Breakdown of Ben o davayı kabul etmemeliydim.
o
that / he / she / it
ben
I
kabul etmek
to accept
dava
case / lawsuit
Questions & Answers about Ben o davayı kabul etmemeliydim.
How exactly does etmemeliydim break down to mean 'should not have'?
Let's break down the verb kabul etmemeliydim (I shouldn't have accepted): et- is the verb root (used here as part of the compound verb kabul etmek), -me is the negative suffix, -meli is the obligation suffix (should), -y- is a buffer letter, -di is the past tense suffix, and -m is the 'I' marker. Combined, the -meliydim ending expresses a past regret or unfulfilled obligation: 'I should have'. Adding the negative -me makes it 'I should not have'.
Why does dava (case) have the -yı suffix here?
The word dava (case/lawsuit) takes the specific direct object (accusative) suffix -ı (with a buffer -y-) because it is preceded by the demonstrative word o (that). Whenever you point to a specific object using words like 'this' or 'that', the noun becomes a specific direct object and must take the accusative case. Thus, o dava becomes o davayı.
Is it necessary to include Ben at the beginning of the sentence?
Grammatically, no. The -m at the very end of kabul etmemeliydim already tells us the subject is 'I'. However, using Ben here adds emphasis. In statements of strong regret or personal reflection, including the subject pronoun highlights that it was specifically your mistake.
Does dava mean any kind of 'case'?