Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ben sınava hazırlanıyorum.

In Turkish, subject pronouns are often dropped because the verb ending already indicates the subject. Including Ben can add extra emphasis or clarity, but it isn’t required to make the sentence grammatically correct.

How does the noun sınav become sınava in this context?

The noun sınav takes the dative case suffix -a to indicate direction or purpose—here, it means "for the exam." Turkish applies vowel harmony, so because sınav contains back vowels, the correct suffix is -a rather than -e.

What is the base form of hazırlanıyorum and how is the present continuous formed?

The base form is hazırlanmak, meaning "to prepare oneself." To form hazırlanıyorum, the present continuous suffix -ıyor (which varies with vowel harmony) is added to the stem, followed by the first-person singular ending -um. This construction expresses an ongoing action: "I am preparing."

How does vowel harmony influence the choice of suffix in sınava?

Turkish vowel harmony means that suffix vowels must match the vowels in the root word. Since sınav has back vowels, the dative suffix appears as -a instead of -e, resulting in .