Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sınav için hazırlanma önemli. - Preparation for the exam is important.

İçin is a postposition that translates as for in English. It links sınav with hazırlanma, forming the phrase sınav için which means for the exam.

How is hazırlanma formed, and why is the -ma suffix used instead of the infinitive hazırlanmak?

Hazırlanma is the nominalized (noun) form of the verb hazırlanmak (to prepare). The -ma suffix converts the verb into a noun, which allows the phrase to serve as the subject of the sentence. This is why we say hazırlanma önemli (preparing is important).

Why isn’t there an auxiliary verb like is in the sentence?

In Turkish, present-tense statements typically omit the copula (the equivalent of is). The adjective önemli (important) follows the noun hazırlanma directly, and the linking verb is understood rather than explicitly stated.

Is the word order in this sentence rigid, or can it be varied without changing the meaning?

While Turkish word order is relatively flexible due to its agglutinative nature, the structure used here—prepositional phrase (sınav için), followed by the nominalized subject (hazırlanma), and then the predicate adjective (önemli)—is typical for clear, general statements. Changing it might shift the emphasis or lead to ambiguity, so this order is preferred in this context.