koş-
      • -t-).