Oppiminen on tärkeä asia.

Learning is an important thing.

Breakdown of Oppiminen on tärkeä asia.

• olla: to be
• tärkeä: important
• asia: the thing
• oppiminen: the learning

Questions & Answers about Oppiminen on tärkeä asia.

What does the word Oppiminen come from?

It’s a verbal noun built from the verb oppia (to learn) + the suffix -minen, which turns a verb into a noun meaning “the act/process of X.” So oppiminen = “learning.” As a regular noun it inflects:

• nominative: oppiminen
• genitive: oppimisen
• partitive: oppimista
• elative: oppimisesta, etc.

Why is it tärkeä and not tärkeää here?

Because the predicate is a noun phrase tärkeä asia (“an important thing”). When the predicate is a concrete noun phrase, it’s in the nominative, so the adjective tärkeä agrees with asia in nominative.
If you drop the noun and use only an adjective to describe the abstract activity, Finnish prefers the partitive: Oppiminen on tärkeää (“Learning is important”).

Can I omit asia and just say Oppiminen on tärkeää? Which sounds more natural?

Yes, and it’s often more natural and idiomatic. Oppiminen on tärkeää is the go‑to way to say “Learning is important.” Oppiminen on tärkeä asia explicitly calls learning “an important thing,” which can sound a bit more formal or emphatic.

Is Oppiminen on tärkeä (without asia) acceptable?

Generally no. With an abstract, uncountable subject like oppiminen, a bare predicative adjective is normally in the partitive: tärkeää, not tärkeä. So say Oppiminen on tärkeää or keep the noun: Oppiminen on tärkeä asia.

What cases are the words in?

• Oppiminen: nominative singular (the subject).
• tärkeä asia: nominative singular (the predicate noun phrase).
  In equational sentences with olla (“to be”), both sides are typically nominative when you identify/classify the subject (e.g., “X is a Y”).

How would I make it negative?

Two natural options:

• With the noun phrase: Oppiminen ei ole tärkeä asia (“Learning is not an important thing”).
• With just the adjective: Oppiminen ei ole tärkeää (“Learning isn’t important”) — here tärkeää is partitive, which is typical with negation.

What’s the difference between Oppiminen and opiskelu?

• Oppiminen = learning in general, the process of acquiring knowledge/skills (can happen anywhere).
• Opiskelu = studying, usually the deliberate activity of studying (often in a school/university context).
  Both are verbal nouns: oppia → oppiminen, opiskella → opiskelu.

Can I re-order the sentence?

Yes, for emphasis:

• Neutral: Oppiminen on tärkeä asia.
• Focus on what is important: Tärkeä asia on oppiminen.
  You wouldn’t say Oppiminen on asia tärkeä in standard Finnish.

How do I say “It’s important to learn”?

Use the impersonal structure: On tärkeää oppia.
This is very common and natural. It literally says “It is important to learn,” with no explicit subject.

How do I say “Learning is important for children”?

Oppiminen on lapsille tärkeää.
Use the allative -lle to mark “for (someone).” You can also add emphasis: Oppiminen on lapsille todella/erittäin tärkeää.

Why is there no word for “an” before tärkeä asia?

Finnish has no articles (no “a/an” or “the”). Definiteness/indefiniteness is read from context or expressed with word order, case, or demonstratives (e.g., tämä, se).

How do I pronounce the words correctly?

• Oppiminen: OP-pi-mi-nen (double pp is a long consonant); stress on the first syllable.
• tärkeä: TÄR-ke-ä (three syllables; ä is a front vowel; roll the r).
• asia: A-si-a (three syllables; s is always [s], never [z]).
  Finnish always stresses the first syllable, and double consonants/vowels are held longer.